Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Kuala Lumpur Overview

The beautifully designed and maintained, 19th-century structure, Sultan Abdul Samad Building stands tall at the Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur. It houses the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia. The main highlight is the stunning view of the building when illuminated at night.

Owing to its appealing beauty and architecture, Sultan Abdul Samad Building is open for the general public to visit and explore the corners. Being one of the most photographed buildings of Malaysia, it stands right beside the 41.2 meters tall clock tower with a magnificent design, marking the Independence of Malaysia on 31st August 1957.

Historical Significance

The Abdul Samad building has always been a huge attraction for locals and tourists since the time it was inaugurated on 4th April 1897. The construction started in 1894, costing a huge amount. The opening ceremony of the building was a big affair with a ball and a massive dinner of guests from all over the country, celebrating the successful establishment of the building at the actual estimate which was made by the State Engineer of the Selangor Public Works Department, Charles Edwin Spooner with others being sceptical about the risk of building such a huge structure close to the Klang River.

Earlier the British administrative offices were in Jalan Bukit Aman on a hill but later the proposal of shifting it down to a plain for ease of visiting was made by the British Resident of Selangor, William Edward Maxwell and was approved by everyone. Then it was shifted to this building and there was a lot of rework that was done by R.A.J. Bidwell.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Kuala Lumpur — Sultan Abdul Samad Building at night (Source)

Architecture & Design of Sultan Abdul Samad Building

The stunning Sultan Abdul Saman Building has a brick construction and arches with curved pairs of columns making a long sequence and a shiny copper dome. The structure has two stories with the shape of the floor resembling an ‘F’. The Clock tower also stands in its magnificence with a golden dome and a one-ton bell, marking the Independence of Malaysia with chimes and striking after each hour and half an hour.

Constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style it stands with two lower towers on each side, all three having an onion-shaped copper dome on top. It is lighted up beautifully on all important days, being an attractive spot to learn about the history of the country and for photography.

In front of the building is the field of the Merdeka Square with the flagpole and other important buildings along with the Klang River behind it. The building was added in the list of the National Heritage in 2007, observing its significance as a Heritage site.

Tips

Peace and Decency should be maintained inside the building because of the officers working.
The building is an important spot and acts as a backdrop during the events in the Merdeka square. So, visiting the building during such events like the National Day Parade on Independence Day and other events is a good idea.

How to Reach Sultan Abdul Samad Building

Taxi: A taxi can be taken from any part of the city to reach directly to the Abdul Samad Building. From the nearest airport, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport the taxi will take about 40-45 minutes to reach the building with the drivers of the city being well-versed in the directions to this famous attraction of the city.

LRT: The LRT train can also be taken to Masjid Jamek Station or Pasar Seni Station from where the Abdul Samad Building is just a 10 minutes’ walk away.