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MEASURED DRAWING 2017 (ARC60305) | KEDAH ROYAL MUSEUM

Site Context

Kedah Royal Museum is located along Jalan Pekan Melayu in the heart of Alor Setar, Kedah. It was known as the Kota Setar Palace, Mak Wan Besar Palace and Pelamin Palace at different times. It has great proximity with several historical buildings such as Balai Besar (1-minute’ walk), Zahir Mosque (3-minutes’ walk) and Balai Seni (4-minutes’ walk). Therefore, making Jalan Pekan Melayu part of the Alor Setar heritage trail.

In the past, this site is a great site for the sultan to build his palace because there is a road built in front of the site and a man-made river behind it so it makes a good transportation route for the sultan to receive tributes from his people effectively.

Figure 4.14 Macro Site Context (Teo, 2017)

Figure 4.15 Micro Site Context (Teo, 2017)

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4.2.1 Significant buildings/ landmarks

Zahir MosqueZahir Mosque is an Islamic, Indo-saracenic style mosque. The mosque was built in 1912, a contributory effort of YTM Tunku Mahmud Ibni Almarhum Sultan Tajuddin Mukarram Shah. The architecture of the mosque was inspired by the Azizi Mosque in Tanjung Pura, Langkat Sultanate (present-day North Sumatra). This mosque is enhanced with five prime large domes symbolizing the Five Pillars of Islam.

The main dome is located at the north-eastern part of the mosque building. It is one of the grandest and oldest mosques in Malaysia. This mosque has been voted the top 10 most beautiful mosques in the world.

Figure 4.16 Zahir Mosque (TRM, 2017)

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From the design concept of Malay architecture, the traditional Malay houses’ design is very prominent in the Kedah Royal Museum. This can be justified by the embellishments which can be found on the panels, ornamentations and furniture of the museum. Carvings and ornamentations are a symbol of wealth and power in the traditional Malay society, hence these ornamentations were incorporated into the museum. These ornamentations were discovered by the sultan himself when he visited anther country. He brought these influences back to the state and fused them together with Kedah’s tradition. It goes to show that the Sultan of Kedah was indeed a man of both riches and rule. Figure 4.40 Malay Fusion Ornaments

(Garmin, 2017)

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BARRICADESBarricades are barriers which block the flow of traffic or passage in its desired direction. These barricades were built to protect the royal family. It also serves as a marking for the territory and to shield the palace.The barricades are made out of metal rods that are painted with yellow paint to symbolize royalty.

GateThere are 3 main gates and 2 side gates in the compound of the museum. The main gate was used as the main entrance of the sultan hence it is intricately craved with ornaments to give a sense of royalty.

DrainageThe drainage at the royal museum are located arond the building to aid in transfering the water into the larger drain outside th compound. As the drainage has strategic placements, there were no signs of stagnant water in the area.

Planter boxThe planter boxes that are made of bricks are placed near the entrance of the museum to improve the aesthetics of the landscape.

Figure 4.22 Barricades (Lim, 2017)

Figure 4.23 Main Gate (Pe, 2017)

Figure 4.24 Drainage (Wong, 2017)

Figure 4.25 Planter box (Wong, 2017)

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Kedah State Art Gallery

Balai Seni Negeri, or State Art Gallery, is one of the first modern government buildings constructed in Alor Setar, Kedah. The person responsible for the project was Muhammad bin Lebai Tambi, an architect with the Kedah State Public Works Department who was also responsible for the reconstruction of Balai Besar.

This modern building with eastern and western architectural elements was initially the High Court and was officially opened by Sultan Abdul Hamid Shah. This building was closed to make way for the special entertainment hall for very important people during the wedding ceremony of His Royal Highness's five princes and princesses which lasted for three months (June until September 1904).

Figure 4.17 Kedah State Art Gallery (TRM, 2017)

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4.2.2 Hardscape

Hardscape refers to built structures incorporated into the landscape which include pavements, driveways and fences. The hardscape of the Royal Museum Kedah is typically surrounding the building to serve as transitional spaces or to confine the building within the boundary.

DrivewayThe driveway starts from the entrance at the main road up to the entrance of the museum. The driveway is made out of brick paving to enhance the aesthetics and for durability in a long run.

Walkway/ PavementConcrete tiled pavements surround the circumference of the building to connect each spaces from the outside. The walkway mainly connects to the external staircases to one another to provide easy access.

FenceThe fencing around the museum is made out of masonry to provide privacy and secludedness to the royal family when it functioned as the royal palace. Figure 4.21 Fencing

(Lim, 2017)

Figure 4.20 Pavement(Lim, 2017)

Figure 4.19 Driveway(Lim, 2017)

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4.2.4 ADDITIONAL FEATURES AROUND THE SITE

THE GAZEBOAn additional gazebo is spotted at the site near the sultan’s entrance. Made of timber, it is probably used for the workers to rest while they are still working on the restoration works of the Royal Museum.

VISITOR’S RESTROOMLocated at the back of the pelamin, the visitor’s restroom is a separate structure made up of modern materials such as bricks. This functioning restroom prevents any further damage from using the restrooms in the royal museum itself.

