The City Hall is the

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

headquarters in the city of George Town in

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

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 ...

. Built by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

, it now serves as the seat of the

Penang Island City Council The City Council of Penang Island is the council that administers the city of Pulau Pinang, which includes the entirety of Penang Island, Malaysia. The city council, which has jurisdiction over an area of , falls under the purview of the Penang s ...

and was previously the seat of the George Town City Council. Originally completed in 1903 as the ''Municipal Offices'', the building was erected at a cost of $100,000 to relieve the demand for office space at the adjacent

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

. The name ''City Hall'' dates back to the grant of city status to George Town in 1957. Both the City Hall and the

are located at Esplanade Road, overlooking the historic parade ground (the ''Padang'') within the

Esplanade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...

. The buildings are also situated within George Town's

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Architecture

Completed in 1903, the two-storey building combines

Edwardian Baroque Edwardian architecture is a Neo-Baroque architectural style that was popular in the British Empire during the Edwardian era (1901–1910). Architecture up to the year 1914 may also be included in this style. Description Edwardian architecture is ...

and

Palladian Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...

architectural styles. It has been listed as a national monument since 1982 under the Antiquities Act 1976. The building was last renovated between 2004 and 2005. Although the City Hall retains much of its original form, the original arcades or

loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior gallery or corridor, usually on an upper level, but sometimes on the ground level of a building. The outer wall is open to the elements, usually supported by a series of columns ...

s on the ground floor have been enclosed with windows. Penang City Hall (II)

History

The history of George Town's municipal accommodations began in 1873, when a proposal to construct the

was first mooted. The construction of the

commenced in 1879 and was inaugurated in the following year, making it George Town's first municipal building.The Straits Times ingapore21 August 1880: 5. Print. The

housed the local government for George Town, the Municipal Commission of George Town and served as a venue for social events for the European elite. However, the Municipal Commission soon deemed the office space within the

to be insufficient. Hence, plans were drawn up for the construction of another municipal building right next door. Tenders were called for the construction of the ''Municipal Offices'' in 1900. Lee Ah Chang, a local ethnic

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

, won the contract with a bid amounting to $75,400 (

Straits dollar The Straits dollar was the currency of the Straits Settlements from 1898 until 1939. At the same time, it was also used in the Federated Malay States, the Unfederated Malay States, Kingdom of Sarawak, Brunei, and British North Borneo. Histor ...

). The ''Municipal Offices'' was built in the

and

styles, which were popular at the time. By the time the ''Municipal Offices'' was completed in 1903, its construction cost had ballooned to $100,000 (

). The Municipal Commission of George Town decided to covertly relocate from the

into the adjacent ''Municipal Offices'', and that no inauguration ceremony was to be held. Since the completion of the ''Municipal Offices'', the

took on a more social function. The ''Municipal Offices'' held the distinction of being one of the first buildings in

to be completely fitted with electric lights and fans. The ''Municipal Offices'' was renamed the City Hall in 1957, when George Town was declared a city by Her Majesty

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

. Thus, the City Hall served as the seat of the George Town City Council until its eventual merger with the Penang Island Rural District Council to form the

Penang Island Penang Island ( ms, Pulau Pinang; zh, 檳榔嶼; ta, பினாங்கு தீவு) is part of the state of Penang, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British Ea ...

Municipal Council in 1976. Even after this 1976 consolidation of

's two local councils, Penangites still referred to the building as the City Hall. Today, the City Hall serves as the headquarters of the

References

External links

Old photograph of City Hall, with open loggias

{{Malaysian historical architectures and sites Buildings and structures in George Town, Penang

Architecture

History

See also

References

External links