Architecture Culture & History 2 Project: Architecture Heritage Building Analysis

Fast Facts
Nestled on top of a hill, Dewan Tunku Canselor is an iconic landmark you cannot miss in
the sprawling campus of University Malaya. The brainchild of the late Datuk Kington Loo
of BEP (Boothy Edwards & Partners) Akitek Sdn. Bhd., this giant assemblage of
concrete was named after and consequently officiated by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Alhaj on June 25, 1966. It took 18 months to complete and the first convocation ceremony
held there was for 587 graduates who were receiving undergraduate Masters and
Doctorates while 115 others received diplomas in Education. The hall still currently
functions as a venue for convocation ceremonies and the hosting of numerous functions
of the university including semester examinations, large scale performances, special
classes, seminars and conferences. Before its existence, convocation ceremonies of the
university were held at other locations, among them Tunku Abdul Rahman Hall on Jalan
Ampang.
Contextual Study
Dewan Tunku Canselor is a two and a half storey building consisting of a great hall and
a foyer area, connected to an Experimental Theatre. It can accommodate about 25,000
people and was uncontestedly the largest hall in KL at the time. A stage is located inside
the great hall at the ground level and is a later addition as before only a platform sat in
its place. A stage was finally installed because around 1969-1971, British Council
wanted to have a ballet presentation which called for a relatively spacious hall. The
mezzanine floor is actually a viewing gallery that forms a U shape. The roof of the great
hall consists of steel trussed structures and a reinforced concrete slab with up-stand
beam forming the perimeter roofing system. Access to the different floor levels is
provided by two spiral concrete staircases located within oval shaped shear walls.
In an act of true historical tragedy, in the early morning of June 29th 2001 the hall was
ripped through by a fire just hours before a student leadership symposium was
supposed to be held. Along with 1,800 graduation robes and 2,000 mortar boards, the
interior furnishings were completely destroyed resulting in a loss amounting to nearly

RM12.4 million. However, the imposing fire did little to make any solid damage to the
skeleton of the concrete structure. This is an advantage only possible with Brutalist
buildings. A reconstruction fund was set up by staff, students and The New Straits Times.
Construction work took 4 months and 3 weeks and it was rebuilt to original condition with
a few better and more sophisticated adjustments. Despite everything, Dewan Tunku
Canserlor cannot be measured in money because of the sentimental nostalgia attached
as it has been the backdrop of countless bittersweet memories.
Style
The architect, Kington Loo, was influenced by Le Corbusier. The latter being a prominent
modern architect who was very concerned about the suitability of the design according
to use. A monolithic erection of great mass, Dewan Tunku Canselor was heavily inspired
by the Brutalist style which flourished in the 1950s and 60s. A building constructed to
reflect the French bton brut images, or raw concrete.The marks or textures of the
wooden forms in which the concrete is poured into is maintained and blatantly revealed
on the surface of the unadorned reinforced concrete, resulting in an exterior that is
daunting, uncomplicated yet stealthily intricate. The strip traces all along the building are
traces left by the wooden construction molds and were left on purpose to fulfil the
concept of Brutalism Architecture. The traces create a rhythmic pattern. This style is
typically formed with striking blockish, geometric and repetitive shapes. Brutalist designs
often include striking abject irregularities as well.

Figure
1: Spiral staircase that link all the floors of the building.
Dewan Tunku Canselor has many striking architectural elements. Among them are the
spiral staircases are situated on both the East and west sides of the Great Hall. They are
located within the oval shaped structures of the building and connnect all two and a half

storeys. The steps of each staircase are made from reinforced concrete and are directly
attached to the wall faade of the oval tower as can be seen from Figure 1. The
staircases leads directly to the Mezzanine Floor and all the way up to the open-roof top.

