4.6 4.7

architecture
93.
MEASURED DRAWING 2017 (ARC60305) | KEDAH ROYAL MUSEUM
ORNAMENTATION4.6
Figure 4.79 The interior view of Kedah Royal Museum
(How, 2017)
Figure 4.80 The front view of Kedah Royal Museum
(Sii, 2017)
4.6.1 INTERIOR
The Malay royal palaces provide many design elements to the
Malay traditional heritage especially to the traditional wood
carvings. The Kedah Royal Museum has less ornaments as
compared to other royal palaces which are heavily ornamented.
Under the influence of British colonial architectural style, the
ornamentation in the museum was designed with a concept of
simplicity and elegance of the colonial style.

architecture
94.
This ornament can only be found in the “pelamin” section of the
museum where it is attached to the ceiling or roof beam. The
central part of the ornament has a hook which is believed to be
used as chandelier holder.
This round ornament has 3 different types of carving patterns.
The carvings in the circular ornaments are of floral motif, or
more specifically the carvings of the ‘kangkung’ flower.
Figure 4.84 Ceiling ornamentation 3
(How, 2017)
Figure 4.83 Ceiling ornamentation type 2
(How, 2017)
Figure 4.82 Ceiling ornamentation type 1
(How, 2017)
Figure 4.81 Reflected Ceiling Plan of Rumah Pelamin
(TRM, 2017)
Location of Ornaments

architecture
95.
This aesthetic baluster can be found in “rumah pelamin” and some
of the exterior staircases. The unique quality of this ornament is its
material. Unlike other ornaments, it was made of cast iron which is
covered with yellow paint. Cast iron ornaments are rarely seen in
that period. After obtaining information from the person in charged,
these ornaments are being replaced from wooden carvings to cast
iron carvings according to the original design in order to prevent
accidents and to strengthen the building’s safety.
Figure 4.86 Baluster ornamentation
(Chong,2017)
Location of balusters on railings
Figure 4.85 South East Elevation
(TRM, 2017)

architecture
96.
Vertically arranged structured ornaments function as the baluster
of staircases and windows.
Figure 4.87 Baluster ornamentation on the staircase
(How, 2017)
Figure 4.88 Baluster ornamentation on the handrail
in front of the window
(How, 2017)

architecture
97.
Figure 4.91 Floral motif carvings on the door panel
(Chin, 2017)
Figure 4.90 Floral motif carvings on the furniture
(Sii, 2017)
These are floral carvings symbolized the Kedah state flower which
is Bunga Kangkung. Bunga Kangkung is a type of spinach in
Malaysia, which is grown throughout the country, particularly in
low-lying areas of vegetable cultivation. Each design of the carvings
may differ from others but the traits and character of the bunga
kangkung is always present.
The ornament on the furnitures and the door panels are similar as
they both portray the ‘bunga kangkung’, which is a significant flower
used throughout the palace.
The flower is known to be the symbolism of the Kedah state.
Figure 4.89 Section of Royal Museum Kedah
(TRM, 2017)
Location of Motif Cravings on Door Panel

architecture
98.
Figure 4.93 Criss-cross wooden ornamentation
(Sii, 2017)
Figure 4.94 Criss-cross wooden ornamentation on the bedroom wall
(Sii, 2017)
Acriss-cross designed wooden ornament which can be seen on the
upper part of the door frame of bedrooms. The design brings out a
sense of simplicity with its repeating rhythm of thirds. The ornament
allows air ventilation into the interior spaces, bringing in cool air to
lower the temperature inside the room.
(TRM, 2017)
Location of ornaments

architecture
99.
The layered white moldings that are present in the interior and
exterior of the building has strengthen the beauty of the Royal
Museum. The design of the ornament was influenced by the British
colonial architecture when British invaded Malaysia. Although the
design was originally from Greek architecture but it is greatly used
by British at that period. The difference between the Malay palace
and the Malay traditional house can be seen through their
ornamentations, where the palace has more ornamentations than
the Malay house. Even though Kedah Royal Museum has less
ornamentations than the other palaces, the embellishment on the
door frames and walls made it more significant than the Malay
house. Figure 4.96 White moldings ornamentation on column
(How, 2017)
Figure 4.97 White moldings ornamentation on handrail
(How, 2017)
Figure 4.95 White moldings ornamentation on interior Kedah Royal
Museum
(Chin, 2017)

