ARCHITECTURE CULTURE & HISTORY 2

BUILDING ANALYSIS REPORT

PARLIAMENT BUILDING MALAYSIA

GROUP MEMBERS
LIM JUN WEI 0329389
TAN YIN YEE 0329499
REYSHMI RATCHANIYA RAJAGOPAL 0329773
TEOH CHONG KIN 0331215
FARHANA KHANDAKER RIDHA 0331362
CONTENT
1.0 INTRODUCTION TEOH CHONG KIN 1-3

2.0 SITE CONTEXT ANALYSIS TAN YIN YEE 4-8

3.0 ARCHITECTURAL LAYOUT OF BUILDING FARHANA RIDHA 9 - 13

4.0 ARCHITECTURE STYLE ANALYSIS TEOH CHONG KIN 14 - 19

5.0 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, STRUCTURE & REYSHMI 20 - 25

MATERIAL ANALYSIS RATCHANIYA

6.0 ARCHITECTURE ELEMENTS / COMPONENTS LIM JUN WEI 26 - 29

ANALYSIS

7.0 CONCLUSION TEOH CHONG KIN 30

TAN YIN YEE
FARHANA RIDHA
REYSHMI
RATCHANIYA

REFERENCE ALL 31- 33

APPENDIX TEOH CHONG KIN 34

i
1. INTRODUCTION
The construction of the building was
the brainchild of the first Prime
Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul
Rahman Putra Al-Haj who wanted
to build a building specifically for
Parliament. House of Parliament
Malaysia was earmarked for the
legislative seat of the nation. The
Parliament Building consists of two
blocks which are Main Block and Figure 1.1 Parliament Building Malaysia

Tower Block.

The main block hosts the Hall of

Senate and House of Representatives
whereas the tower block hosts the
representatives offices, it had make a
clear spatial separation these two
tower blocks. Its design shows the
hybridisation of two distinct styles
made for a ‘nationalistic’ building.
The ‘pineapple-skin’ look facades of Figure 1.2 Tower Block Facade
the main block and tower block are
regionalistic devices that provides
sun-shading in the tropics. One of
the Malaysian architect writer A.
Najib Ariffin said that: “anecdotal
account of the sunshades that they
symbolised democratic notion of
‘one man, one vote’ is poignant.
Moreover, the rhythm of the shades
imbues a sculptural quality to the
Figure 1.3 Podium Building Facade
facade.

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A lot of modern material and system had been used into the Parliament Building Malaysia while
during the construction. As you can see, except the pineapple- skin facade and the shape of House
Representative, you can hardly find an ornament in the whole building, it show the characteristic
of Modernism architecture which are lack of ornament and emphasis of minimalism to create
more useful space.

LOCATION

The Parliament Building Malaysia

locate in Jalan Parlimen, Kuala
Lumpur, which is situated in an area
about 16.2 acres, previously known as
West Folly Hill. As a result, a site near
to Lake Perdana, Kuala Lumpur was
selected for the construction of the
building due to its strategic location on
a hill as well as easy access to both the
city centre and road connections out of
Figure 1.4 West Folly Hill
Kuala Lumpur.

HISTORY
The third Yang di- Pertuan Agong or King,
Tuanku Syed Putra Al- Has Ibni Al- Marhum
Syed Hassan Jamalullail laid the foundation
stone for the building on 31st August 1962,
hence the commencement of construction. The
hill was levelled about 61 meters from above
sea level in September 1962 to set the stage
for the next 17 months of construction of a 3-
storey podium building and 17 storey tower
block, it taken almost a year to be completed.
The Parliament Building was officiated by His
Majesty the 3rd King, Tuanku Syed Putra
Al-Haj Ibni Al-Marhum Syed Hassan
Figure 1.5 Parliament Construction Period
Jamalullail on 2 November 1963

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THE ARCHITECT

William Ivor Shipley was an Architectural Association

School of Architecture in London’s graduate. In 1953 he
was informed that his posting would instead be as Settlement
Architect when his ship arrived in Penang. He worked on the
island until his transfer to Kuala Lumpur (KL) in 1956.
While he was selected to design Parliament House there
come no surprise, because he was one of the most talented
architects of PWD. His inception and expanding of grid
measurements, he honed spaces around the bicameral
Figure 1.6 William Ivor arrangements and accommodate the senate and the Dewan
Shipley
Rakyat in a podium block.

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2.0 SITE CONTEXT ANALYSIS
ACCESSIBILITY
The Parliament Building is a building where Building Accessibility
the Malaysia parliament assemble. It is Main Entrance
located near the major tourist attractions like User can always access the building from
Perdana Botanical Lake Garden and the main entrance of the Parliament
Malaysian National Monument. Building which located at Jalan Parlimen.

