Badan Warisan Malaysia is housed in an old colonial-style building |
This
colonial-style bungalow, at No 2 Jalan Stonor, within walking distance from the
Kuala Lumpur City Centre was built in 1925. Having passed through many owners,
it was restored for reuse by Badan Warisan Malaysia in 1995. The century-old
building today houses an exhibition area, the Heritage Centre’s premises, and a
gift shop. It is also a popular venue for art exhibitions, product launches and
meetings.
The
building is built raised floors and faces a huge garden. I was here recently
during an exhibition by Malaysian Heritage and History Club to mark the
nation’s Independence and thought that it would be a good subject to paint.
After all, there are not many such magnificent buildings left in the city centre
that mark a chapter of our colourful history.
Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman, one of the oldest traditional Malay houses in the country that have been saved from the ravages of time. |
In its
silence presence beneath looming sky scrapers, this traditional house is no
less grand than the colonial bungalow for it reflects the ingenuity of Malay
builders of old, who have masterly incorporated functional use and
environment-friendliness into its design. The floors have been raised to keep
the structure airy and cool in hot weather. The house also has carved panelling
that not only beautiful the walls but also allow good ventilation.
This is a traditional Kukur Nyiur or a coconut scraper. |
For those
who wondered what guardians of the kitchen use in time of old, check out antique
kitchen appliances here, which included a granite millstone (batu giling),
lesong (pestle and mortar), and coconut scraper (kukur nyiur).
Guided
tours are available daily from 11am and 3pm, except Sundays, with a minimum of donation
RM10 per person. Call 03-2144 9273 for details or email info@badanwarisan.org.my