INTRODUCTION

Malaysia is well known for its tourism shortly after independence day and as the development
of Malaya experienced a growth in every aspect especially administrative and economic with
Malaysia’s tourism sector being the third largest income to the country. The Federal Hotel also
known as The Federal Kuala Lumpur ranking a 4 star luxury hotel serves and other hotels are
important in serving the tourist and tourism industry and increasing malaysia’s economic
position with the jobs created.

HISTORY

The Federal hotel was founded by developer Tan Sri Low Yat and was one of the representative
result of the evolution of Malaysia’s architectural style. It was built to welcome Malaysia’s
Independence for distinguished guests who would be gracing the historic celebration that
marked the handover of Malaya from British.

The Federal Hotel is the first international class hotel built to coincide with Malaya's
Independence commemoration. It was intended by the first prime minister, the late Tunku
Abdul Rahman, wanted an international class hotel and world class accommodation that
foreign dignitaries and local guests could both stay before Malaya's Independence Day. The
hotel opened just three days before Malaya's Independence Day which falls on 31 August 1957.
As the nation grew and prospered, the hotel acts like a guardian to Malaysia’s past,
continuously innovating itself while remaining relevant to Malaysian and foreign guests.
initially, Federal Hotel only consists of 9 stories with 90 guest rooms designed by architect Lee
Yoon Thim.The Federal hotel is then revamped and extended to a 21-storey with 450 guest
rooms building with revolving restaurant built in early 1960s.

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FAST FACTS OF FEDERAL HOTEL

● The hotel today consists of variety of restaurants and bars such as , revolving restaurants,
Kontiki restaurant and chinese restaurant.
● It is a 4 star luxury hotel located at 35, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. It is
located within the golden triangle of the city and is surrounded by commercial blocks on the
major streets, including Jalan Bukit Bintang, where the hotel is located.
● Federal hotel has 17 floors of hotel room with 4 different room types to choose from which
are the superior room, Merdeka wing room, deluxe family room and studio deluxe room
● Federal hotel offers facilities such as meeting rooms, ballrooms for events and meetings and
swimming pools

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ARCHITECTS BACKGROUND

The architect of Federal Hotel is Dato’ Y. T. Lee, also known as Lee Yoon Thim
was a Malaysian Chinese architect who is active in Malaysia in the 1950s and
1960s. He helped ‘Build Merdeka’ after Malaysian Independence, 1963. He is
one of the architects who shaped the young country’s global image. Several
of his designed such as Chin Woo stadium, UMNO building, Dewan Bahasa
dan Pustaka, Federal hotel, Kampung Baru mosque, Ar-Rahman Mosque and
the Masjid Al-Ubudiyah has affected Kuala Lumpur and became the city’s
landmarks. Moreover, Dato’ Y. T. Lee designs was mostly influenced by
different types of architectural style, including art deco, Islamic architecture and also post-
modern architecture, and were used to improve the modernity of the country. Additionally,
from designing famous mosques in Kuala Lumpur, he was also involved in the middle eastern
and Islamic architecture project which was the Al-Ubudiyah mosque located in Kerling. His less
well known works include the Too House, an addition for the Methodist Boys School, and
healthcare-related and commercial work. In the year 1964, he was honoured as Dato' for his
contribution to Malaysia.

Significant buildings by Dato’ Y. T. Lee:

Chin Woo Stadium Dewan bahasa dan pustaka

Umno Building

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SITE CONTEXT

The Federal hotel is located in the most sensational location which is on the middle of
Chinatown in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located in a strategic location within
the heart of the cities’ Central Business District to the golden triangle which is the Kuala
Lumpur’s main shopping and nightlife district. The most significant building of Kuala Lumpur,
the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and the Petronas Twin Towers is located at the
north of the Federal Hotel.

Before the high rise buildings and skyscrapers are built, the Federal Hotel was surrounded by a
lot of Chinese style shop lots. Some of the Chinese shop lots still remained until today and are
under renovations and maintenance as a heritage of Kuala Lumpur.