Site Accessibility Exit

The Parliament Building is located at Jalan The exit of the building is located right next
Parlimen, Kuala Lumpur. Jalan Parlimen is to the main entrance.
the only main road to access the building.
User can access the site by driving there.
User can either use the road Lebuhraya
Sultan Iskandar or Jalan Lembah to get to
Jalan Parlimen. If user wish to use
alternative way which is public transport to
get to the building, he/she need to take the
bus with the code T851 from KL Sentral.
Figure 2.2 Main entrance and exit
("KL Sentral To Malaysian Houses Of
(Google Map)
Parliament") The bus will stop right in front
Back Entrance
of the main entrance of the Parliament
There is an alternative road to access the
Building.
Parliament building which is the back
entrance located at Jalan Ledang but the gate
of the back entrance are always locked. User
might need pass to access from the back
entrance.

Figure 2.1 Site Map (Google Map) Figure 2.3 Back Entrance (Google Map)

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RELATIONSHIP OF BUILDING
TO SURROUNDING
There are various types of building that can
be found around the Parliament Building. It
consists of hotel, tourist attractions,
government department, public Similarities of Surrounding Buildings
transportation hub etc. Topography
Example of surrounding buildings: The Parliament Building, National Mosque
- National Mosque Malaysia Malaysia and National Planetarium are
- National Planetarium located at Kuala Lumpur, the federal
territory of Malaysia. Although KL is a
concrete forest, all the three buildings are
still surrounded by greeneries. The
greeneries can help to slightly lower down
the temperature of the building. For
example, the ParkRoyal in Singapore.
Although Singapore had limited space for
planting greeneries on the ground, they
Figure 2.4 National Mosque Malaysia fused the greenery with the building. It not
(Wikimedia)
only helps on the appearance of the
building, it also helps to lower down the
surrounding temperature. (Frearson)

Figure 2.5 National Planetarium

(Wikipedia)

Figure 2.6 ParkRoyal Singapore

("PARKROYAL On Pickering In
Singapore")

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Century
All the three buildings are being built in the
20th century.
- Parliament Building, 1963
- National Mosque Malaysia, 1965
- National Planetarium, 1993
Despite three of the building were built in
20th century, they looks very modern by the
white cladding of Parliament building,
umbrella-shaped roof of National Mosque
and repeated rectangular shape of the facade
of National Planetarium.
Figure 2.7 White cladding of Parliament
Building
Figure 2.7 Umbrella-shaped roof of
National Mosque
Figure 2.8 Repeated rectangular shape of the
facade of National Planetarium
Usage of white colour
These three buildings used white colour as
the main colour of the buildings. White
colour has been used widely in 20th century
modern architecture to symbolise modernity
and simplicity. White also expresses open,
vast, neutral and sterile. (H. Mahnke) The
white colour of the Parliament Building
symbolises the highest ideals of democracy.
(M.G. Pillai)
Figure 2.9 Parliament Building (Wikipedia)
Figure 2.10 National Planetarium ("National
Planetarium In Kuala Lumpur -
Planetarium Negara KL")
Figure 2.9 National Mosque Malaysia
(TravelDGlobe)
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Differences of Surrounding Building
Architectural Style
The Parliament Building shows the
modernism architecture style and strong
regionalism elements. This can be seen from
the podium building and tower block that
show asymmetric but balance composition.
Although National Mosque Malaysia shows
modernism as well, but it has a western twist
on it that imitate the British imperial culture.
As for National Planetarium, the building
was built with the combination of Islamic
architecture style that we can see from the
blue colour dome of the building and
astronomy. It make it resembles a mosque
but at the same time have a futuristic look
on it. ("About Us | National Planetarium")
The star-shaped water feature in from of the
entrance is also one of the element we can
find in Islamic architecture. Water feature
being used to be associate with life,
purification and sustainability.
Figure 2.10 Asymmetric but balance
composition of Parliament
Building
Figure 2.11 Water feature in front of the
entrance of National
Planetarium (Google Map)
Accessibility
Taking the accessibility of the Parliament
building as a comparison for the with the
National Mosque Malaysia and National
Planetarium, visiting the Parliament
Building is only allowed during the working
days and users need to make an application
beforehand and Corporate Relation Unit of
the Parliament of Malaysia will conduct the
arrangement of the visit. ("Visiting
Parliament") Unlike the National Mosque
Malaysia and the National Planetarium,
these two buildings are more easier to
access. National Mosque Malaysia is a
religious building and is opened to public as
well as the National Planetarium where
there are space theatre, exhibits and an
observatory. National Mosque Malaysia is
open everyday but there are a slight
difference in opening hour. It is open from
9am to 11pm from Saturday to Thursday but
for Friday, it will only open from 2:45pm to
6pm. National Planetarium opens everyday
for visit from 9am to 4:30pm except for
Monday.
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Architects
The architects that design the buildings are
different. The architect for Parliament
building is William Ivor Shipley. The
modular lattice-work facade was inspired by
Shipley in his interaction with one of the
Bauhaus’ founder in Penang. (Fadzil) There
are 3 architects involved in designing the
National Mosque Malaysia. There are an Figure 2.12 Map of Peninsular Malaysia

UK architect Howard Ashley, and two Sun Path

Malaysians Hisham Albakri and Baharuddin Sun

Kassim. The mosque gives a bold and
Titiwangsa Mountain Range
modern approach from the usage of
reinforced concrete and it symbolise the
aspiration of a then newly independent
Malaysia.

