10 Tangsi (Loke Hall), Kuala Lumpur

10 Tangsi, Kuala Lumpur (8 July, 2016)


10 Tangsi (GPS: 3.14974, 101.69191) is a handsome building on Jalan Tangsi off Jalan Kinabalu in Kuala Lumpur. Originally known as Loke Hall, the building is one of many properties built by tin-mining magnate Loke Chow Kit. This is a different building from the Loke Mansion in Kuala Lumpur or the Loke Mansion/Loke Villa in Penang.

Loke Hall was designed in the British Regency style by Anglo-Indian architect A.K. Musdeen, and completed in 1907. Loke Chow Kit resided there for just a year, before selling the building to a group of European businessmen in 1908. The investors then turned it into the Empire Hotel.

Empire Hotel was used by families of British army personnel when they visit Kuala Lumpur. The hotel changed its name to Peninsular Hotel in 1919, and operated until 1970. Then in 1973 it became the office of the Malaysian Institute of Architects, the body representing the architects in the country. That institute is known today as Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia, or PAM.

In September 2012, Loke Hall was gazetted as a National Heritage Building, under the name Rumah Agam Loke Chow Kit, or Loke Chow Kit Mansion.

At time of writing, I learn that Loke Hall, now called 10 Tangsi, was still undergoing restoration by Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur City Hall, DBKL). The building belongs to DBKL, and is expected to reopen as a public building with spaces that can be rented by the public through DBKL. There will also be an educative gallery with details interpreting the story of the building, with information of the building before and after the completion of restoration. The restoration is expected to be fully completed on 15 December, 2017.

The painstaking restoration of 10 Tangsi is the effort of many people including the consultant architect, consultant conservator, consultant engineers, consultant quantity surveyor, DBKL's building teams and support coming from the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur and top managements. Conservation contractor Tuan Haji Shaari Mad Saod of NTQT Sdn Bhd has created a virtual reality walk-through of 10 Tangsi, which can be viewed here.

10 Tangsi is on the Map of Jalan Tangsi, Kuala Lumpur

10 Tangsi is on the Map of Jalan Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur

10 Tangsi, Kuala Lumpur (8 July, 2016)

360° View of 10 Tangsi on Google Maps Street View

10 Tangsi

Acknowledgement

Thank you to Miss Noor Fazlina Rosley, A.M.W., of Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, for providing useful details about 10 Tangsi.

References

Back to Discover Kuala Lumpur; list of Historic Buildings of Kuala Lumpur and Historic Buildings of Malaysia