architecture
100.
4.6.2 EXTERIOR
At the main entrance, above the arcs are the hexagonal ornaments.
Each of the hexagon structures are surrounded by white, layered
moldings and a glass panel is embedded in the middle. Above both
of the smaller side arcs are four hexagonal ornaments while there
are six of them above the central arc. These ornaments are
arranged in a balanced number whereby the center is an old Kedah
state emblem. The glass panels were added during recent years.
Figure 4.98 Front façade of Kedah Royal Museum
(How, 2017)
Figure 4.100 Hexagon layered
moldings above the arches
(Sii, 2017)
Figure 4.99 The arches on the front facade
(How, 2017)

architecture
101.
Figure 4.102 Sultan’s entrance gateway
(Sii, 2017)
Figure 4.103 Ornamentation of Sultan’s entrance gateway
(How, 2017)
The entrance gate leading to the entry of princes’ resting area used
to function as the Sultan’s entrance gateway. There are flower
carvings underneath the crown structure with a state emblem. Two
lantern structures are placed at the sides of the crown ornament
respectively. Below these protruding structures are three
gourd-shaped opening arranged in a balanced manner. The crown
and the lantern part of the ornaments were imitations of the British
architecture to express the royalty of the family.
Figure 4.101 Sultan gateway (TRM, 2017)

architecture
102.
The side gateways are located beside the main gate. The concept
of the ornamentation on the side gates are almost similar to the
main gate but the structure is different. The lanterns on both side
are substituted with two crown structures. Below them are five
oval-shaped openings and beside them are two columns with yellow
flower carvings in a rectangular frame.
Figure 4.104 Side gate beside the main gate (Chia, 2017)
Figure 4.107 Yellow flower carvings in a rectangular frame
(Wong, 2017)
Figure 4.105 Ornamentation of Side gate (Chia, 2017)
Figure 4.106 Crown strcuture ornamentation on side gate
(How, 2017)

architecture
103.
There are two main staircases which are located at the museum
entrance and the old Sultanate entrance, both which have the same
design. The layered mouldings flow from the structure of the
handrail and ends with a spiralling layer at the lower end of the
handrail. The design of the handrail brings out a sense of grandeur
and elegance of the palace.
Figure 4.110 The Sultan entrance staircase
(Chin, 2017)
Figure 4.109 Spiralling layered moldings on
Sultan entrance staircase
(Chin, 2017)
Figure 4.108 North West- Elevation of Royal Museum Kedah
(TRM, 2017)
Location of Main Staircases

architecture
104.
Several long staircases located at different locations of the building
connects the spaces between the interior and exterior. The newel is
decorated with a polygonal newel cap. The polygon structure is
formed from a cube, with the four corners of the cube being trimmed
away, forming the polygonal form.
Figure 4.113 Common timber staircase
(Tan, 2017)
Figure 4.112 Polygonal newel cap
ornamentation on the handrail
(Sii, 2017)
Figure 4.111 South East Elevation of Royal Museum Kedah
(TRM, 2017)
Location of Timber Staircase

architecture
105.
An array of oval-shaped ornaments are found on both sides of the
Sultan’s entrance staircase. Hexagonal-shaped patterns are
present on some parts of the balustrades in the verandah.
Figure 4.115 White moldings ornamentation on the handrail
(Sii, 2017)
Figure 4.117 Oval-shapd pattern balustrades on Sultan
entrance staircase (Chong, 2017)
Figure 4.116 Hexagonal-shaped pattern balustrades on
veranda (Chong, 2017)
Location of Oval Ornaments
(TRM,2017)

architecture
106.
4.7
Figure 4.118 Timber door frame, showing the
texture of wood
(Chin, 2017)
MATERIALS
Originally, the building was built entirely of timber (Muhammad Amin
et al., 2007). However, it was renovated several times and those
events had influenced the architecture of the building. Most of the
building renovations were conducted after several foreign invasions
including the Buggies (1771), the Siamese (1821-1842) and the
Japanese (1941). The building was totally burnt down during the
Buggies invasion in 1771 but later was rebuilt to its original design.
The building was also badly damaged during the invasion of the
Siamese in 1821. In 1856, during the reign of the late Sultan Ahmad
Tajuddin Mukarram Shah (1854-1879), the building underwent a
major renovation where most of the building materials were
changed to brick, cement and marble. It became the first building
that used modern materials at that time.
Figure 4.120 Timber ceiling with white paint finishing
(Chin, 2017)
Figure 4.119 Timber wall with white paint finishing
(Chin, 2017)