RESPONSE TO CLIMATE
Location of the Parliament Building
The Parliament Building is located at Kuala
To allow the natural lighting to enter the
Lumpur, protected by the Titiwangsa
building, both tower block and main block
mountain range. It shares the same climate
are covered with glass. Both the blocks are
condition as all other building in Kuala
covered with terrazzo pineapple skin like
Lumpur. During the Northeast monsoon
cladding. The function of the terrazzo
season which originated from China and
cladding is to control the amount of light
North Pacific, Kuala Lumpur will
that can enter the building. It ensure that the
experience more rainfall compared to it
building will not get overheat by the direct
during the Southwest Monsoon season. The
sunlight that can pass through the glass wall
Northeast Monsoon happens from October
easily. Although glass allows light to
to March every year.
transmit easily into the building, it can also
reflects part of the sunlight shine on the
building. The pinnacle roof allows the wind
to pass through it and bring away the heat to
cool the building.

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3.0 ARCHITECTURE LAYOUT OF BUILDING

3.1 PLAN TO SECTION OR

ELEVATION ANALYSIS
In the main building the plan to section or
the elevation not identical on both sides of a
central line ie, mostly which is
asymmetrical.There is extended bridge
about 200 feet which connects two parts of
the complex and circulate the tower of
second floor from the main building.For the
office building from plan to elevation is
asymmetrical.And The tower building
consist of seventeen floors which is much
higher than the main block.to enter the main
entrance to the building compound via Jalan
Parlimen.Exit to the highways via Jalan
Parlimen.

Main building block with connecting bridge to complex

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3.2 CIRCULATION TO-USE-SPACE
MOVEMENT
For moving spatial organization There
is three enteence in the main building
respectively for public and ministers.
GROUND FLOOR
Ground floor circulation: The ground floor
has a banquet hall which can accommodate
SECOND FLOOR
around 500 People. There is a large for
Second floor circulation: The circulation from
prayer.The prayer hall is about 36 feet lager
second from to onward top floors are
stage. The ground floor is more spacious
similar.The second floor consist with two
than other floors.
porches one on left and another on right
side.The left side porch there is two large
committee room can fit around 30 people and
4 small meeting room where can feet 12
people. Next to that there is a privilege resting
area for the officers. The right side porch has
two dining halls,one is for the parliament
members and other one is for the
guest,visitors or officers. Between two dining
halls there is a big kitchen where at a time can
prepare meal for thousand people.There is a
FIRST FLOOR
rest area for the parliament members at the
First floor circulation: In the first floor next
roof of the house representative taman sari.
to the banquet and press room a canteen
located to make the circulation easier for all
the people in the building.The canteen also
offer easy collaboration for the guest and
officers.

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SEATING AREA
The conference room from the plan where
the seating area is U-shaped. Total consist of
222 seats.The seating layout for the
members and the guest/officers are
seperated.The seating arrangement for all
the member are circulate facing the speaker
in u shaped arrangement.President of the
Senate / Deputy President of the Senate.

Assembly of sitting layouts with a purpose

of focus point in front.Its a obvious
practical shape in a rows and facing the
speakers.

3.6 U-shaped seating plan-House of

representatives

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3.3 ORGANIZATION ANALYSIS

SYMMETRY AND BALANCE

From the plan to elevation the building is
different in height and size. In asymmetrical
balance, the two sides are not identical, but
differ from one another. However, the
elements are arranged so that there is a sense
of balance.The building is asymmetric in
terms of height and size. Asymmetric
determines the way the different occasions
on use of space.

HIERARCHY
Hierarchy is a order created visually by the
contrast forms between in perception.The
usual element of the main building with
prism refers in a way that it implies
important feature of the surrounding. The
shape stands on a way which emphasize the
surrounding of the building.The prism shape
roof make the hierarchy of the building.The
pinnacle roof top make an obvious hierarchy
of the buildings.

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GEOMETRY:
Cuboidal and prism use six faced- square
shape.Every component of the buildings is
square shape.These are the geometrical
shapes used in this building.The tower
building is shaped with cuboidal
(figure-3.10) and the main building is form
as six-faced rectangular (figure-3.11) body
with a prism the majestic triangular shaped
pinnacle (figure-3.12) shaped roof.The roof
pinnacle represents the number of state in
malaysia.