Figure
2: The windows of the North Faade of the building inclined at 45 degees.
The windows of the north and south Faade of the building are inclined at 45 degrees to
the normal as shown in Figure 2. This is owing to the fact that it is used as a shade
against direct sunlight beating down upon the building. The repetitive pattern not only
has a purpose but is also used to add to the buildings aethetics, essentially
incorporating it into the overall design. The main purpose of the windows is to create a
dramatic scenery at the foyer area and the mezzanine floor where the silhouettes of the
window frame are reflected on the wall facades of the building. The shape and size keep
on changing throughout the day according to the sunrise-sunset cycle. The inclination of
the windows also functions to promote ventilation and prevent harsh light from
penetrating the building. The same technique of ventilation has been used on the entire
exposed surface of the building as can be seen from Figure 3.

Figure 3: The same technique of ventilation used on the side entrance to the
foyer.

Figure
4: view of The Great Hall from the main entrance.
The Great Hall is the main feature and attraction of Dewan Tunku Canselor and is where

convocations, conferences, graduation ceremonies and other formal events are held.
The Halls surface area is of approximately 2250 m2. The stage is situated on the same
axis as the main entrance as can be seen from Figure 5. A portion of the seats sit on a
raised platform to accommodate for eye view of those that sit at the back, while the
seats towards the front incline lower. As found in typical hall typologies, backstage there
is a series of rooms that serve as changing and storage rooms.

Figure
5 : Foyer Area showing the main entrance and entrance to the Great Hall lie on the same
axis.
The building can also be looked at analytically, for example the ciruclation in Dewan
Tunku Canselor is very interesting. Approaching the building, the main entrance is
situated on the East Side of the building. Once in the building, you find yourself in the
foyer area. Access to the Great Hall is in the same axis as the main entrance, this can
be seen clearly in Figure 5. Once into the Great Hall, on the north and south part of the
building, two spiral staircases are located which lead to the mezzanine floor, the VIP
area ( on the same level ) and to the next level where people can get access to three
projection rooms where nowadays some lectures from Universiti Malaya are given. To

access the Bilik Anjung (Tea Room), which is a part of the building which has been newly
added after the renovation of the building, people have to go through the southern exit in
the foyer area and access the component from its own entrance.

Figure
6: The newly added Bilik Anjung (Tea Room) that can only be accessed from outside the
actual hall.

The concept of unit to whole is evident here. The building is a two and a half storey
massive structure of brutalism Architecture. There are many rooms located on the
ground floor such as the foyer area, the Great Hall (where convocations take place),
backstage and two toilets(one on both north and south side of the building). On the
southern part of the building, the Bilik Anjung (shown in Figure 6) which interestingly
enough, access is not permitted from the inside of the building. Access to the second
floor is allowed by two spiral concrete staircases on both side of the building starting
from the ground floor. The second floor is constituted of the VIP area which is on the
east side of the building and the mezzanine floor which takes up the perimeter of the
building and gives access to people to look at what is happening from the ground floor.
On the third floor, three projection rooms are located where special/private talks, lectures
and other minor events occurs.

The building could also be analysed in terms of hierachy. In this case it would be
according to the importance of the units in relation to the main function of the building
itself, which is a place for convocations. The main and most important component is the
Great Hall where convocations and performances are executed. The secondary
components are the VIP area and the mezzanine floor which are both situated on the
same floor and the function of these components are to allow people to have view of
what is happening on stage from a tilted angle. The tertiary components are the
backstage, the Bilik Anjung and the three projection rooms ( on the third floor ) .

Figure
7: View from above clearly shows the H shape of the building.

Besides that, symmetry and balance. Looking from above the building has a H shape as
seen from Figure 7. An axis can be drawn across the east-west axis and as a result, it is
seen that the 2 oval towers are of equal distance to the central axis. It can also be seen
that the east side is identical to the west.
In addition, repetition is evident. The building contains a lot of repetitive items
considering the series of windows located at the exterior of the front faade of the Great
Hall and also on the front faade of the east and west extremities of the building.
In terms of massing, due to the fact that it is in the architectural style of brutalism, an
observation can be made. The building is fully built using a type of concrete called

beton brut and gives the aspect of rough finishing. At the same time, the building is
physically and visually massive due to the fact that no skeletal structure can be found in
the building.

