Travel and Photography | Kuala Lumpur City Gallery
© 2014 wazari wazir | Kuala Lumpur City Gallery | Tourist Busy To Get Their Best Shot With I Love KL Statue
© 2014 wazari wazir | Kuala Lumpur City Gallery Entrance | Free Admission
© 2014 Wazari Wazir | Inside The Kuala Lumpur City Gallery | Visit Malaysia Year 2014
© 2014 Wazari Wazir | Souvenir Shop | Kuala Lumpur City Gallery | Plenty of Souvenir To Choose From
Kuala Lumpur City Gallery is part of the ARCH group’s vision in promoting the country’s heritage and culture. ARCH also promotes collectibles and gifts made of wood veneer, A new tourist magnet, it is situated right in the historical enclave of Dataran Merdeka (Merdeka Square) and houses many attractions in the form of prints, photos and miniatures. Located in a 114 year-old building, this landmark is a must visit for anyone who wants to know all about Kuala Lumpur!
In 1899, during the British colonial administration, the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery building was first built to meet the administrative needs of Kuala Lumpur, the newly founded capital of the Federated Malay States. It replaced the Government Printing Office in Taiping, which was closed down. The government printer at the time, J. Russell, helped the Public Works Department architect A. C. Norman design the ideal printing office to house large printing press machines.
The exterior façade was designed based on neo-Renaissance principles, with exposed bricks, plastered columns, and large semi-circular windows decorated with keystones; while the interior had a structural support system of cast iron columns and trusses. The building did not have a pronounced entrance or front porch, but just a simple door located on the western side. Canopy roofs were added above the first floor windows in the 1940s, as protection against the harsh tropical sun.
For years, the printing office produced official government reports, government books and train tickets. In 1961 the Ministry of Labour took over the building, and later in 1977, the building was converted to the Metropolitan Postal Security Office.
In 1986, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall bought the building for over RM3 million, then renovated and furnished it with quality library equipment, making it the first public library in Kuala Lumpur. The Kuala Lumpur Memorial Library, as it was named, also acted as a research centre on all things related to Kuala Lumpur – its history, administration and development, as well as exhibitions on objects and artifacts connected to the heritage of the city. After opening its doors in 1989, the library grew quickly and after three years, it made history by being the first public library in Peninsular Malaysia to go on-line.
Source From : KUALA LUMPUR CITY GALLERY
The Kuala Lumpur City gallery is quite new here and I’m not surprise if most of us, the people of Kuala Lumpur especially, have never been to this place or know that this place do exist. Most of us are quite familiar with “I Love NY” logo but here in Kuala Lumpur we also have that kind of thing, “I Love KL” but unfortunately I didn’t have a personal photograph with that statue just yet.
Anyway, since 2014 is Visit Malaysia Year, to those of you who have a chance to visit Merdeka Square or “Dataran Merdeka” during a holiday, do visit this place, even if you have no intention to buy any souvenir inside, just get in. The admission is free, if you wanted to learn a little bit about the history of Kuala Lumpur, you will get the information here.
The biggest highlight of Kuala Lumpur City Gallery is the showcase of the largest masterpiece of Kuala Lumpur City Model, measuring a mega 40ft x 50ft! Near completion, this miniature model showcases the present and future developments of Kuala Lumpur. It is currently open for public viewing, and is must-visit for all locals and tourists who would like to see Kuala Lumpur in totality from a different perspective.
Kuala Lumpur City Gallery open daily from 9:00 Am to 6:30 Pm | Admission is Free.