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4. ARCHITECTURE STYLE ANALYSIS
The House of Parliament is a building that
encompasses characteristic of Early
Modernist style with strong Regionalism
elements.

Early Modernism
Modernism is a style that embraced
minimalism and lack of using ornamental
element in design. It became global
movement in 20th- century architecture
and design. Modernism is the single most
Figure 4.1 Parliament Building Construction
important new style or philosophy of
architecture which focus more to the
function of building and rational use of
new material. Modernism also include
Futurism, Constructivism, De Stijl and
Bauhaus. (What is Modern, 2011)

Characterised of the modernism are:

asymmetrical composition; emphasis of
rectangular forms and horizontal and
vertical lines; flat roofs; use of reinforced Figure 4.2 Bauhaus School
concrete and glass: use of sun shading to
enhance human comfort. Parliament
Building Malaysia generally have the
characteristic as a Modern architecture
building.

Bauhaus School by Walter Scopius and

Falling Water by Frank Lyold Wright
were two significant influential building
in modernism architecture history.
Figure 4.3 Falling Water

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Regionalism
Regionalism in architecture is design the
building in particular region. It design need to
consider climate, culture, geography and
topography of that region. Regionalism is also
a fascinating topic for those interested in
sustainable architecture.
Regionalism in architecture often has a cultural
aspect built in, and you can see political
structures, family dynamics and societal
organization reflected in some buildings.
(Tropical Architecture, 2001)
For instance, the asymmetrical but balanced
composition of the podium building and tower Figure 4.3 Parliament Building Axono Diagram

block had symbolised the power of democratic represented the identity and the political
from the people to the government which system of our country.

Podium Building ( Main Block)

The Podium Building is rectangular in shape in
order to create more functional space. We can
find well defined plan and clear lines in
Podium Building. It show with only one axis
which is the longer section of the main block.
Main block is covered with pineapple-skin like
facade, made of terrazzo. The inimitable
sunshade that cloak the facades of the podium
building and tower block is to present the
unique sunshading in the tropics.

Figure 4.4 Parliament Building diagram Figure 4.5 Main Block symmetry (Plan)

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The aesthetic articulation and textured
rhythm of the shades imbues a sculptural
quality to the facade. Due to the unique
design of the facade, which make a
statement that Parliament Building is special
and different with other building in
Figure 4.6 Main Building Facade
Malaysia.

The roof-top has a unique design of 11

triangle shaped structure called pinnacle
leading to interpretations of a “Malays
House” that show the regionalism. It has
openings between one another allows
daylight to illuminate the chamber and
highlighting the important part of the
building at the same time

Figure 4.7 House of Representative Massing

The triangular roof is off axis with central line due to its situated slightly to the left. However, the
overall building has shown an asymmetrical balance. Due the unique design of the House of
Representative, we can’t find any similar elements and structure in the whole parliament building,
which also can show the difference to other part of the building and special use of the space.

Figure 4.8 House of Representative symmetry Figure 4.8 House of Representative symmetry (Plan)

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Tower Block
The tower block has a square base in order
to create more functional space and with a
rectangular water tank on the top of the
building to show the balance and harmony
of the tower block. It can be seen to
display biaxial symmetry, as two definite
axis of symmetry can be drown from the
two section of the building.
The architect make a clear spatial Figure 4.9 Tower Block Massing
organization between main block and
tower block to distinguished the function
of two building. As you can see from the
massing of the main block and tower
block, it designed in horizontal laying and
vertical standing.

Figure 4.10 Tower Block Symmetry (Plan)

Tower block has exactly same façade with the

main block and is repeated through the whole
facade to giving flow and movement to it. Each
Figure 4.11 Tower Block Facade course of terrazzo panel is offset by half the
length of a single terrazzo panel with respect to the adjoining course. The architect design the roof
in flat type which had created vision harmony with horizontal line and make used to the roof
space. The roof is well known as Anjung Parliament, it took advantage of the site which can enjoy
the panoramic view of Kuala Lumpur landscape. The architect generally make used of every inch
space in tower block as you can see from ground floor to roof there’s no space is wasted.

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In conclusion, Parliament Building architectural style had mostly influenced by western
modernism architecture and similarity. For instance, compare to The Bauhaus in Dessau by
Walter Gropius which had a lot of similarity with Parliament Building Malaysia as a modernism
architecture

CHARACTER PARLIAMENT BUILDING THE BAUHAUS, DESSAU

MALAYSIA

ASYMMETRICAL

Figure 4.12 Main Block Asymmetrical Figure 4.13 The Bauhaus Asymmetrical
Diagram Diagram

Parliament Building Malaysia The asymmetry expressed the

show an asymmetrical balance school's functionalist approach
which can represent the and yet retained an elegance
democratic distribution power that showed how beauty and
from people to government. practicality could be combined.

