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As part of her MSc thesis, architect Mariana Isa wrote a conservation statement on Pudu Jail. It outlines the historical and architectural significance of the buidling, reaffirming it’s importance in development of Kuala Lumpur. The paper also touches on issues of legislation and real estate value. If you’re looking for more in-depth information on the prison, it’s an invaluable document.
We’ve extracted a few relevant passages and captured some pages below. Download the full Conservation Statement here.
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Pudu Jail is one of the few remaining symbols of old Kuala Lumpur’s Innovation Period (1880-1930) when the city’s built environment transformation took place and lawlessness was rampant. The prison represented order amidst all these.
It is important to realize that within 100 years of serving as a prison, Pudu Jail’s inmates were not solely convicts but also servicemen and nationalists who fought against the Japanese and British for Malaya’s liberation. The prison’s key significance is the role it played towards the emergence of Malaysia’s nationhood.
A relic of the Victorian period, Pudu Jail’s architecture is strongly influenced by British colonial prison structure and design which emphasizes security and manual operation. The butterfly form of the Cell Block is the key architectural asset, hidden from the view of polite society for a century. The building’s bare design and minimal details strengthens its architectural impact as a prison.
Charles Edwin Spooner, then state engineer and director of Public Works Department, produced a prison design that was suitable to the local climate and culture, which was apparent in the use of courtyards, jack-roofs, large overhangs and the Moorish front gate.
Malaysia’s present legislation on historic buildings is not sufficient and suitable to protect Pudu Jail from demolition. Presently, there are 4 acts and enactments showing aspects of building conservation, namely Antiquities Act (1976), Johore Enactment (1988), Malacca Enactment 1988 and Rent Control Act (1966, revised 1988).
The Antiquities Act 1976 states that a historic building or monument aged at least 100 years old can be listed or gazetted through the Museum Department. At the age of 107, there have been no attempts to list Pudu Jail as a protected building. The City Council is not pro of its survival, making the future of Pudu Jail rather bleak unless this matter is addressed right away.
The real estate value of Pudu Jail is estimated to be RM 300 million. This amount pressures the stakeholders for commercial development to gain profit. UDA Holdings Berhad’s proposal to develop the RM2 billion Bukit Bintang City Centre is due in 2006 and will be completed within 5 years. Hopefully, Pudu Jail’s listing for protection takes place before demolition begins.
Download the Conservation Statement here.
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Mariana Isa completed her MSc. Conservation of Historic Buildings in 2006 and was a US/ICOMOS Intern in 2007. She now works at a local architecture firm and is a saturday museum guide at the National Museum.
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“A Funeral for Pudu Jail”: Pudu Jail will be demolished tonight! (Sun 20 Jun 2010). Let’s gather and say goodbye to our old heritage and largest wall painting mural. Pls gather at Hang Tuah StarLRT this sunday night @ 8pm and walk towards Pudu Jail, while lighting up white candles. Pls bring along any kind of materials & music instruments used for funerals to commemorate our precious historical building and artwork!
sumpahan lembah kelang.
I skimmed through the document.
In the content page Ms.Isa should have added in the Issue and Vulnerabilities section the matter of how SUPERSTITIOUS the majority of Malaysians are.
I think the public are aware that Pudu Jail is historical significant but most will treat it like the creepy Uncle you are obligated to invite for a wedding but won’t talk to much regardless of how he might actually have some cool characteristics and things to learn from.
Highlighting the physical charm of the creepy Uncle or pointing out his historical contributions just won’t wipe away that huge dark ‘chinergy’ that lingers around him :/
For the few Nationalists that passed through, there were thousands and thousands of anonymous criminals there who suffered, rightly or wrongly.
Hmm..maybe the report could include solutions provided by magick workers like Bomohs and Geomancers.
As a Museum and visitors center, I think that stage has been experimented with and visitors number just was not enough to maintain the large site.
If you want to run a profit, you might have to install cafes, souvenir shops, hold non prison related entertainment events, or as Ms.Isa suggested, explore ideas of converting it into a luxury boutique hotel like “Oxford Prison Hotel” (More examples should have been highlighted but I doubt there are many successful prison conservation programs).
Some of us really like having the cool creepy uncle around but I think (maybe) to most people, he just doesn’t fit in the big party that is the Golden Triangle. Maybe the creepy Uncle doesn’t want to stay either and be Oohed and Aahhheed like some freak for tourists who will take away his creepiness as a souvenir.
The best would probably be just to have a small center to honour the memory of the creepy uncle. Conservation through media creation helps too. Pudu has been hanging around for so many years. Anyone who was seriously inspired by it would / could have done so much with it by now.
Missing from the report might also be conversations with the people who actually live and work in the area. IF development is done right, traffic congestion can be eased and that would really decrease pollution and improve their quality of life. Such practical advantages must be weight heavily with the symbolic and historical value of the prison.
While it is always nice see the real thing, whatever which has symbolic or conceptual value does not necessarily require physical anchoring. Artists should really take advantage of the split between signifire and signified.
New media methods could do wonders these days. One who is dedicated to the memory of old buildings could create many 3D models to be viewed freely on Google Earth. You could even enter the Istana Negara!
Augmented reality can also be used to layer physical sites with animations of the past which can be viewed with special cameras or public display systems. These more economical and more publicly accessible solutions need to be explored.
Imagine if you were looking down from KL Tower with special digitally enhanced goggles that layered the view below with old buildings and roads of KL. I believe spending money on something like this will be more practical than the millions to preserve and maintain each and every building someone finds significant or memorable in some way.
Treating old historical material things with such sacred reverence makes us forget that this romanticized vision of Pudu is only valuable for a minority.
The majority have hard complex realities to face and forcing them to join our simple exotic and nostalgic visions is rather unfair.
Besides, history always wins in the end.