ARCHITECTURE CULTURE & HISTORY 2 [ARC 1323]

ARCHITECTURE HERITAGE BUILDING ANALYSIS

ESSAY DOCUMENTATION:

PRE- WAR SHOPLOTS AT JALAN RAYA TIMUR

Tutor:

Ms Sharrianne

Group Members:

Goh Yee Thong (0310044)

Kiew Wee Kee (0310202)

Ho Leon (0310402)

Teo Kean Hui (0310165)

PRE-WAR SHOPLOTS

Source: Google Maps

Klang city is located in Klang region in Selangor, Klang used to be the capital of Selangor

before this. Klang is connected to Kuala Lumpur by two main ways which are Lebuh Raya

Persekutuan and Lebuh Raya Lembah Kelang. Klang is separated to Northern Klang and

Southern Klang by the Klang River. The Northern Klang is more to commerce area and mostly

are new buildings. While for the Southern Klang, most of them are old buildings like pre-war

building.

According to local people say that the name of Klang is actually from the sound produce by

Indian’s metal chain on their legs during the trading in Port Swettenham (Port Klang).

From the research that have done, there are a total of 453 unit of pre-war shop lots in the Klang

city which is about 38.9% of pre-war shop lots in whole Selangor.

Most of the pre-war buildings were built in Eclectic style shop houses in Jalan Raya Timur while

the other building style found are early shop houses, Neo-classic and Art Deco style.

Source: Google Maps

The site chosen is shophouses

located in Jalan Raya Timur. Built in the

year of 1930 to 1940, the shophouses

displayed a strong relationship between the

building users and contextual quality. 45

shophouses were constructed during the

pre-war times. The architectural concept is

strongly influenced by European

architectural style and Chinese

architectural style. Located right opposite

to the Klang KTM Railway station, it was a

strategic location for trading in the past. Due to the decline of economy in small town, the

occupancy rate of the shophouses decreased. The double storey shophouses also served the

purpose of residential. Ground floor of the shop house was used for trading and second floor

was the residential area. As for the present, the function of the shophouse remained the same.

The prewar shop-lots in Klang came from the idea of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffle (born

July 6, 1781~ died July 5, 1826), who was a British statesman. According to Jon S. H. Lim

(n.d.), rumors has been spreading that the pre-war shop-lots found in the Malaysian region

originates from China due to certain similarities between them. Nevertheless, it was in fact Sir

Stamford Raffles who was the ‘founder’ of this prototype. Hence, it is also widely known as the

‘Shop house Rafflesia’.

Raffles grew up in an arduous atmosphere and was forced to drop out at the age of 14 as

mentioned by H. F. Pearson (n.d.). Despite his formal education was rather unconvincing, yet

he studied the basic sciences and several languages at his own leisure, realizing that it might

help him a lot in the future.

On the basis of Heirwin Mohd Nasir’s (2004) research, after Singapore was founded in

1819, Raffles implemented ‘The Raffles Ordinance (1822)’ for Singapore which stipulated that

every house erected should have a common type of front open to all sides as a continuous and

open passage on each side of the street; also known as the ‘five-foot way’.

As said by S. H. Lim (n.d.), the term ‘five-foot ways’ is a colloquial expression from the

Anglo-Asian origin referring to the pedestrian walkways normally located in front of shophouses.

It is made up from two parts: ‘Five-foot’ is a direct translation from ‘kaki lima’ or ‘goh kaki’, a

Malay and Hokkien term; while ‘way’ refers to the term ‘footways’.

By-laws in The Raffles Ordinance (1822) required every shophouses to have a veranda-

way of at least 7 feet measuring from the boundary of the road and the footway within any

veranda- way must be at least 5 feet in distance. This practice or trend was first spread to the

Straits Settlements of Malacca & Penang, as they were established as two of the most

important trading port in Malaya during that era. The concept of building a ‘Five- foot way’ shop-

lot was then widely propagated to other states in Malaya.

The concept was then brought into Klang as well by a Chinese- born business magnate,

Loke Yew (1845-1917), a famous businessman and philanthropist in British Malaya. Being the

contractor as well as the developer of the pre-war shoplots located at Jalan Raya Timur, Klang,

Loke Yew adapted the idea of connecting the shoplots with a covered walkway, creating a

continuos walkway on the inside and unified facade on the outside. Hence, the pre-war shop-

lots in Klang characteristically features a five-foot way (kaki lima) or veranda way, which in

return resulting them to be known as the “Five-Foot Way’ Shop-lots.