SKELETON
FRAME &
MATERIAL Figure 4.14 Main Block Facade Figure 4.15 The Bauhaus Facade

● Glass facade allow natural ● Steel framework to limit the

light come in.
● Precast terrazzo panel as
skeleton facade frame.
● Reinforced concrete create
more stable structure.
sunlight into the building.
● Glass curtain wall which
take advantage of passive
system st the site
● Reinforced Concrete Brick
to reduce noise and protect
against weather

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SPATIAL ORGANIZATION

MAIN BLOCK TOWER BLOCK

House of Representative locate. Offices for minister and
Basement act as service floor (air member of parliament.
conditioning, telecommunication,
water and electrical supplies

Main Block& Tower

Bloick connect by 50
meter bridge.

Figure 4.16 Parliament Building Malaysia Massing

DORMITORY
BRIDGE
Administration

CLASSROOM

WORKSHOP WING
Studio, Workshop, Exhibition, Lecture

Figure 4.17 The Bauhaus Diagram

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5. BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, STRUCTURE
& MATERIAL ANALYSIS
The Parliament building is one of the earliest iconic structures ever to be built in the city. It
comprises of a 3-story main building and a 17 story tower
Superstructure
The Parliament building is built as a
rectangular 3-story platform building that is
covered with a screen made out of terrazzo
units that are attached to peripheral beams.
The outer surface of the building also has
slabs of precast boards that are arranged to
resemble a honeycomb arrangement.
The building frame of the Parliament
building was made out of reinforced
concrete because the usage of timber was not
allowed for the construction of a huge
Figure 5.1 Honeycomb facade of
building. Parliament building

Prefabricated Terrazzo
Prefabricated terrazzo was used as the facade to
create a design that would be able to show the
unique pattern of the facade. Terrazzo was also
used because it was a good heat insulator and
the arrangement of the facade allowed it to
control the incoming natural lighting into the
building. Terrazzo is aso very convenient as it
does not require much maintenance and
cleaning. Due to the low maintenance
prerequisites, the non-permeable nature of the
Figure 5.2 Prefabricated terrazzo
terrazzo and the crack resistance incorporated
with the technology made it suitable to be used.

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Figure 5.3 Facade of the Parliament
building
Figure 5.4 Pineapple skin-like facade
of the Parliament building
Facade
The cohesive arrangement of the
Parliament building facade that
uses a pineapple skin-like facade
that gives the building a very
distinct look. The design of the
tower block that resembles a
pineapple and a beehive-like
kerawang provides a controlled
environment for light and heat. It
works as both a sunshade and an
artistic, modernistic facade that
gives off a feeling of rhythm,
scale and texture.
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Tower Block Roof
The tower block comprises is 17 storeys tall.
Level 17 of the Parliament building, which is
the highest part of the building, has an open
space that is used to carry out activities most of
the time. This open space is known as the
Anjung Parlimen. The tower block has a simple
flat roof made of concrete and on top of the
concrete rooftop, there is a water distribution
tank. The water distributed to the whole
building straight from the tank. The advantage
of using this indirect supply system is so that
the building can have an extensive water
supply. However, this supply system can only
Figure 5.5 Tower block roof with
be used in high structures.
water distribution tank on top

Main Tower Roof

Figure 5.6 Pineapple skin-like facade
of the Parliament building
The main block of the Parliament building
also has a unique facade of 11 triangles that
are named the Pinnacle. The 11 triangles
represent the number of Malaysian
federation’s states and below the pinnacle is
the House of Representatives. The main
block rooftop utilizes a twofold pitched solid
rooftop and is verbalized as “collapsed
planes”. The triangular rooftop is measure at
80 feet in height and 60 feet at the base. The
rooftop was designed as such to highlight
the heart of the building and forms a sort of
concertina rooftop that crows the House of
Representatives.

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Reinforced Concrete
Reinforced concrete is a composite material
that has a low elasticity but higher rigidity and
flexibility because of the incorporation of
reinforcement. Reinforced concrete is mostly
used to build the structures in the tower block
because of its strength and durability to be able
to hold the 17 story tower.

The precast concrete panels are produced and

prefabricated in a processing plant which is
Figure 5.7 Reinforced precast concrete
then transported to the site and assembled there.
The usage of precast concrete allows for a
faster and safer construction.

Tempered Glass
Tempered glass has a better tensile strength and
thermal insulation than normal glass because of
the process of making it with high heat and
controlled chemicals to strengthen its
durability.
The Parliament building is made out of 300
tons of light diffusing tempered glass that is
able to control the incoming natural light into
the building. When the light passes through the
Figure 5.8 Tempered glass facade
glass, it will diffuse and spread out to each
corner of the room whereas normal glass will
not. The tempered glass acts as a buffer zone
where it is used as sunshade.