The high rise buildings and skyscrapers around the Federal Hotel are mostly commercial blocks,
office towers, banks and shopping malls due to the strategic locations with crowds it is an
advantage and opportunity for commercial buildings for business.

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Building’s accessibility

Front entrance

The main entrance to the Federal hotel is the front entrance facing Jalan Bukit Bintang with as
automatic two ways sliding door welcoming the guest. It is beside the roadside therefore it is
very visible to guests when passing by. It is mainly for drop off guests only as it is a narrow

single one way lane.

The main entrance leads to an escalator up to the receptionist and waiting lounge.

Rear entrance

The rear entrance is connected to the Federal arcade, opposite of the rear entrance, there is an
entrance to federal hotel’s ballroom which link to the Kontiki Restaurant in Federal hotel

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Transportation access

Guests are able to reach the Federal hotel by taking private transport or public transport.

a) Private transport
Guests with private transport such as their own car, motorcycle, bus, lorry, van are able
to be dropped off at the main entrance or park in the hotel parking lot. Vehicles are also
able to be parked in Low Yat Plaza located next to the Federal Hotel.
b) Public transport
Guest are able to take the Star LRT or Putra LRT to Imbi monorail station.

There is an alley in the middle of the building for trucks to load and unload to and from the

hotel.

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Relationship of building to the surrounding

Strategic location

Due to the strategic location it is located at, it is mostly surrounded by high rise buildings such
as office towers, restaurants, and shopping malls tourist have easy and convenient accessibility
to shopping malls, restaurants as well as other service towers therefore this is a business
opportunity for the Federal hotel especially when it is just 30 minutes away from Subang

international airport, it is the tourists’ prior choice and the Subang Arcade is right next to
Federal hotel.

The Federal hotel is by far the tallest building at the area, tourists are able to have an
unobstructed view from higher floors of Federal hotel. Guest are able to have a panoramic view
of the surrounding of the hotel from the pool area such as the Low Yat plaza and Berjaya Time
Square mall.

Besides that, the revolving restaurants located at the highest floor of Federal hotel are able to
provide guest a better dining experience with a 360 degrees’ panoramic view of the night lights
of Kuala Lumpur.

There’s are rows of shop lots beside and opposite of Federal Hotel which consists of convenient
stores and restaurants. Low Yat Plaza is located behind of Federal hotel, it is well known for
easy accessibility to get technology items.

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Respond to climate

Malaysia is a tropical country with rainy and humid weather throughout the year with an
annual rainfall ranging from 200 to 250 cm. The pitched roof of the restaurant beside the
swimming pool is designed as to improve the drainage system of the roof. Malaysia’s
temperature ranges from 22 to 32 degrees Celsius and the temperature decreases from lower
to higher land. Therefore, concrete is used as the main material for the exterior of the Federal
hotel because concrete is able to absorbs to maintain the temperature in the hotel.

Natural lighting

The longest facades of the building are facing northeast and southwest where the neighbour
high-rise building shades it from the direct sunlight.

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ARCHITECTURAL LAYOUT OF BUILDING

The Federal Hotel,50s

Just 3 days before Malaya gained her independence in 1957, which is 28 th August 1957.
Malaysia's first international class hotel started to operate.

Its started with only nine-storey and 90 rooms at that time as shown on the picture above. Its
building was influenced by modernism style with reinforced concrete and cubic shape as the
facade, windows were positioned at 90-degrees to each other and an emphasis on horizontal
and vertical lines.

In the 60s, Bintang Revolving restaurant was built on the 18th floor of the hotel which made
Federal Hotel the first hotel with a revolving restaurant in Asia.
An extension to the new buildings was built, which consist of 21 floors and added more
functional rooms,restaurants and facilities.

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 New version of Federal Hotel

The other part of the extension however has influence from a Malay style with gabled pitched
roof installed on the wide surface which suitable for malaysia's hot and humid climate.

ORGANIZATION ANALYSIS

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BALANCE
From the roof plan of this building we can see that this building is symmetrically balanced.The
balanced arrangement of equivalent elements along an axis extended from the northwest to
the southeast direction created an bilateral symmetrical organisation.

