Handel's 'Messiah' at the KL Performing Arts Centre

One of the best things about living in Kuala Lumpur is that we have a vibrant and progressive arts scene. While theatre and the arts in Malaysia may not have attained the same glamour or quality as Broadway or West End, our arts scene is still populated with gifted, creative and dynamic personalities and is full of charm and character.

The staging of Handel's "Messiah" at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) from 17th to 20th December 2009 is testimony both of religious diversity in Malaysia and of the existence of some pretty formidable musical talent in our nation's capital.

I barrelled over to KLPAC after work on Friday, 18th December, to watch the performance. Not being a Christian does not prevent me from enjoying the oratorio. I am certain that the audience that night was a multi-faith one.




The world zipped past me in a blur as I hurried to the Box Office to collect the ticket I had booked by phone.



The warm glow of the Box Office, coupled with the twinkling of festive lights from the Christmas tree in the corner, filled me with cheer and anticipation.



Theatre afficionados milled around the lobby of KLPAC, waiting for the doors of the respective theatres to be opened and for the performances to begin. I finally met up with my companions in Pentas 1.



Guest conducter Paul Baker led the 35-piece KLPAC Orchestra along with a 40-strong choir. My friend Alicia is a soprano in the choir.



Can a secular theatre interpret the Christian doctrine of the Messiah? KLPAC shows that it can!

Theatre and the arts are important to the human experience because they help us connect and empathise with each other, and come to terms with our world in all its complexity. A civilised society should not have to constantly justify its need for, or the existence of, the arts. Science and the arts are not mutually exclusive. Art, especially theatre, helps us explore ourselves and our role in society.

Handel's "Messiah" ended its run in KLPAC on Sunday, but there is a good selection of other performances lined up to tantalise, provoke and entertain you this holiday season.

For more information on what's on, please click
here.

The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC)
Sentul Park
Jalan Strachan
51100 Kuala Lumpur
General Enquiries: (03) 4047 9010
General Facsimile: (03) 4047 9011

Art Noveau and Neoclassical Walk

There is so much more to Kuala Lumpur than the Petronas Twin Towers and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building! A walk through the older parts of downtown KL is a trip through history. The Art Noveau and Neoclassical buildings constructed in the pre-War years of 1900 – the 1930s have such charm and character, and tell of the glory days of Kuala Lumpur when it was a bustling hub for trade and commerce.

Unlike the largely utilitarian buildings of today, Art Noveau and Neoclassical shophouses, offices, banks and other buildings place as much importance on form and beauty as they did on function.

Art Noveau architecture generally has hyperbolas and parabolas in the windows, arches and doors, and decorative moldings inspired by nature and typically taking on the form of stylized plants, flowers, seashells, flames, insects and ribbons.

Neoclassical architecture, on the other hand, began in the mid-18th century and is principally derived from the architecture of classical Rome and Greece. Neoclassical buildings frequently make use of pillars and are evocative of ancient civilisations.



Muzium Telekom, a telecommunications museum, is housed in a Neoclassical building constructed in 1928 as a main telephone office. It is located in Jalan Raja Chulan, just down the hill from St. John’s Institution and St. John’s Church, and is open 7 days a week from 9.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. except on public holidays. Like most Neoclassical buildings, Muzium Telekom is symmetrical in form and has tall Grecian columns that rise to the full height of the building.





The Coliseum Cinema isn’t the only Art Deco building in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman! These Art Deco shophouses, constructed circa 1920, have incorporated ziggurats, crosses, geometrical shapes and horizontal and vertical banding into their design.





Neoclassical and Art Noveau buildings in various stages of decay line Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. This Art Noveau beauty, constructed in 1915, could do with a facelift, especially since it is in such a conspicuous part of town.








Art Noveau shophouses in Lebuh Pudu and Medan Pasar are reminder of the decades when the area was the business and financial hub of Kuala Lumpur. These shophouses remain fully functional and now house various restaurants and textile shops. I hope they will be preserved for posterity, for what is a society that has forgotten or abjured its history?




The nature-inspired details on this Art Noveau shophouse in Lebuh Pudu are almost like something out of a storybook! If only the property owner would maintain and repair this work of art accordingly.