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 MAIN LOBBY
The main lobby of the Parliament building has long walkways and a lot of negative space to
give a more open and welcoming feel. It maximises the usage of space and has many
plastered columns that are used as support

Timber
Timber is mostly used in the Parliament
building as hand rails, decoration and timber
wall panels because of its flexibility and
modern, sleek look. The natural beauty of the
timber and its structural look harmonises with
the natural feeling against the marble floor.
Figure 5.9 Timber against marble in
the main lobby
Marble Floor Tiles
The usage of marble tiles in the Parliament
building will exude a sense of elegance and
class. Marble is a natural floor component and
each tile will look different and thus give the
flooring a distinct style. The marble tiles allow
for illumination to penetrate the surface of the
lighter marble tiles and thus giving off a natural
Figure 5.10 Elegant marble flooring
shine.

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DEWAN NEGARA AND DEWAN RAKYAT HALLS
Both of these halls are relatively the same. They both are constructed and designed using the
same materials, the only difference is the size of the space.

Figure 5.11 Dewan Rakyat Figure 5.12 Dewan Negara

Timber
Timber is used in the halls as the furniture and
also the wall panels. The timber panels provide
thermal insulation for the room and also gives
off a natural, comfortable feeling.

Carpet
Carpet is used in the halls as flooring also as
insulation inside the room that will allow for a
feeling of warmth.

Clerestory Windows
There are clerestory windows in both the halls
to allow for natural light to penetrate the room.
The high windows provide an aesthetically
pleasing appearance in the halls

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6.0 ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS /
COMPONENT S ANALYSIS
The Parliament Building consist of three blocks
which are the Main Block, Tower Block and
the Multipurpose Hall.

Main Block
The Main Block is a rectangular three story
high structure which consist of two national
assembly halls which are Dewan Negara Figure 6.1 Parliament Building
(Senate) and Dewan Rakyat (Lower House of
Representatives). There are three entrances in
the Main Block. The first entrance is on the
left side of the building which is to be used by
staff and public. the second entrance located
at the middle is used by ministers and the third
entrance on the right is for the Yang
Di-pertuan Agong. There's also a big open
space for marching when opening an
Figure 6.2 Main Block
important event. When a ruler passes away,
the body will be placed here to receive the last
respect from the public. Kerawang Facade
The entire Main Block was covered with
terrazzo panels which represents “Kerawang”.
Every piece of terrazzo panels were placed
close together to form the building’s unique
and iconic appearance. These 11 feet high, 40
inches wide terrazzo cladding are not only for
aesthetics purposes but also provides shade by
controlling the amount of direct sunlight
coming into the building.

Figure 6.3 Main Block Kerawang Facade

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Pinnacle Roof
Above the Main Block sits this 11 pinnacle
section roof. The 11 pinnacle section
represents the number of states in the past
Federation of Malaya. This particular ida also
comes from the Malaccan traditional Malay
roof style, which definitely define the Malay
culture.
Figure 6.4 Pinnacle Roof

Figure 6.5 Bridge linking the two buildings
Tower Block
The Tower Block is a seventeen story high
building, back then before renovation, this
place was used to house the offices of both
the cabinet ministers and the representatives
of both houses. With the increasing number of
staffs, this block had been converted into
administration offices. This tower is where
non-official events are held, also known as
Anjung Parlimen.

Figure 6.6 Front Facade of the Tower Block

The Kerawang Facade was seen on the entire

facade of the Tower Block, even the roof of
the guard house at the entrance has a
resemblance of the kerawang style.

Figure 6.7 Guard house of the parliament building

27 | PAGE
 Hall of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)
The Dewan Rakyat (House of
Representatives) is the lower house of the
Parliament of Malaysia, consisting of
members elected during elections from
federal constituencies drawn by the Election
Commission. The Dewan Rakyat usually
proposes legislation through a draft known as
Figure 6.8 Front view of the hall a 'bill'. All bills must usually be passed by
both the Dewan Rakyat (House of
Representatives) and the Dewan Negara,
before they are sent to the King for royal
assent. Large quantity of local timber with
different shades were used with a
combination of glass blocks, tiles, steel,
leather and fabric seats. There are many
murals installed between pinnacle in contrast
Figure 6.9 Angled view of the hall
with the ambient lighting.

Columns
Fiberglass and wood columns are designed
for both decoration and load bearing
installations, but there's a much higher chance
that a wood column will get damaged and
need to be replaced than a fiberglass column.
Fiberglass columns are more durable and
more impact resistance than wood.
Figure 6.10 Lounge area

Figure 6.11 Meeting room

28 | PAGE
Suspended ceilings
A suspended ceiling also known as dropped
ceiling is a secondary ceiling, hung below the
main (structural) ceiling. Suspended ceiling
offer superior acoustic properties. It helps to
soften noise so that surroundings will be
quieter.