Figure 4.34 The visitor’s restroom near the back gate(Wong, 2017)

Figure 4.33 Gazebo for the workers (Lim, 2017)

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Design concept

The Kedah Royal Museum is a double-storied building constructed with the main components of timber and concrete. It creates a very solid, robust and heavy massing of the overall structure. This royal museum was once a palace for the royalty and its overall structure exude a grand and luxurious feeling since it was made for royalty.

Entering the building, visitors will be greeted by an extended porch which is very dominant and can only be found in this area namely the House of Throne. The porch was built to indicate the entry into the building and to emphasize the importance of the Rumah Pelamin to the building as a whole which leaves a strong impression. The users will be charmed by the interior of the building where Malay imagery is used to decorate the interior spaces. The artistry and motifs in the design provides a surreal experience for the visitors. These motifs can be found almost everywhere ranging from the ceiling to the furniture details.

Figure 4.38 Entrance Porch of Rumah Pelamin (Garmin, 2017)

Figure 4.39 Interior of Rumah Pelamin (Garmin, 2017)

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4.2.3 Softscape

Softscapes are live horticultural elements of a landscape. Within the site boundary are various types of plants that surround the building. Most of the potted plants are found near the entrance of the building while the bigger trees are planted at the back and sides of the land.

Milletia atropurpurea Millettia atropurpurea (Fabaceae;Leguminosae) is locallay called Tulang daing. It has dark green leaves and stand about10 m tall. It has a wide canopy that can provide sufficient shading.

Dypsis baronii It is a clustering palm in clumps of 3-5 which rarely appear solitary. They can grow up to 8m high. This palm species is commonly found in tropical rain forests as they grow well in hot and humid climate.

Draceana fragansDracaena fragrans is a slow growing shrub, usually multistemmed at the base, mature specimens reaching 15 m (49 ft) or more tall with a narrow crown of usually slender erect branches.

Figure 4.26 Milletia Atropurpurea (Lim, 2017)

Figure 4.27 Dypsisbaronii (Lim, 2017)

Figure 4.28 Draceana Fragans (Lim, 2017)

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Figure 4.35 Cannon display area(Chin, 2017)

Figure 4.36 Vehicles display area(Lim, 2017)

DISPLAY AREA OF THE CANNONSRows of cannons are displayed outdoors under a newly built shelter. The shelter’s roof was designed to follow the Pelamin’s roof, where it has the mixture of gable and hip roof. The structure is made up of modern materials such as bricks and terracotta roof tiles. This area is also more ornated than the vehicles display area.

DISPLAY AREA OF THE VEHICLESThe vehicles display area was probably built much earlier than the cannon display area due to the condition of the roof, where there are several damages due to the material usage. The columns of this structure is made up of bare steel poles unlike the brick columns of the cannon display area. It is also less ornated.

Figure 4.37 Blending of the new roof with the old roofs(How, 2017)

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Balai Besar

Balai Besar (Royal Hall) is located along Jalan Pekan Melayu in the heart of Alor Setar, the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. The building known as the Main Hall (Balai Besar). It is one of the heritage and charm of Kedah state and was built in 1773 by Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Abidin Muazzam Syah, the 19th Sultan of Kedah who was reigned from 1770-1778. It is Part of palace complex known as Kota Star. The palace stands at the back of the building. The floors, pillars and roofs of the building are made from wood. It was used for formal function and as a reception hall.

The Balai Besar was destroyed and rebuilt twice during the period in the Bugis invasion in 1770, followed by Siamese invasion in 1821. It was during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, the 26th Sultan that the grand hall was completely revamped to its present look in 1893.

In 1896, the Balai Besar was refurbished by Kedah State Public Works Department under supervision of the Architect, Muhamad Bin Lebai Tambi from Penang, for the wedding ceremonies of the Sultan's five Princes and Princesses, held in 1904.

The Balai Besar was also the venue of the installation of a new sultan, namely Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II (1804-1845) and Tuanku Sultan Haji Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah on 20 February 1959.

Figure 4.18 Balai Besar (TRM, 2017)

IV) Musa acuminata ( banana)Musa acuminata is a species of banana native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen perennial, not a tree. The trunk (known as the pseudostem) is made of tightly packed layers of leaf sheaths emerging from completely or partially buried corms

V) Hibiscus radiatusHibiscus radiatus (Monarch rosemallow)[1] is native to southern and southeast Asia. It has 15 cm (5.9 in) mauve flowers that have a purple center and yellow anthers. Leaves are dentate, with upper leaves lobed into three, five, or seven parts. It is also the national flower of Malaysia.

VI) Axonopus compressus (Cow grass)Axonopus compressus is a species of grass. It is often used as a permanent pasture, groundcover, and turf in moist, low fertility soils, particularly in shaded situations. It is generally too low-growing to be useful in cut-and-carry systems or for fodder conservation.

VII) Costus stenophyllus (Bamboo)Bambusa vulgaris forms moderately loose clumps and has no thorns. It has lemon-yellow stems with green stripes and dark green leaves. Stems are not straight, not easy to split, inflexible, thick-walled, and initially strong.

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Figure 4.29 Musa Acuminata (Lim, 2017)

Figure 4.30 Hibiscus Radiatus (Lim, 2017)

Figure 4.31 Axonopus Compressus (Lim, 2017)

Figure 4.32 Costus Stenophyllus (Lim, 2017)

4.2 4.3 (2)

Education

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