Jalan Tun HS Lee has Art Noveau shophouses with attractive decorative moldings. The contrasting pastel hues of each shophouse add to their charm and eclecticism.



This Art Noveau shophouse in Jalan Hang Kasturi, facing the side entrance of Central Market, juxtaposes the old and the new – It’s lower two floors houses a McDonalds restaurant!



What a difference a coat of paint makes! Art Deco shophouses adjoined to the Central Market Annexe are such a source of interest and artistic inspiration. If only all the heritage buildings in Kuala Lumpur were this well-maintained!



Thank you for taking a walk down history lane with me, and I hope you will visit again soon!

SKBD Lends Seahorses A Helping Hand

Environmentalists like me have always felt quite ambivalent towards, if not openly mistrustful of, property development and resource extraction corporations such as YTL, but I have to concede that the KL Performing Arts Centre is one of the conglomerate's finest success stories in that it manages to fuse artistic elegance with the preservation of structures with historical value.



The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPC) complex is a reclaimed and refurbished old railway building. Some of the construction materials were salvaged from railroad tracks and buildings that were to be demolished. I like the fact that the building allows for natural light and ventilation.



Visitors can stop by for a book and a cup of tea at the cosy Resource Centre within the KLPAC complex.



The abandoned old colonial railway station adds charm to Sentul Park. Trees line the roads; silent sentries of the dusk. Treading gently on the good Earth has paid off handsomely for YTL Corp where Sentul Park and KLPAC are concerned.



Nothing stirs in the abandoned railway building. There is nothing here but the trees and the secrets they keep. Taking a stroll in Sentul Park frequently feels like stepping into the past, when the backwaters of Kuala Lumpur are filled with shade trees and residential homes.

I was invited to attend a play on Tuesday, 24th November. There was to be a special offering by Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara, and one of the parents in the organising committee had very kindly given me a VIP ticket for a very minor service I had rendered on 10th July, when I had been one of the judges for a project the schoolchildren did on seahorses.

The school chooses an endangered animal as its focus animal each year, and pupils from Year 1 to 5 produce artwork, factsheets and skits on the focus animal. Funds would be raised from donations and the sale of handmade craft items for a chosen environmental charity, and this year the funds would go to Save Our Seahorses (SOS Malaysia), one of the non-profit organisations closest to my heart. Tonight, the school Drama Club would be performing a play, the proceeds of which would also be directed to SOS Malaysia.

I have always averred that I dig Harold Pinter, not Harry Potter, and have only ever been to KLPAC for serious plays and dance dramas. A school concert by children who are passionate about saving marine animals would probably be a refreshing change. I dragged my friend Lynette along, and we got ready to be entertained, fully aware that we were the only people in the audience who were not the parents, grandparents or teachers of anyone in the cast.







The play was original and quite witty, and the children even managed to incorporate facts on seahorse mating and reproductive habits in the performance. Lynette and I ended up laughing at the bits that were probably not meant to be terribly funny, because the children were so cute that they were entirely unconvincing as evil witches and greedy fishermen. There was even a singing clam, which had us in stitches. It was quite a riot. The children were earnest and enchanting, and I am glad that I had attended the play, at least as a representative of the Malaysian Nature Society, if nothing else.

On behalf of Save Our Seahorses and the Malaysian Nature Society, I would like to thank the parents, teachers and pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara for the wonderful effort they have put into raising awareness and funds for a worthy cause. Your spirit and passion are admirable!

Art Deco Walk 3: Bangunan Lee Rubber

When the admittedly popular Popular Bookstore was relocated from the heart of Petaling Street to the corner of Jalan Hang Lekir and Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, I was pleased with how accessible it is now from the Pasar Seni LRT station. As soon as I saw the building it is currently housed in, I had another reason to rejoice. The Bangunan Lee Rubber is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture I have ever seen.



The discrete horizontal 'banding' on the exterior facade and the spandrels in Fauvist colours are the first indications that this is an Art Deco building. Like most urban Deco buildings, the Bangunan Lee Rubber has a flat roof with no cornice or overhang.