Figure 6.12 Lounge area

Figure 6.14 Lobby area

Figure 6.13 Event room

Multi Purpose Hall

There's also a multipurpose hall which is
equip with recreational facilities like courts,
gymnasium and a sauna rooms to be used by
the members of the parliament.

Figure 6.15 Multipurpose hall

Water Fountain
Water fountain and pools which are situated
between the Main Block and Tower Block. It
is used for aesthetically to express visual axis
of the building and reflects the surrounding.
The water feature also provides cooling
during hot weather. Figure 6.16 Water feature by the bridge

29 | PAGE
7.0 CONCLUSION
Malaysia’s House of Parliament is an iconic building built under the influence of Modernism
architecture since Malaysia’s post-independence period until now. The building represents more
than just the definition of modernism; it carries along the history, the policy system and most
importantly, it carries the spirit of our country. Moreover, Malaysia’s Parliament Building has
created a certain influence and inspiration towards our country’s architecture, which is beneficial
for the development of architecture in our country and it will also be able to assist our country into
becoming a developed country. The design and architecture of the Parliament Building is so
meaningful because every part of the building has a symbolic representation of our country. It
shows our country’s independence and marks how far Malaysia has grown as an independent
country since the days of being ruled by an outsider. The existence of the Parliament Building will
always serve as a reminder for all Malaysians to love our country and to not take the peace that we
have now, for granted. The Parliament Building functionally and significantly represents the
Malaysian government.

30 | PAGE
REFERENCES

INTRODUCTION
Anonymous. (2016, April 4) Parliament Building - The Past. . In The Official Portal Of Parliament
Of Malaysia. Retrieved from
http://www.parlimen.gov.my/bangunan-parlimen-malaysia.html?&lang=en
Azaiddy Abdullah.(2015).The Living Machines. Kuala Lumpur : Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia, 2015.
Chan, C. Y. (1987). Post-merdeka architecture Malaysia 1957-1987. Kuala Lumpur : Pertubuhan Akitek
Malaysia, 1987.

SITE CONTEXT ANALYSIS

1. "KL Sentral To Malaysian Houses Of Parliament". KL Sentral To Malaysian Houses Of Parliament,
2018,
https://goo.gl/maps/kLdkwsbr8sN2. Accessed 2 June 2018.
2. "Moovit: Your Public Transit Guide". Moovit, 2018,
https://moovit.com/?from=Jalan%20Taylor%27s&to=Parlimen%20Malaysia&fll=3.060033_101.61597&tl
l=3.149857_101.679265&customerId=4908&metroId=1082&lang=en. Accessed 2 June 2018.
3. "National Mosque Of Malaysia". En.Wikipedia.Org,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Mosque_of_Malaysia. Accessed 2 June 2018.
4. "Planetarium Negara". En.Wikipedia.Org,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetarium_Negara. Accessed 2 June 2018.
5. Frearson, Amy. "PARKROYAL On Pickering By WOHA". Dezeen, 2013,
https://www.dezeen.com/2013/10/10/parkroyal-on-pickering-by-woha/. Accessed 2 June 2018.
6. "PARKROYAL On Pickering In Singapore". Hotels.Com,
https://www.hotels.com/ho421327/parkroyal-on-pickering-singapore-singapore/. Accessed 2 June 2018.
7. H. Mahnke, Frank. "Color In Architecture — More Than Just Decoration". Archinect, 2012,
https://archinect.com/features/article/53292622/color-in-architecture-more-than-just-decoration. Accessed
2 June 2018.
8. M.G. Pillai, Kamala. "The Strength And Resilience Of The Malaysian Parliament Building – Celebrating
50 Years". Parlimen.Gov.My, 2013,
http://www.parlimen.gov.my/images/webuser/artikel/ro/kamala/Article%20for%20Intranet%20-%20The%
20Strength%20and%20Resilence%20of%20the%20Malaysian%20Parliament%20-%20Celebrating%2050
%20years%20-%2029.%2010.2013%20(1).pdf. Accessed 2 June 2018.
9. "About Us | National Planetarium". Planetariumnegara.Gov.My, 2015,
http://www.planetariumnegara.gov.my/?q=en/article/about-us. Accessed 2 June 2018.
10. "Visiting Parliament". Parlimen.Gov.My, 2017,
http://www.parlimen.gov.my/lawatan-ke-parlimen.html?uweb=p&lang=en. Accessed 2 June 2018.

31 | PAGE
11. "Geography Of Malaysia". En.Wikipedia.Org, 2018,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Malaysia. Accessed 5 June 2018.
12. Liu, Stacy. "In Parliament". Malaysia.My, 2016,
http://www.malaysia.my/article/business/in_parliament/. Accessed 4 June 2018.