RHYTHM
Variety types of repetition on this building create a rhythm design elements on this building.
First will be the design of the windows in both hotel rooms building, which were repeated at
every facade of the building. Next, the roof on the new extended building, which were repeated
in gabled shape.

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NATURAL LIGHTING
The main source of sunlight in Federal Hotel is the restaurant on top of the building. As the
facade of the restaurant was all cover with glass windows which enable a large amount of
sunlight to penetrate into the entire restaurant. And for each floor of the hotel has windows to
ensure every room has sufficient natural lighting.

CIRCULATION
Federal hotel consists 2 entrances. People can enter and exit from the main door which located
on the main road and rear door which allows people to access to nearby mall. The entrances of
this hotel leads into different floor on the building which main entrance allows people access
into mezzanine floor and rear entrance allows people access into ground floor of the building.

Main entrance Rear entrance

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The main circulation path of this building is a centralized configuration, where 2 different level
of entrances lead into main lift to the receptionist counter at level 1. The purpose of 2 different
level of the building is to create a free and wide open public space because of the doubled level
ceiling and walls between 2 levels to create a different experiences when entered from
different entrance.

Mezzanine floor plan Ground floor plan

REPETITIVE TO UNIQUE
The revolving restaurant can be defined using repetitive to unique concept. The form of the
building consist of repetitive units of cubical shapes that different from the restaurant with
cylinder shape which created unique element and announces it importance which become the
main attraction in this hotel.

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PUBLIC VS PRIVATE
Within the building there are private and public spaces. The restaurant in the extension building
and 18th floor of the hotels and the garden and pool is a semi-private space where only the
guests of the restaurant and hotel can enter. The lobby of the hotel which located from to
under the mezzanine floor is a public space. The hotel rooms and meeting rooms
On upper level of the extension building is a private space where only people that have paid or
booked the space can enter or use these spaces.

SPATIAL HIERARCHY
Different design of the this building reflect the degree of importance of these forms and spaces,
as well as the functional, formal, and symbolic roles they play in the organisation. The most
significance space must be the revolving restaurant where it become the major focus attention
and most iconic space in this building. The extension part of the building where different type
of architecture style was applied on it made it most unique space in this building.

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3.0 ARCHITECTURAL STYLE

3.1 MODERN ARCHITECTURAL STYLE

Rejecting ornament and embracing minimalism, Modernism became the dominant

architectural global movement in the late 19TH century. It began to reach its maturity, gain
popularity and establish acceptance among public in the early 20 TH century.

Modern Architecture started to flourish in Malaysia during its heady pre- and post-
independence period of the 1950s and 1960s. Most of the buildings built during that period
showcase the sense of empowerment in Malaysia back then and Federal Hotel Kuala Lumpur
was built to commemorate the Independence of Malaysia. Instead of dwelling on nostalgia
while looking at the corroded brick walls of monotony, those buildings signify that our country
is moving forward and the architects are at the forefront of urban debates.
Federal Hotel Kuala Lumpur is influenced by two architectural style, International Modernist
Architectural Style and Local Traditional Malay Architectural Style with the former being more
prominent. ‘Modern’ indicates a particular style with a defined set of principles while
contemporary. The design of the hotel is associated with an analytical approach to the function
of buildings, a strictly rational use of construction materials and an openness to structural
innovation.

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 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, STRUCTURE AND
MATERIALS ANALYSIS

The Federal Hotel has most of its characteristic influenced by the west. It began construction
during the modernism architecture style. The Federal Hotel is a landmark building in Kuala
Lumpur and it is one of the earliest high rise building. The construction of this building primarily
consists the use of reinforced concrete, timber and glass.

STRUCTURE

The federal hotel façade bears a resemblance to the classical

column that consist of three main components where the
entrance, reception and lobby operate as the base, the
rooms of the hotel is hold on the shaft, and the capital of the
Federal Hotel was
capped with a non-
ornamental cornice to
complete the entire
structure. The building uses a tripartite type of
construction which was applied mainly during the
renaissance period. Tripartite type of structure gives the
benefits to help the guest and users to easily identify
function or facilities through the structure.