architecture
107.
TIMBER MATERIALS:CHENGAL,RED MERANTI
CHENGAL
In the Malay Peninsula, Chengal has been used as the wood of
choice for house and boat building and an excellent timber structure
for framing and planking. Despite its extreme strength and
hardness, Chengal is highly flexible and can be easily worked and
finished to a high degree. It is also highly resistant to rot, fungi and
mildew. In addition, Chengal has a relatively low shrinkage ratio,
which makes it excellent for applications where it undergoes
periodic changes in moisture. It is extremely durable and requires
very little maintenance. Chengal may be varnished but does not
necessarily need a finishing as the wood will naturally weather to a
silver-grey colour. Due to its advantages, Chengal became a
popular building material of Malay traditional buildings.
Figure 4.121 Chengal wood
(Mtib, 2016)
Figure 4.122 Chengal wood surface texture
(Eric Meier)

architecture
108.
RED MERANTI
Red Meranti, also known as Philippine Mahogany, is very commonly
used in southeast Asia, with a variety of species. Typically, in dark
reddish or purplish brown, it is commonly with white resin streaks, a
coarse texture and low natural lustre. Red Meranti is reported as
moderately-durable to non-durable in regards to its decay
resistance, but is susceptible to insect attacks. It is easy to work
with, although any interlocked grain can cause problems during
planning. Dark Red Meranti is reported to have very poor
steam-bending properties as some species may have a slight
blunting effect on tools due to small levels of silica present in the
wood. Red Meranti is commonly used as plywood, interior furniture,
general construction, concrete forms, veneer, and boatbuilding. Red
Meranti is widely harvested and available worldwide as the price is
moderately cheap. In terms of its disadvantage, Meranti has been
reported to cause eye, throat, and skin irritation. Due to this
condition, some of the traditional Malay houses are forced to
substitute some parts of the house to be built with other timber or
worst, the building be demolished.
Figure 4.123 Meranti wood
(Chea Sa Timber Sdn. Bhd., 2008)
Figure 4.124 Meranti wood surface texture
(Eric Meier)

architecture
109.
CLAY BRICK
Bricks are small rectangular blocks typically made of fired or
sun-dried clay. Brick is one of the oldest building materials and is
extensively used as a leading material of construction due to its
durability, strength, reliability, low cost and availability. They are light
in weight, where no lifting appliance is required to carry them. Bricks
do not require any special laying technique thus the brickwork can
be easily carried out by unskilled labours. In fact, the construction
cost can be lowered. Where stones are not easily available, plenty
of clay is suitable for the manufacturing of bricks and gradually
bricks replace stones. Even better, bricks resist fire and various
atmospheric effects better than stone.
Figure 4.125 Brick wall can be seen from the
damaged surface of the wall
(Chia, 2017)
Figure 4.126 Brick wall exposed on the surface
(Chia, 2017)

architecture
110.
CEMENT
Cement is a binder, a substance used in construction that sets and
hardens and can bind other materials together with high
compressive strength. Cements used in construction are usually
inorganic, often lime based and with the addition of water. It is
corrosion resistant and an atmospheric agent resistant material.
Cement is also more economical than steel. Cement has a
tendency to be porous due to the presence of voids which are
formed during and after its placing. It forms a hard surface,
capable of resisting abrasion.
According to the statement of person in charge of the museum,
the mixture of cement used in the museum is a combination of
duck egg white, honey and sand.
Figure 4.127 Cement exposed on the surface in
interior
(Wong, 2017)

architecture
111.
MARBLE
Marble is an extremely hard light-coloured rock, a metamorphic
stone composed of calcite which is formed from the recrystallization
of limestone under intense pressure and heat of geological
processes. Due to its structure, marble can take a very high polish
and is easy to be carved. Hence, it is popular in producing
sculptures, ornamental objects, exterior walls, flooring, decorative
features, stairways and walkways. Marble is also an acid
neutralizer.
Marble is found at the main entrance staircase at the “pelamin” area.
The polished marble staircase looks plain in colour however it brings
a welcoming feeling which invites the visitors into the space. The
“pelamin” area is a new extension to the palace as Sultan Tajuddin
has adopted new technology, methods and materials in building the
pelamin.
Figure 4.128 Marble staircase at the museum
main entrance
(Sii, 2017)

architecture
112.
CLAY ROOF TILES
Clay roof tiles are tiles that made of clay then undergoes a period of
drying or sun dried process to fix the shape. The durability of clay tile
roofing is very high that it can last for a hundred years. Clay roof tiles
are easy to mould into a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours. It also
has reflective properties, which helps to increase the efficiency of
heating and cooling systems. This type of material is not susceptible
to mold or rot, can withstand hurricane-force winds, and does not
shrink or expand with temperature changes like wood. The red clay
tile roofs with their rhomboid pattern are one of the most distinctive
features of traditional east coast Malay royal palaces.
Figure 4.129 Clay roof tiles
(Chin, 2017)

4.6 4.7

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4.6 4.7