Sultan Abdul Samad Building
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The Sultan Abdul Samad Building is located in front of the Dataran Merdeka - literally the Independence Square - and the Royal Selangor Club, by Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The structure takes its name from Sultan Abdul Samad, the reigning sultan of Selangor at the time when construction began.
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[edit] History
It was designed by A.C. Norman and built in 1894-1897 to house several important government departments during the British administration. A.C. Norman spent time in Africa and saw Muslim temples in India which led him to use Moorish architecture in the building's design, not realizing that the Malays already had a South-East Asian form of their own.[citation needed]
[edit] Features
Topped by a shiny copper dome and a 40m high clock tower, it is a major landmark in the city. It serves as the backdrop for important events such as the National Day Parade on August 31 and the ushering in of the New Year. This heritage building used to be occupied by the then Apex Court of Malaysia, the Supreme Court which was subsequently renamed the Federal Court. The Court of Appeal was also housed in this historic building. The Federal Court and the Court of Appeals have since moved to the Palace of Justice located in Putrajaya, the new Federal administrative capital. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building now houses the Commercial Division of the High Court of Malaya.
Behind the building flows the Klang river and across from it stands Jamek Mosque, a mosque of similar design by the same architect.
[edit] Incidents
In 1971, Kuala Lumpur suffered a huge flood after a heavy rainfall. Part of the building was not spared. In 1978, a massive renovation was undertaken. The renovation took six years to complete with a total cost of RM 17.2 million.