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FAÇADE

As it can be observed from the façade of the building, the building

mainly consists of columns at a regular spacing connected by beams
that supports the floor slabs, resulting to more space created which
is then covered by partition walls and glass panels with metal
frames that make up the windows which is a typical style to the
architect’s buildings. Several high
rise buildings with the similar
arrangement as the Federal Hotel.
One building that can be taken as
an example is the Marquette
Building (1891) located in Chicago. The façade of the
Marquette building is similar compare to the Federal Hotel but
with exceptional difference of the decorative ornamentation
where the Federal Hotel is absence of it to give an aesthetic
and clean appearance to the hotel.

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BASE

The entrances, reception, lobby, shop lots and restaurant

located at the base of the Federal Hotel. The Federal Hotel is
located at a sloping context, which resulting for the
construction for the base structure of the hotel to be three
levels to comprehend the site. Two entrances were design
and created to accommodate the important guests. The
base was incorporated with a row of large window panels to
allow maximum natural lighting to enter the building. The
shop lots in the building uses a similar method where large
window panels were used to maximize their display for the
guest and pedestrian inside the hotel.

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SHAFT
The exterior shaft of the Federal Hotel, where it holds the guest rooms, covered with rows and
combination of three part open and fixed stainless steel window frames that has large window
panels flanked with two smaller double hung sash. The arrangement of the windows creates a
repetitive symmetrical grid pattern all around it. The design and the arrangement of the
windows can be found in the earlier example building, Marquette Building, to have similar
windows installed.

CORNICE
The Federal Hotel is crowned with a cornice on the top to
complete the entire structure of the building. The cornice
on top of the Federal hotel was non-ornamented to
preserve the clean and aesthetic appearance of the hotel
compared to during renaissance time where the cornice
would be decorated with the ornaments. When the
Federal Hotel is built, it was the tallest building around the area in which the higher floors of

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the hotel provide excellent view over the city. The roof of the hotel was kept pristine until in
the 1960s, where the Federal Hotel turned into a historical moment as the revolving restaurant
was decided to be built. The revolving restaurant features a round structure that has a
continuous strip of glass windows allowing guest to enjoy the over changing view while they
dine.

CONCRETE
The main structural material of the building was construct
using precast concrete. Reinforced concrete is when
embedded steel bars, fibres or plates were inserted to
further strengthen the material. Reinforced concrete is still
one of the most common materials used in building construction. Concrete is durable material
composed of cement, water and aggregate has the capability to withstand a great compression
force is, able to withstand high tensile strength, fire and water resistance, low cost and other
advantages (Din,2016). During modernism times, concrete was mainly used by one of the
modern architect, Le Corbusier, the precursor of using concrete in his creation. Now after
industrial revolution, most of the building elements were able to be readily made for a better
and quicker construction.

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TIMBER
In the interior, mostly the material that were used is
hardwood timber. This is an organic, visually aesthetic
material that develops from the trunks and branches of
trees. There are several advantages of using such wood, for
example, it is easily maintained, has low heat conductivity
which provided the natural and thermal insulation. Besides
that, it boasts very high strength because hardwood is from
slow growing trees therefore it has a denser cellular
structure, having good appearances as each hardwood will
be unique due to their natural pattern and being long lasting
will make up for its initial cost of purchasing (International
Timber,2017). It can be sense that the use of timber in the interior resembles to the work of
Frank Lloyd Wright. Wood is a natural and an environmental friendly material and the energy
use in construction and production of timber is less compared to concrete and steel for it has

low embodied energy.

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MARBLE
Marble is metamorphic rock that forms when limestone is under
heavy heat and pressure (King,2017). The use of the Rosso
Alicante marble including Nero Portoro marble give an aesthetic
emphasis speaks directly from the Barcelona pavilion. The Rosso
Alicante marble, a luxury given by the sight of light, creates a
lush expression that welcomes arriving guest with a well-lit
spatial feeling. However, the Portoro marble utilizes its natural
white web like texture to enhance the dark spaces. Therefore
the combination of the two, help to create a contrast of light
and shadow in the space the highlights the intelligence of
modernism.