Comparative Study

Figure 8: Chandigarh High Court in India designed by Le Corbusier.

The Chosen Building
Another example of well-done Brutalism would be the Chandigarh High Court in India

designed by the master himself, Le Corbusier (shown in Figure8). Comparing both

buildings, it is observed that in both, the faade is sheltered by a series of fixed square
concrete louvres strategically angled to permit good ventilation, yet keeping out direct
sunlight and rain (as can be seen in Figure 9). The orientation of the building, and in
addition the design of the brise-soleil screen, was carefully thought out. This is a result of
Kingtons response to the setting. As opposed to the grilled caged adopted by most
Brutalist buildings in Malaya during that era, the louvres succeeded at bringing a higher
degree of aesthetics; it was almost like a sarcophagus that consumes the building
itself. Apart from the issue of aesthetics, the large concrete sunshades offer a greater
level of fire safety compared to grilles. The effectiveness of this element was evident
after the fire tragedy in 2001. Behind the brise-soleil, glass is affixed to the windows of
the courtrooms in both Chandigarh High Court, and the foyer area in Dewan Tunku
Canselor.

Figure 9: both buildings have a similar faade of square concrete louvres.

At Chandigarh High Court, the concrete surfaces are completely exposed in its interior.
This combination brought about problems in acoustics. Le Corbusier thought it was
primitive to introduce a sound-absorptive surface, and came up with the idea of creating
a series of large tapestries to cover the interior walls behind the judges' benches. This
has effectively helped to reduce echoes in the courtrooms. Whereas in Dewan Tunku
Canselor, the exposed concrete walls in the foyer especially, were left unadorned,

exposing its very skeleton. Besides that difference, Dewan Tunku Canselor, tucked away
against the slope of the hill, has blended very well and over time has become absorbed
by its environment, similar to Llyod Wrights famous Falling Water. Chandigarh High
Court, however, is very monumental and glaringly obvious even from afar. It is typical of
Brutalist buildings to have curved staircase facades. Nonetheless, this was only noted in
Dewan Tunku Canselor and not on the Chandigarh High Court. Overall, the way in
which both buildings have manipulated and exploited, Le Corbusier and Datuk Kington
Loo individually did an impressive job in using concrete to create a lasting visual impact
on any visitor.

Conclusion
In conclusion, Dewan Tunku Canselor is truly a fine example of south asian architecture
at its best. It is often overlooked, but once looked at carefully and with an analytical eye,
the beauty and pure ingenuity cannot be denied. Its truly iconic feature has to be the
concept of Brutalism Architecture which had been applied throughout the whole design
of the building. The raw concrete look of the building designed by Dato Kington Loo, is a
masterpiece on Modernism. He adapted his design to the brut style of LeCorbusier and
made it belong in a tropical country. Every detail of the building was carefully thought out
and made to tie in with the concept of Brutalism. From the striking and bold exterior, to
the winding staircases inside the building, it screams Modernism.
Dewan Tunku Canselor is a snapshot of an era when new architecture was identified by
form, function and materials, rather than the typical colour, stylism or novelty. In the book
Shapers of Modern Malaysia, editor Lim Teng Ngiom mentions: (It is) unsurpassed in
concrete plasticity. Despite its concrete expression, the building is appropriately tropical
and has weathered well over the years. Kington Loo has managed to achieve a state of
equilibrium by softening the harsh concrete with void spaces and with water elements.
Declared a National Heritage Site in 2005, it certainly is something worth being proud of.
Designed by a locally born and bred architect, and gracing the campus of a Malaysian
university, it certainly is a Malaysian building that is the pride of the nation.