Sultan Abdul Samad Building

술탄 압둘 사마드 빌딩

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building is a red-brick government building from the late 1800s in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It stands on Jalan Raja, facing Merdeka Square (Dataran Merdeka). Its front stretches about 137 metres, and a central clock tower rises 41 metres, with copper domes that glow in the sun.

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At a glance

Country: Malaysia
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Built: 1897
Height: 41 m
Type: Government building

Quick answers

Where is Sultan Abdul Samad Building?

Sultan Abdul Samad Building is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

When was Sultan Abdul Samad Building built?

Sultan Abdul Samad Building was built in 1897.

How tall is Sultan Abdul Samad Building?

Sultan Abdul Samad Building is about 41 m tall.

Moorish-Mughal red-brick landmark facing Merdeka Square, crowned by a 41 m clock tower and copper domes.

It was built for the British colonial government and was once the largest building in Malaya. Its style is often called Indo-Saracenic, Neo-Mughal or Moorish. Today it is one of the most photographed buildings in the capital and still plays a part in national celebrations.

History

Government offices used to sit on a hill above the field now called Merdeka Square, but officials wanted more space and found the hill inconvenient. State Engineer Charles Edwin Spooner proposed new offices on the flat ground near the river. A.C. Norman was named as architect, but R. A. J. Bidwell reworked the design, helped by A. B. Hubback. The building was renamed in 1974 after Sultan Abdul Samad of Selangor, who was ruling when construction began.

The building today

The clock tower was designed to echo Big Ben, but in an Indo-Saracenic style. Over the years the building housed the country's top courts, then government ministries. A restoration was most recently done in 2026, and it now has galleries, exhibition spaces and several cafés. It faces Merdeka Square, where Malaya's flag was raised at independence in 1957.

Fun facts

It faces Merdeka Square, where Malaya's flag was raised at independence in 1957.
The 41 metre clock tower was designed to echo London's Big Ben.
The building's front is about 137 metres long.
It once housed the Federal Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court of Malaya.