Figure 1: One floor Chinese shops in Kuala Kangsar, Perak. Illustrated by Bird, 1883

Atap

Gable end, half gabled roofing

Half-hipped roofing

Penang Island, Malacca and Singapore were the main international trading ports to the

British government at the 19th century. Many business trades were running in the states,

therefore it resulted in the building of the shop houses where business trades could also happen

in the local communities. The reason why the shop lots could be found in Klang because the

trading activities from Penang Island, Malacca and Singapore were expanding from the

coastal area to the inner land.

According to Bird, the shop houses in street of Kuala Kangsar, in Perak was constructed

with atap roof supported by the wooden posts and opened to the street in a Chinese fashion

(Kohl, D.G., 1984). Although the huts of the house indicated Malay construction techniques and

materials, but the roof of these shops were half-hipped and half gabled roofing (Kohl, D.G.,

1984). Atap shop houses were the first physical mark of the Chinese in all major settlements

of Malaya (Kohl, D.G., 1984). Because of its rapid destruction and fire weakness, the

shopkeepers often constructed a 10 feet square strong brick vault to protect their wealth

(Kohl, D.G., 1984).

There were actually similarities in the atap houses between the one in Kuala Kangsar and

Klang in the early 1870s. The atap houses were half-gabled roofing houses. The British

Government needed goods and materials to build the railway to transport mining ores to Port

Swettenham which resulted in a slow development and Atap houses and half-gabled houses

still can be seen in Klang at the 1940s.

Figure 3: Atap houses and half-gabled roof shop houses in the 1870s.

Source: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zbT09E1di3E/Uj60_z6viiI/AAAAAAAAFnY/uSPHTaWhikQ/s1600/Klang_1870.jpg

Atap houses

Half-gabled roof house

Figure 5: Southern Chinese Eclectic Style (1840s – 1900s)

Figure 6: Early Straits Eclectic Style (1890s - 1910s)

Most of the prewar shop lots style along Jalan Raja Timur were changing from Atap

houses, half – gabled roof house, Southern Chinese Eclectic Style, Early Straits Eclectic

Style, Late Straits Eclectic Style and lastly into Art Deco Style. From Southern Chinese

Eclectic to Late Straits Eclectic Style, their carved timber door, air ventilators, gable end

and air wells were both influenced by Chinese culture (ARTS – ED and Re – cap, 2010).

Figure 4: Brick coated with stucco and wood houses still can be found along Jalan Raja Timur in 2013.

Wood houses

Brick coated with stucco huose

Figure 7: Late Straits Eclectic Style (1910s - 1940s) Figure 8: Art Deco Style (1930s - 1960s)

Besides, the physical appearances of these four styles also had been influenced by

the European culture (ARTS – ED and Re – cap, 2010).

Southern Chinese

Eclectic

Early Straits Eclectic Late Straits Eclectic Art Deco

Louvered

shutters

U/ V

terracotta

roof tiles

(Indian influenced)

Full- length

windows

Decorative floor

tiles

(European influenced)

Full length windows

Projecting columns

Arches

Brackets

Plaster relief

Decorative floor

Wall tiles

( European influenced)

Façade

influenced

by

European

Art – Deco

Plaster

wall

finishing

from

Shanghai

During the British ruling time, Sir Frank Swettenham, the Resident General of the

Federated Malay States (now Malaysia) hired the people from India first to work at the Port

Swettenham then slowly recruited people from China. That is why the history of Indian

community in Klang was far earlier than the Chinese’s. According to our studies, we found out

that the amount of Indian community in our study site is higher than any other communities.

This can be proven by having Klang Indian Mosque in ‘Little India’, Jalan Tengku Kelana,

Klang for the ‘Mamak’ which is the new community produced when the culture of the Indian at

that time fused with the local Islamic culture during the British colonial.

Our site (Pre – war shop house row)Mr. Mah’s tailoring shop we studied specifically

N

Figure 1: Atap houses and half-gabled roof shop houses in the 1940s.