The narrow windows, considering the full surface of the walls, are characteristic of Art Deco buildings of that era. Repeated geometric patterns below the windows create a sense of theatric opulence. The windows above the Deco accents are of metal muntins, also in the Deco style.







Art Deco spandrels accentuate the space between the top of the window in one storey and the sill of the window in the storey above. Fluted pilasters halfway up the wall hold up an entablature with fluted rectangular motifs.

The construction of Bangunan Lee Rubber was commissioned in the early 1930s by the Lee Rubber Company, a multi-million dollar enterprise set up by Southeast Asia's rubber and pineapple king, Lee Kong Chian.

The building itself has a colourful history. It was once the headquarters of the Kempeitai (Japanese Secret Police) in Kuala Lumpur, according to the ‘Letters & Comment’ column in Asiaweek (15 September 1995) and the testimonies of various Malaysians who lived through World War II.

Later, the building became one of the branches of the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), which isn't surprising considering that Lee Kong Chian was once the general manager and vice-chairman of Huayi Bank, and was later appointed vice-chairman of OCBC when three Chinese banks merged to form the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation during the Great Depression in 1933.

"Jalan Tun H.S. Lee" was formerly known as "High Street", while "Jalan Hang Lekir" was formerly known as "Cecil Street" before the nationalisation of street names in Kuala Lumpur. Many of the double-storey shophouses along Jalan Tun H.S. Lee date back to the 1880s.

Tun H.S. Lee, or Tun Sir Henry Lee Hau-Shik (1900 - 1988) played a major role in helping to establish the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) in 1949 and in initiating the coalition between MCA and UMNO in 1952, which led the then Malaya to Independence in 1957, so it is only proper and fitting that such an important and busy street be named after him.

Hang Lekir, on the other hand, was a warrior who lived during the height of the Malaccan Sultanate in the 15th century. Some of the street names in Kuala Lumpur have been named after warriors from the Malay Annals.




High Street leading to Foch Avenue (1930s). Photo reproduced from "Malaysia: A Pictorial History 1400 - 2004" by Wendy Khadijah Moore, without permission but in accordance with the principles of fair use.

The Bangunan Lee Rubber is a perfect example of how a coat of paint and a culture of maintenance can make a world of difference to heritage buildings. Heritage buildings in Kuala Lumpur do not have to be converted into unproductive galleries and deserted museums. They could still be utilised for commerce and trade and be wholly tenantable, as long as the property owners take pains to keep the building in good repair.

I wish that someday I could walk down the streets of Medan Pasar, Leboh Pudu and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and see that the Art Deco and Art Noveau buildings are as well-kept, clean and aesthetically pleasing as the Bangunan Lee Rubber.

Art Deco Walk 2: Medan Pasar

Exit Central Market from the back and walk down the street where the city buses wait to pick up passengers, and you will find yourself in Medan Pasar, formerly Market Square, before the 'nationalisation' of street names in Kuala Lumpur.

"There isn't much to see in Medan Pasar", my friends complain. "It's just a dirty place with damaged pavements where mostly migrant workers wait to board their buses."

In the 1990s, I figured out that if Central Market were an Art Deco building, then at least some of the buildings in the same area must necessarily also be Art Deco buildings.

I didn't realise how accurate my conjecture was. At least half the buildings in the area are Art Deco buildings, constructed in the 1920s and 1930s. The other buildings date back to 1907, and are in the Neoclassical/Art Noveau style, with highly ornate motifs inspired by nature, or garlands set in cast plaster.

Medan Pasar, or Market Square, was the capital's banking and shopping hub in the 1920s. It is sad that this area has been largely ignored as the river confluence where the tin-miners and traders first landed.




A 1920s photograph shows 3-storey commercial buildings built in the Art Noveau / Neoclassical style in Market Square. Photo reproduced from "Malaysia: A Pictorial History 1400 - 2004", by Wendy Khadijah Moore, without permission but in accordance with the principles of fair use.



What we know as 'Bangunan OCBC' today, at the corner of Medan Pasar, was constructed in 1938 as the headquarters of the Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation. The architect for this Art Deco wonder is A.O. Coltman, the same genius who designed Odeon Cinema in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman - Jalan Dang Wangi.






