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The Lee Rubber Building ( ms, Bangunan Lee Rubber) is a historical building in
Kuala Lumpur
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, Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
.
Architecture
Lee Rubber Building is located at the corner of Jalan Tun H. S. Lee and Jalan Hang Lekir (known as High Street and Cecil Street during the British colonial era). The building was designed by Arthur Oakley Coltman of the British architecture firm,Booty Edwards & Partners
Booty Edwards & Partners, now known as ''BEP Akitek Sdn Bhd'', is an architectural firm based in Malaysia.
Ralph Booty & Sidney James set up their practice in Singapore in 1910 and began the Booty Edwards & Partners firm on September 7, 1923. Ralp ...
company. Its grey façade sports the Modernist Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
design as its architectural style, with striated lines and mouldings complete with differentiated corner treatment topped with an essential flag pole. Its five-foot way
A five-foot way (Malay/Indonesian: ''kaki lima'') is a roofed continuous walkway commonly found in front of shops in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia which may also be used for commercial activity. The name refers to the width of the passageway, ...
is broken by solid wall-like pillars. It has a strong geometric shape with a corner set at a 45° angle. Like most urban Art Deco structures, the original building has a flat roof with no cornice or overhang. It also has a pediment
Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape.
Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds.
A pedimen ...
that portrays the building's original name in English and Chinese.
History
The building was constructed in 1930. Upon completion, it was the tallest building in Kuala Lumpur at that time. In 1942-1945, the building was used by theJapanese government
The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary state, c ...
as the headquarters of Japanese secret police
Secret police (or political police) are intelligence, security or police agencies that engage in covert operations against a government's political, religious, or social opponents and dissidents. Secret police organizations are characteristic of a ...
during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. In 1950s, an additional floor was added to the structure, making it a five-story building. In 2003, Popular
Popularity or social status is the quality of being well liked, admired or well known to a particular group.
Popular may also refer to:
In sociology
* Popular culture
* Popular fiction
* Popular music
* Popular science
* Populace, the total ...
bookshop opened for operation in the building. The building was put up for sale in 2015 by its former owner, Lee Rubber Group; the Popular bookstore and the Kasturi tuition centre upstairs vacated the building several months later as a result. Nevertheless, Kuala Lumpur City Hall
The Kuala Lumpur City Hall ( ms, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, abbreviated DBKL) is the city council which administers the city of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. This council was established after the city was officially granted city status on 1 Feb ...
by-laws prohibit the demolition or significant structural alteration to the heritage building.
In 2016, the then-85-year-old structure, was sold to Singapore-based GF Land Sdn Bhd whom set out to convert the historic building into a new landmark. The Lee Rubber Building was turned into a small luxury hotel, named Else Kuala Lumpur featuring 49 guestrooms and suites and opened for the public on August 11, 2022. On top of the original four-storey structure, a new podium and an additional two floors are constructed. The building also sports a series of atriums to bring in natural light and ventilation .
The building is preserved under the National Heritage Act and is listed as a heritage structure category 2 by Kuala Lumpur City Hall
The Kuala Lumpur City Hall ( ms, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, abbreviated DBKL) is the city council which administers the city of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. This council was established after the city was officially granted city status on 1 Feb ...
. This entails a preservation of the entire façade.
Transportation
The building is accessible within walking distance northeast of Pasar Seni LRT/MRT station.See also
*List of tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur
This is the list of tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Community
* Brickfields
* Petaling Street
Convention centres
* Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
* Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC)
* MATRADE E ...
References
{{Malaysian historical architectures and sites 1930 establishments in British Malaya Buildings and structures in Kuala Lumpur