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STAINLESS STEEL WINDOW FRAME AND TEMPERED GLASS

Stainless steel is use for the window frames because of its strong resistance to corrosion,
impressive strength to weight ratio compared to other materials and able to resist chemical and
heat damage (BSSA,2017). The main type of glass that can be seen on the exterior of the
building was tempered glass. Tempered glass is made using a heat treatment method and it has
a strength of 4 times more than a normal glass (Smith,2017). Compared to the Koshino house in
Japan, the Federal Hotel tries to merge the interior space with nature using stainless steel
frames and tempered glass. Guest will be able to have a visual connection with the roof garden
while relaxing in the lounge area. Glass is usually used in modernism due to its resistance to
warp and decay. Compared to the Koshino house in Japan, the Federal Hotel has more opaque
glass to suit the Malaysia weather to prevent excessive heat from entering the space.

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ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS/ COMPONENTS ANALYSIS

5.1 MEZZANINE
5.2 COLUMN
5.3 PILASTER
5.4 STAIRCASE & RAILING
5.5 FENESTRATION
5.5-1 DOOR
5.5-2 WINDOW
5.5-3 WALL
5.6 ROOF
5.7 CEILING

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5.1 MEZZANINE

A mezzanine is an intermediate floor in a building. It partly open to the double-height ceiling

floor below and create visual connection between two floors. Mezzanines are commonly used
in Modern architecture, which places a heavy emphasis on light and space. It could serve a wide
variety of functions.
In Federal Hotel, mezzanine is adopted in the lobby. The lobby is distributed in two
different levels, ground floor and first floor. When the users enter the lobby, they can have a
broad view of the lobby. The Mezzanine helps to create a high-ceilinged space that can let users
feel more personal and less vast. Besides, it emphasizes on light and spacious quality of the
level and provide a sense of higher view and makes the floor below looks grandeur. The hotel
lobby gives a sense of inviting and pleasing feeling against the hanging crystal chandelier,
reflective ceiling and polishes marble flooring.

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5.2 COLUMN

In architecture, a column is an upright pillar or post. Columns may support a roof or a beam, or
they can be purely decorative. Columns are frequently used to support beams or arches on
which the upper parts of walls or ceilings rest.

In federal hotel, different kinds of columns are used in different space. Polished black
marble column is used at the ground floor to enhance majesty of the lobby. The timber
columns are generally used at the walkway and lobby counter. At the Verandah Lobby lounge,
polished marble columns with mirrors are used to create another spatial feeling.

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At the outdoor spaces,totem columns are applied. The totems serve as functional architectural
features, welcome signs for village visitors, mortuary vessels for the remains of deceased
ancestors, or as a means to publicly ridicule someone.

5.3 PILASTER

Pilaster is an architectural element in classical architecture used to give the appearance of a

supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It
consists of a flat surface raised from the main wall surface, usually treated as though it were a
column. Pilasters can be found mostly outside the office at second floor.

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5.4 STAIRCASE & RAILING
Stairs may be a required component of egress from structures and buildings. Stairs are also
provided for convenience to access floors, roofs, levels and walking surfaces not accessible by
other means. A staircase or stairway is one or more flights of stairs leading from one floor to
another, and includes landings, newel posts, handrails, balustrades and additional parts.

Difference materials are used for different stairs in federal hotel such as glass, steel and
wood. The glass railings are applied for the stairs at ground floor and first floor lobby, while the
wood and steel handrails are applied at the basement. Glass staircase railing creates a feel of
openness by giving an uninterrupted view with endless versatility.

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5.4 FENESTRATION

5.5-1 DOOR

A door by definition is a moving mechanism used to block off and allow access to, an entrance
to or within an enclosed space. Doors are significant in preventing the spread of fire and as a
barrier to noise. Many doors are equipped with locking mechanisms to allow entrance to
certain people and keep out others.

