Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad
Colonial secretariat with copper domes and a Moorish clock tower at the city's independence square.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad in Kuala Lumpur starts with the clock tower's chime at the moment independence was declared, then rewinds to 1897, when residents were certain the newly built tower would collapse. You'll hear how the original Classical Renaissance design was scrapped by the colonial State Engineer, and how his draughtsman Bidwell arrived at the blend of styles standing here. For sixty years this was the administrative brain of British Malaya, until one midnight chime changed everything.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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