Rumah Tangsi Visit April 25^th

We had a wonderfully interesting outing to Rumah Tangsi, @ 10 Jalan Tangsi on April 25^th organised by Tajuddin Idrus and guided by Marianna Isa.

Marianna is a heritage enthusiast who organises activities to promote the history and heritage of the region.  She is also the author of the book “Kuala Lumpur Street Names: A Guide to their Meanings and Histories”.

She has also co-founded The Heritage Output Laboratory which provides research-based services to organisations and individuals for print, audio and film projects.  And as such she has been working with the current owners of Rumah Tangsi; DBKL and assisting in the preservation efforts and revitalisation of this beautiful mansion.

Rumah Tangsi, located at Tasik Perdana, opposite Merdeka Square, very near the Royal Selangor Club was originally built as the residence of Loke Chow Kit and was completed in 1870.

Loke Chow Kit was a well-known miner, municipal councillor, public official, and also the first local owner of the Chow Kit & Co department store – which was the largest in KL at the time.

In the 1880s the house was taken over by the British colonial administration when it moved its headquarters from Klang to Kuala Lumpur.

Rumah Tangsi (translates to baraques) is located on Jalan Tangsi, but the original name of the road given by the British was Baraque Rd. as it led up to the baraques on the hill behind the house.  

In 1908 it was put on lease to the Empire Hotel, it was a practical and popular location as it was located near the Royal Selangor Club and was just a 10-minute horse carriage ride from the central station.

The exterior has been conserved in the colours of the hotel brand: yellow and white. It is believed that it was originally built with red brick and the facades would have been unpainted as it was believed that this would provide best resistance to the climate.

Very little remains of the original interior décor:  The encaustic tiles of the main entrance remain; this area was used as the dining area of the hotel at the time. Most of the ceilings have been replaced and reinforced, the original height has been conserved. It was built with a low bearing wall structure using good quality bricks. One of the original staircases was totally reconstructed, and the balustrades in the inner court have also been partially replaced.

DBKL acquired Rumah Tangsi in a land swap agreement in the 1980s. It is now listed as a national heritage gazetted building and DBKL is trying to keep it afloat and has repurposed it as an event space.

Our thanks to Tajuddin and Marianna for a very interesting visit.

Angela Burke