ARCHITECTURE LAYOUT OF BUILDING

1. “A Small Typology of Parliamentary Seating Arrangements.” Abitare, 29 Apr. 2013,
www.abitare.it/en/archive/2013/04/30/a-small-typology-of-parliamentary-seating-arrangements/
2. lunatic, g. (2018). lunaticg: Malaysia Parliament building. [online] lunaticg. Available at:
https://lunaticg.blogspot.com/2012/04/malaysian-parliament-building.html [Accessed 5 Jun. 2018].
3. Portal Rasmi Parlimen Malaysia - :: Pautan Laman - Parti-Parti Politik,
www.parlimen.gov.my/bangunan-parlimen-malaysia.html?uweb=p&lang=en

ARCHITECTURE STYLE ANALYSIS

1. Bauhaus- The Art Story. (2011, June 6), Bauhaus Most Important Art and Artist.
Retrieved From
http://www.theartstory.org/movement-bauhaus-artworks.htm
2. Chan, C. Y. (1987). Post-merdeka architecture Malaysia 1957-1987. Kuala Lumpur : Pertubuhan Akitek
Malaysia, 1987.
3. Lai, C. K. (2007). Building Merdeka : independence architecture in Kuala Lumpur 1957-1966. Kuala
Lumpur : PETRONAS, c2007.
4. Modernism: an architectural style guide. (1930). In Riba Collection. Retrieved from
https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/modernism
5. Parliament Building - The Past. (2016, April 4). In The Official Portal Of Parliament Of Malaysia.
Retrieved from
http://www.parlimen.gov.my/bangunan-parlimen-malaysia.html?&lang=en
6. Tzonis et al. Tropical Architecture: Critical Regionalism in the Age of Globalization, 2001.
7. What Is Modern: Characteristics Of Modern Architecture. (2011, April 9). In a2Modern.
Retrieved from
http://www.a2modern.org/2011/04/characteristics-of-modern-architecture/

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, STRUCTURE & MATERIAL ANALYSIS

1. “A Study of Styles Classification and Influences on Administrative Buildings in Malaysia”
https://www.academia.edu/3038010/A_STUDY_OF_STYLES_CLASSIFICATION_AND_INFLUENCES
_ON_ADMINISTRATIVE_BUILDING_IN_MALAYSIA_15TH-21ST_CENTURY_
2. “An Influence of Colonial architecture to Building Styles and Motifs in Colonial Cities in Malaysia
https://www.malaysiadesignarchive.org/an-influence-of-colonial-architecture-to-building-styles-and
-motifs-in-colonial-cities-in-malaysia/?print=pdf

32 | PAGE
3. “Parliament House Malaysia”
http://dearasis.blogspot.com/2008/10/parliament-house-malaysia.html
4. “Malaysia’s Construction Marvels in 60 Years of Merdeka”
http://www.cidb.gov.my/images/content/construction_marvels/Malaysias-Construction-Marvels-in
-60-Years-of-Merdeka.pdf

ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
1. Portal Rasmi Parlimen Malaysia - :: Pautan Laman - Parti-Parti Politik,
www.parlimen.gov.my/index.php?lang=en.
2. “Parliament of Malaysia.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 June 2018,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Malaysia.
3 . “Dropped Ceiling.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 May 2018,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dropped_ceiling.
4. http://pmr.penerangan.gov.my/index.php/politik/1402-dewan-rakyat-dan-dewan-negara.html

33 | PAGE
APPENDIX

Figure 1.1 Sourced from Allnumis Figure 4.15 Sourced from Tripadvisor

Figure 1.2 Sourced from Malaysia.my Figure 4.16 Diagram by Teoh Chong Kin

Figure 1.3 Sourced from Parliament.gov Figure 4.17 Sourced from 3D warehouse

Figure 1.4 Sourced from Parliament.gov

Figure 1.5 Sourced from Parliament. gov

Figure 1.6 Sourced from DeArasis

Figure 4.1 Sourced from DeArasis

Figure 4.2 Sourced from Tripadvisor

Figure 4.3 Sourced from Mentalfloss

Figure 4.4 Diagram by Teoh Chong Kin

Figure 4.5 Diagram by Teoh Chong Kin

Figure 4.6 Diagram by Teoh Chong Kin

Figure 4.7 Diagram by Teoh Chong Kin

Figure 4.8 Diagram by Teoh Chong Kin

Figure 4.9 Diagram by Teoh Chong Kin

Figure 4.10 Diagram by Teoh Chong Kin

Figure 4.11 Diagram by Teoh Chong Kin

Figure 4.12 Diagram by Teoh Chong Kin

Figure 4.13 Diagram by Teoh Chong Kin

Figure 4.14 Sourced from Parliament.gov

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