Source: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zbT09E1di3E/Uj60_z6viiI/AAAAAAAAFnY/uSPHTaWhikQ/s1600/Klang_1870.jpg

Figure 9: Klang Indian Mosque 1904

Source: http://klanghistory.blogspot.com/2013/08/masjid-india-klang.html

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2

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Figure 10: Klang Indian Mosque 2013

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4

5

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During the British colonial in Klang, Royal Klang Gallery was built in 1909 as the district

office for the British government and the administrative office for the Japanese army while the

Japanese invasion.

The first ever road bridge, Belfield Bridge was built in 1908 by engineers George Russell

and James Craig to provide land transportation of the mining ore to Port Swettenham (Port

Klang) (Grey, n.y.). Years later, British Government chose to bomb the bridge to prevent further

Japanese invasion.

2 3

Figure 11: Royal Klang Gallery

Source:

http://archives.thestar.com.my/archives/2009/12/2/ce

ntral/m_02sultansuleiman.jpg

Figure 12: Jalan Tengku Kelana, one of the Klang bridges.

Figure 13: Belfield Bridge construction stage

Source:

http://www.clairegrey.co.uk/rd_grandchildren/george/klang_bri.html

Figure 14: Belfield Bridge, 1908

Source:

http://www.clairegrey.co.uk/rd_grandchildren/george/klang_bri.html

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To enhance the transportation of mining ore to Port Swettenham at that time, the

Klang Railway Station was built in 1890.

Figure 15: Klang Railway Station, 1896

Source: http://klanghistory.blogspot.com/2013/10/blog-

post_450.html

Figure 16: Klang Railway Station, 2013

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Figure 17: Bat Kut Teh Stall under the Jalan Tengku Kelana Bridge Figure 18: The name ‘Chong Kok’ means

China was named to express a deep love of hometown from the Chinese workers during the British colonial.

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Figure 19: View from the bridge

There are many Indian businesses and communities accumulating at this side because it is near Jalan Rembau and Jalan Tengku Kelana ‘Little India’.

We found there are many Chinese businesses accumulating in this row of shop houses.

Figure 20: Indian stallFigure 21: Mamak stall

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Figure 22: Abandoned shop houses were once belonged to a Chinese family but now a parking area for the neighboring shop houses’ owner

Figure 23: Mr. Mah’s tailoring shop

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Tukang Jahit Sang Cheong tailoring shop had an 80 years old history and Mr. Mah, who is the current owner of this shop inherited this shop from his father.

This tailoring shop only produce hand make western men suit.

According to Mr. Mah, not like other shop owners, the money he earned was not all gave it for rental because the owner of this shop house, Loke Yew is generous and kind enough and decide to leave this shop house free to Mr. Mah to continue his business.

Façade

Five- Foot Way

British colonial administration specified that all shop lots had to apply the concept of having a five-foot-wide veranda under the ruling of Sir Stamford Raffles, which was first imposed in 1822.The linear space provides shelter for the pedestrian. It is a semi-public space for social and economic activities. As a major path of pedestrian circulation, five-foot way was a strategic location for shopkeepers to display their products.

Metal Folding Door

It was a key feature of security element in the shophouse. The size of the door had to be relatively big to ensure a smooth flow of circulation into and out of the shophouse. Its non-rigid setting of placement allowed transportation and loading of goods to take place. Maximum work efficiency was achieved due to its ease of operation. It created a different level of openness of space as the shopkeepers could change the size of door according to their needs.

Corrugated Metal Roof

It acted as the main component of shelter for the interior space of shophouse, protecting the occupants from tropical weather of rain and sunshine. The pitched corrugated metal roof allowed drainage of rainwater to gutters. It displayed great weatherproof properties.

Water Gutters

They were made up of galvanized iron. Rainwater flowed from the roof and to the drainage system through the gutters. Water is a great cooling agent as it has high heat capacity. The flow of water through the gutters formed an effective cooling system to lower the temperature of the interior space.

Granite Edge

It acted as a separation between the spaces of five-foot way and public road. It also protects the five-foot way.

Metal Framed Air-Vent

Geometric or organic shapes were arranged in repetitive manner to allow ventilation. It was placed on top of the metal folding door to allow maximum ventilation. It was one of the security features to prevent break-ins.

Pillar

Pillars with minimal ornamentation were placed along the row of shophouses. Simple geometric ornamentation was used. The repetition of same design of pillars created the sense of unity and harmony.