The regularly-spaced, narrow windows of the Bangunan OCBC speak of Art Deco elegance. The vertical columns create a 'band' separating the first from the second storey. Like many multi-storey Art Deco buildings, the windows are relatively small, considering the full surface of the wall.




The old clock tower in Medan Pasar is revolutionary in design for its time. It was erected in 1937 in commemoration of the coronation of King George IV, but the original memorial plaques have been removed. The geometric art form shows the influence of Cubism and Futurism. The geometric sunburst motif on the doors at the bottom of the clock tower is of especial interest, as it is more commonly found on windows and above archways than on clock towers.

The sunburst and rising sun motifs in Art Deco convey a sense of strength and optimism in a time when the Great Depression was imminent. Also, fascination with the Orient and the Far East was beginning to grow in the West in the 1920s, and this delight in all things exotic was translated into pyramids, ziggurats, rising suns, running deers and Japanese cranes in Art Deco motifs.

Unfortunately, the Medan Pasar Clock Tower is a sorry sight these days. At least 2 of its surfaces have been defaced with obscene graffiti. Litter surrounds its base. The tired commuters queuing up in front of the Clock Tower have no interest in its history or preservation.

It is a shame that Medan Pasar, which is so rich in history, and indeed, the very place where Kuala Lumpur began, is so neglected. It is hard enough for me to get my fellow KL-ites excited about it, let alone persuade tourists that it is a place of historical and artistic interest.

I believe that it shouldn't be too difficult for City Hall to rally up volunteers to clean up and beautify Medan Pasar. I wish to see the area rid of illegal stalls, graffiti, litter and petty crime. I am a strong proponent of the 'Broken Windows' theory. Litter and graffiti begets more litter and graffiti, because the impression a passerby gets is that no-one cares. Condoning the presence of illegal stalls and pirated goods shows that low-level crime is tolerated in a particular area, and of course, crime begets more crime.

Restoring the buildings in Medan Pasar to some of their former glory should not be a costly exercise. Building owners can be held to account for the condition that their properties are in. Unsightly signboards and banners should be restored with tasteful and unobtrusive ones, while rubbish should be removed and drains fitted with gratings and covers to deter littering. The installation of grease traps and drain traps should be made mandatory for food and beverage outlet operators to ensure the cleanliness of the area and to manage stormwater and wastewater. The installation of better street lighting and pavement barriers to create a safe zone for pedestrians from motorcycle snatch thieves would go a long way towards lowering the crime rate in the area.

Plaques could be installed on building walls to inform tourists and visitors of the year the respective buildings were constructed, and to provide a short history of the area.

It is a shame that this little square, just a skip and hop away from Central Market, could be left to deteriorate the way it is. We claim to be proud of our history and heritage, but our actions so far do not seem to reflect our values. I believe it is time that we restore Medan Pasar to its former glory.

Art Deco Walk 1: Central Market

This is the first in my series of posts on Art Deco structures in downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Seeing as that I was at the Central Market Annexe on Tuesday evening, it is inevitable that a post on Central Market would follow. It is, after all, one of my favourite places to hang out in.

Why Art Deco? My fascination with Art Deco began in the mid '90s when my love of big band and swing music grew, along with my love for the works of authors of the Jazz Age, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, and poets of the 1920s such as WH Auden and Cecil Day-Lewis.

The Roaring '20s was a glorious period in the history of the world. World War 1 had just ended, and never had there been a better time for industry and innovation. Even art forms embraced and celebrated technology and modernity.

There have been arguments propounded by the narrow-minded and mean-spirited that buildings such as the Kuala Lumpur Central Market aren’t part of our Malaysian heritage at all, but that of our colonialists. I beg to differ. In the first place, Malaysia wasn't a British colony, but a protectorate. Huge difference there, my friends. Secondly, what is Malaysian heritage, if not a miscegenation of cultures, faiths, ideas and shared histories? I think it is wonderful that the communities existing in Malaysia in the 1920s saw so much potential and beauty in Kuala Lumpur that they were inspired into constructing a building so elegant and so sophisticated for its time as the Central Market.

