Architecture Culture & History 2 Project: Architecture Heritage Building AnalysisFast FactsNestled on top of a hill, Dewan Tunku Canselor is an iconic landmark you cannot miss in the sprawling campus of University Malaya. The brainchild of the late Datuk Kington Loo of BEP (Boothy Edwards & Partners) Akitek Sdn. Bhd., this giant assemblage of concrete was named after and consequently officiated by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-haj on June 25, 1966. It took 18 months to complete and the first convocation ceremony held there was for 587 graduates who were receiving undergraduate Masters and Doctorates while 115 others received diplomas in Education. The hall still currently functions as a venue for convocation ceremonies and the hosting of numerous functions of the university including semester examinations, large scale performances, special classes, seminars and conferences. Before its existence, convocation ceremonies of the university were held at other locations, among them Tunku Abdul Rahman Hall on Jalan Ampang.Contextual StudyDewan Tunku Canselor is a two and a half storey building consisting of a great hall and a foyer area, connected to an Experimental Theatre. It can accommodate about 25,000 people and was uncontestedly the largest hall in KL at the time. A stage is located inside the great hall at the ground level and is a later addition as before only a platform sat in its place. A stage was finally installed because around 1969-1971, British Council wanted to have a ballet presentation which called for a relatively spacious hall. The mezzanine floor is actually a viewing gallery that forms a U shape. The roof of the great hall consists of steel trussed structures and a reinforced concrete slab with up-stand beam forming the perimeter roofing system. Access to the different floor levels is provided by two spiral concrete staircases located within oval shaped shear walls.In an act of true historical tragedy, in the early morning of June 29th 2001 the hall was ripped through by a fire just hours before a student leadership symposium was supposed to be held. Along with 1,800 graduation robes and 2,000 mortar boards, the interior furnishings were completely destroyed resulting in a loss amounting to nearly RM12.4 million. However, the imposing fire did little to make any solid damage to the skeleton of the concrete structure. This is an advantage only possible with Brutalist buildings. A reconstruction fund was set up by staff, students and The New Straits Times. Construction work took 4 months and 3 weeks and it was rebuilt to original condition with a few better and more sophisticated adjustments. Despite everything, Dewan Tunku Canserlor cannot be measured in money because of the sentimental nostalgia attached as it has been the backdrop of countless bittersweet memories.StyleThe architect, Kington Loo, was influenced by Le Corbusier. The latter being a prominent modern architect who was very concerned about the suitability of the design according to use. A monolithic erection of great mass, Dewan Tunku Canselor was heavily inspired by the Brutalist style which flourished in the 1950s and 60s. A building constructed to reflect the French bton brut images, or raw concrete.The marks or textures of the wooden forms in which the concrete is poured into is maintained and blatantly revealed on the surface of the unadorned reinforced concrete, resulting in an exterior that is daunting, uncomplicated yet stealthily intricate. The strip traces all along the building are traces left by the wooden construction molds and were left on purpose to fulfil the concept of Brutalism Architecture. The traces create a rhythmic pattern. This style is typically formed with striking blockish, geometric and repetitive shapes. Brutalist designs often include striking abject irregularities as well.Figure 1: Spiral staircase that link all the floors of the building.Dewan Tunku Canselor has many striking architectural elements. Among them are the spiral staircases are situated on both the East and west sides of the Great Hall. They are located within the oval shaped structures of the building and connnect all two and a half storeys. The steps of each staircase are made from reinforced concrete and are directly attached to the wall faade of the oval tower as can be seen from Figure 1. The staircases leads directly to the Mezzanine Floor and all the way up to the open-roof top.