Interior

Airwell

The central airwell opens directly to the sky is a key feature for ventilation of interior spaces. Airwell placed at the kitchen and toilet area allows penetration of natural lighting which illuminates the space. The well-lit and airy area serves as washing and drying area for laundry. It is to be considered as a feature for sustainable design of the past as it conserves energy to light up the interior space by using fuels. Rainwater can be collected and to be used for other household purposes. It also eliminates the smoke or odour produced while cooking. The size of the airwell is directly proportional to the depth of the shophouse. The deeper the shophouse is, the bigger the airwell is.

Timber Structural Members

Timber Beam

According to Ong (1999) the horizontal elements which run parallel to the façade connected the wall from one end to another and provided structural support to the

whole building. Acting as loading-bearing surface, the timber beams were arranged in a linear pattern and were exposed.

Timber Floorboards

These were found on the second level of shophouse. They are thin horizontal structural elements which were joined to one another through the traditional tongue and groove method.

Timber Rafters

Timber rafters support the pitched roof. These inclined structural elements are then supported by timber purlins, roof beams spanning between the party walls.

Side Hung Timber Window

The window was installed for ventilation purpose and allowed the penetration of sunlight. Metal wire net was installed for safety purpose and to prevent objects from falling out of the window.

Exposed Steel Structure

Steel structure with joints and bolts provided structural support to the whole building. It is long lasting and has high load bearing capacity.

Timber Staircase with Metal Railing

It is the main access of circulation path from ground level to second level. The metal railing was constructed by direct joint of metal bar with metal base without using nails. It provided a safety barrier for the usage of occupants.

Party Wall

Party walls are constructed of bricks laid out in continuous stretcher bond courses with a smooth layer of lime mortar. According to the owner, the bricks used to construct the party wall were imported from England and were constructed by skilled workers from China. It acted as a fire-breaking device to prevent the spread of fire in the

neighbouring shophouses. It is an essential loadbearing structure which transfers the load to the base of foundation.

In conclusion, Jalan Raya Timur shophouses were located in the strategic location of

Klang, which is nearby Klang KTM Railway Station. This enables commercial activities to take

place efficiently with the ease of transportation. Planning of the shophouses is influenced by

town planning system implemented in the Straits Settlement, which is named The Raffles

Ordinances, directed by Sir Stamford Raffles. The architectural style changes chronologically

along the timeline to adapt to the users and its context. From Straits Eclectic style to Art Deco

Style, the architectural elements changed to further enhance the practicality of the building. 

In terms of social context, the shophouses accommodate the trading of a multicultural

social background which consists of the Malay, Chinese and Indian. It was caused by the import

of manpower from China and India during the pre-war time for ore mining industry. In terms of

transportation, it has great access as it is located opposite of KTM Railway Station and

surrounded by roads. 

In terms of architectural elements, the design of shophouses emphasizes on its ventilation,

lighting and safety. The elements response to the site climate and social content. Windows, air

vents and airwells are the elements for ventilating the interior spaces. Timber structural

members are used as load bearing structure. 

(2389 words)

Reference List

1. Pearson, H.F. (n.d.) Sir Stamford Raffles. [online] (Updated n.d.n.m. 2013) Available at <http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/489451/Sir-Stamford-Raffles> [Accessesed 2 November 2013].

2. Mohd Nasir, H. (2004). Sir Stamford Raffles' career and contributions to Singapore. [online] (Updated n.d.n.m. 2004) Available at <http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_715_2004-12-15.html> [Accessed 2 November 2013]

3. Grey, C. (n.d.). Dearie Russell: Family History. [online] (Updated n.d.) Available at < http://www.clairegrey.co.uk/rd_grandchildren/george/klang_bri.html> [Accessed 11 November 2013]

4. Kohl, D.G. (1984). Chinese Architecture in the Straits Settlements and Western Malaya: Temples, Kongsis and Houses. Petaling Jaya: Heinemann Educational Books (Asia) Ltd.

5. Ong, K.S. (1999). The Conversation of Pre – War Shophouses: A Case Study of Penang and Singapore. Kuala Lumpur: Department of Building Surveying, Built Environment Division, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya.

6. Jon Lim, S.H. (n.d.). Georgetown: Heritage Buildings of Penang Island Georgetown. Kuala Lumpur: Badan Warisan Library.

7. ARTS – ED and Re – cap (2010). Georgetown: World Heritage Site. George Town: CIMB Foundation.