Central Market hasn't always been an Art Deco building. It was constructed in 1888 as a wet market for the then growing town of Kuala Lumpur.




The old Central Market. Black-and-white photos reproduced from "Malaysia: A Pictorial History 1400-2004", by Wendy Khadijah Moore, without permission but in accordance with the principles of fair use.



The new Central Market as we know it today was constructed in the 1930s. This photograph shows it in its completed stage in 1937. It must have been such an architectural and aesthetic gem even in its day.

Europe was then abuzz with fresh ideas in architecture and industrial design after the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, and the enthusiasm it generated was carried all the way across the oceans to the expanding and vibrant city of Kuala Lumpur.

I recall my first visit to Central Market as being in 1986, after it was saved from demolition, renovated and reopened as an arts and culture market. My father has always been very big on taking us to local places of interest as soon as they are open to the public. Our family made it a habit to travel miles to visit new highways, bridges, dams, parks and buildings weeks before the official opening ceremonies. This is just one of the benefits of having a Geography teacher for a father.

I remember a comic book specialty store on the first floor of the Central Market back in 1986 where we could purchase DC and Marvel comics. It was probably the first such store in Malaysia. I remember also the artists on the ground floor of Central Market, and the breathtaking portraits they painted, as I watched a little distance away, not quite 8 years old, not quite daring to breathe in case I ruined their paintings in some way.

Later, in my teenage years in the 1990s, Central Market became less of a showcase for local art and culture and more of a place where cheap, tacky souvenirs from neighbouring countries could be bought. Still, it was a colourful and friendly place to hang out in.

There used to be a pub called "the Bull's Head" to the left of Central Market where my buddies and I watched most of the football matches during the 1998 World Cup.

I remember a young man named Eddie who had a stall selling Native American crafts in Central Market, although I am positive that he is not of Native American descent any more than I am, and his merchandise were probably made in some warehouse somewhere in Selangor. I wonder where he is today.

Central Market received another facelift in 2008, in an effort to upgrade its facilities, regulate the merchandise sold and to divide the shops into zones. Hence the new Central Market now has "Lorong Melayu", "Straits Chinese", "Lorong India" and “Lorong Kolonial” zones.





The interior of Central Market, with its booths and stalls in the wide corridors.



The Asli Crafts shop has always been one of my favourite shops.



I am pleased to see that the renovation work did not destroy the original Art Deco details in the interior of Central Market. Here, the 'flat-against-the-wall' fluted columns and mock pillars have survived several facelifts and renovation exercises.

The illusion of pillars and columns and ancient architectural designs such as pyramids and ziggurats is frequently employed in Art Deco.



Central Market at dusk. Again, we can see that the architect has chosen a bold ziggurat design. A ziggurat is a terraced pyramid with each storey smaller than the one below it. King Tut's tomb was discovered in 1922, and it wasn't just the archeological community that was excited over the find! Artists, architects and designers all wanted to incorporate pyramids, ziggurats and other Egyptian motifs into their work.

The subtle horizontal band of pink textured concrete running across the breadth of Central Market is also characteristic of one of the techniques used in Art Deco, in which bands or columns of contrasting materials are used to create a sense of line or division.

One of the best adjectives used to describe Art Deco design is 'theatrical', the entrance of the Central Market is just that! The recessed 'second entrance' creates the illusion of a passageway to a stage set. Symmetrical receding abstract planes and aerodynamic streamlining are typical of later Art Deco and Art Moderne details.



The back entrance of Central Market. You've got to love the Deco typestyle in the signage! Most Art Deco typestyles are completely in capitals, emphasising the swank and boldness of the era right before World War II. Take note, yet again, of the ziggurat design and the repetitive geometric patterns and the combination of materials used. Art Deco isn't about moderation -- it was all about eclecticism and glamour!

Central Market is one of the best success stories in Malaysia when it comes to heritage buildings. We didn't just 'preserve a building left by the British', we combated stasis by making it our own. Dare we hope that City Hall and the Ministry of Federal Territories would apply the same strategy in conserving and revitalising other heritage sites in the City?