The doors in the interior of the Federal hotel are of styles that are complementary to
the style of the deco which is International style. Most the doors are made from wood and are
very substantial in weight and feel, which provides the users of the space a luxurious feel. AS
the hotel lobby has no openings or windows, glass sliding doors was used at the entrance of the
hotel to allow natural light.

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5.5-2 WINDOW

An architectural definition of a window is an opening in a wall, door, roof or vehicle that allows
the passage of light, sound, and air. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some
other transparent or translucent material.
The arrangement of the windows on the facade of the building are in a grid pattern as the
rooms are side-by-side and also stacked on multiple level floors. The shading devices on the
windows comes in a variety of styles such as the egg crate and also the typical overhangs to
provide shading from the sunlight from entering the rooms and space.

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5.5-3 WALL
A wall is a structure that defines an area, carries a load, or provides shelter or security. The
purposes of the walls in buildings are to support roofs, floors and ceilings; to enclose a space as
part of the building envelope along with a roof to give buildings form; and to provide shelter
and security. In addition, the wall may house various types of utilities such as electrical wiring
or plumbing.
Screen wall block (Breeze Block) is used to provide excellent protection from the sun’s
heat and glare, at the same time allowing welcoming breezes to pass through. It provides
ventilation, partial shading, privacy, and a decorative break in the monotony of the wall’s
surface.

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5.6 ROOF
Roofs are one of the essential parts of the building that provides the main
source of shelter from the elements such as sunlight, rain and in some areas
snow. A variety of styles of roofs are also adopted by buildings based on them
Climatic surrounding and also design style. The roof of the Federal Hotel is commonly
mistaken for the saw-tooth roof design when in actuality, it is in the design of a pitched
roof. Typically, a pitched roof can be found in the design elements of traditional Malay
houses and could be carried and integrated onto the Federal Hotel’s design element as
well to implement and reflect the Malay culture via architectural design elements.
Another roof the tallest part of the Federal Hotel is a circle shape that covers the
revolving restaurant located on the 18th floor of the hotel. The circular shape carries a
contrast to the other roofs of the Federal Hotel, as previously mentioned, it gives it a
repetitive to unique design element. Under the circular roof, it accommodates the 360-
degree view restaurant which is another special feature that the hotel has.

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5.7 CEILING

Ceiling is an overhead surface that covers the upper limits of a space, and the underside of a
floor or a roof. Ceilings are often used to hide floor and roof construction.

Domed ceiling is applied at the lobby for the circular ceiling light. Influenced by
traditional Malay house, exposed beam ceiling can be found at the outdoor space. Coffered
ceiling is found at the outside of the entrance lobby. It’s a series of beams in a geographical
pattern with crown moulding added to create a pleasing-to-the-eye ceiling effect. It is used to
add visual interest and depth to the ceiling.

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CONCLUSION

A hotel that exclaims ‘Merdeka!’

Federal Hotel Kuala Lumpur, a hotel that often takes its guests down the memory lane by
reminiscing on the Independence of Malaysia, had become one of the major local landmark in
Klang Valley. It was born along with a new nation and had witnessed the significant moment of
the independence of Malaysia.

“As the nation grew and prospered, the hotel stood the test of time like a guardian to
Malaysia’s past, continuously innovating its product offerings while remaining relevant to
Malaysian and foreign guests.”, review from one of the hotel guest.

Standing with pride towering over the vicinity of Kuala Lumpur, it serves as the Malaysia first
international-class hotel with rich influence in Modern Architectural Style. The hotel design, a
seamless blend of modernistic luxury with contemporary comfort that caters to the local need
yields all the elements for a distinctive urban retreat. While establishing a rich historical trail, it
still reflects great strides in the essence Modern Architecture.

The flawless fusion between the Modern Architectural Style and Vernacular Architectural Style
makes the hotel a landmark in the bustling metropolitan, living up to the honour of being the
Hotel of Merdeka.

This place is more than just a hotel; it is also a legacy.

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