This document provides information about a project analyzing the TeckHeng Enterprise building located along Jalan Raya Timur in Klang, Malaysia. The 3-sentence summary is: The project involves analyzing the architectural features of the TeckHeng Enterprise building, a 1940s commercial building that has elements of both Art Deco and Early Straits Eclectic styles. Key Art Deco features include vertical banding, geometric forms, and plaster moulding, while Early Straits features include a jack roof and five-foot walkway. The building was originally residential but has housed various commercial businesses over time and now functions as an office equipment sales and service company.

1. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN
ARCHITECTURE CULTURE & HISTORY 2 [ARC 1323]
Project: Architecture Heritage Building Analysis
Site: Pre-war shop lots at Jalan Raya Timur
Tutor : Ms. Ida
Group MemberStudent ID
Choo Ai Lin0317253
Chin Pui Man
Cheang Eileen
Lim Zhi Hong
0310331
1006A77249
0304547

2. Introduction
The origin name of Klang is from the language Mon-Khymer that is “Klong”. Klong can
be identified as a warehouse because Klang became an important port that has lots of
warehouses. Meanwhile another evidence, “Klang” means “canal” or waterway (Official
Portal Klang Municipal Council [OPKMC],2013). Klang‟s history came before Malacca.
Klang is claimed to be one of the oldest city in Malaysia. According to history, Klang was
occupied since 2000 years ago. The first entry on Klang was written starting from the
moments of Klang resurrection that was once was not tied to any area.
Klang from the time it functioned as the principle port of the state of Selangor to the
period when greater Klang and its surrounding territories become a major agricultural
centre. Finally, mention is made of an important development hitherto little known
namely the beginnings of the industrialization in Malaya. The major industries were
located in Klang because of the proximity to Port Swettenham (known as Port Klang).
Figure 1: Jalan Raya Timur shop lots top view. (Google Maps, 2013)

3. Introduction of Site
The site of study a historical building is pre-war shop lot along Jalan Raya Timur,
situated within close proximity of Klang railway station. Jalan Raya Timur contains 40
shop lots which with different phase and size.(Figure 2)These lots, which were
constructed between year 1930 and 1940, made the area one of the busiest spots in
southern Klang then. The pre-war shop lots are just rows of dilapidated buildings. Due to
the decline of the town‟s economy, these lots are now functioning as commercial offices
but many of the lots have been abandoned.
Figure 2 shows the shop lots along Jalan Raya Timur
Architect
This building was completed by WCT Land Development Company. This company
become the fastest growing township in the Klang Corridor and also involved in many
big projects in all over the place. For example, the opening of AEON Bukit Tinggi
Shopping Center and hypermarkets like Tesco and Giant. This has transformed Klang
into a lively royal town with complete facilities and total convenience. BBT has received
a thumping endorsement from Klang residents, going by the strong occupancy rate of
more than 90% for its houses and shops. In addition, the group has since ventured out
of the country with a key project in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Platinum Plaza- an
architectural and innovative design mixed commercial developments of office towers,
SOHO, Business class Hotel and the largest shopping mall in Vietnam.

4. Introduction of Chosen Building- TeckHeng Enterprise
This building built by LaburBinaSdn. Bhdwas
a 3m x 7m x 7m height office building. At the
early 1940s, it was a residential building
afterthe completion of this building.Mostof the
Chinese peoplestayed herehaving their daily
routinesandactivities.
Year 1940
After the Chinese family moved awaythis shop
has become a commercial
area.Onionbusinesswas operated. An
Indianbusinessman took over it and ran
hisbusiness for 5 years.
Year 1945-1950
At year 1951, the onion business had stopped
and failed to operate. The Yap family took over
this building and it became TeckHeng Office
Equipment Sales & Service.
At year 1951-1965, the Company only provided
service and repair works of office equipments
only. Later, the Company started its business and
slowly expanded to provide a full range of repair
services.
After 1965, TeckHengEnterprise has grown from
strength to strength and is now a well-established
and dynamic organization, specializing in
repairing type writer, office furniture &
workstation, office renovation, blinds, carpet,
safety box, steel cabinet, CCTV, door access
system, office automation, whiteboards, etc.

5. In fact, it has already expanded to include
import and export activities as one of its core
business.
At 1995, the owner retired and passed his
business his elder daughter. Hence, the
business was well-known and continued until
Year 1951 – 2013
(today)
today.
Concept - Art Deco Style with Early Straits Eclectic Features
Art Deco Style Building
They are usually 2 to 3 storeys high, main entrance in the front, center with symmetric
windows, and optionally, wings on both sides. The front, especially the entrance, may
have columns and decorations. Mostly influenced by European, they geometrically
design their building highlighting vertical and horizontal lines. They also have Shanghai
plaster wall finishing and flagpole and relief writings on the wall.
TeckHeng
Enterprise is an Art deco building has the concept of a simple rectilinear line and its
geometry forms. This building is masonry ornamented with rectilinear façade and
geometrically pilasters which are the main characteristic of an art deco building. Besides,
it also maintain some early straits eclectic building features, for example the jack roof
and the five-foot way.

6. Main Features of Art Deco Building
Flagpoles
Shanghai plaster wall finish
Banding Devices
Sea green glass with metal frame
Strong horizontal/ vertical lines
Sketch Diagram
Early Straits Eclectics Style Building
They are also 2 to 3 storeys high, the facades are usually decorative mixture of Malay,
Chinese and European ornaments with light indigo blue, ocre or white colour. The
building material used are timber, clay bricks and lime.
Main Features of Early Straits Eclectics Building
Plaster arches and central keystone
Full length louvered windows
Air Vent
Geometric pattern clay floor tiles
and granite edge block and step
Sketch Diagram
Building Inventory (Art Deco Architecture Features -TeckHeng Enterprise)
Symmetry
-Radial Symmetrical design can be shown from the building
Façadewhen it is reflected across a plane vertically to create
another instance of itself.
- The whole building was divided into 2 similar parts, showing
the reflection of the vertical symmetry.
Sketch Diagram

7. Extruded concrete canopy
Repetitive Form
-
Extruded Concrete canopy
The facades are strong metal works with geometrically
-
The individual concrete canopy that
rectilinear forms.
-
used as sunshades above the 1st floor
Above the doors and windows are metal bar which is
of the building offsets the wide
repetitive linear form.
banding below.
Bright Painted Facade
Art Deco is a style of colours. This office building
was highly coloured. The colour of art deco were
always bright and glossy or pastels and decorated
both interiors and exteriors. TeckHeng Office
Equipment façade was painted with bright orange
colour.
Vertical Banded Front Elevation
Vertical Banding Device
Art Deco architects sought to emphasize
verticality as a symbol of modernity and
progress. Strong vertical lines dominate the
TeckHengBuilding's facade and extend all
the way up to the roof.

8. Plaster Moulding
Unlike in Europe and America where the monumentality of Art Deco was expressed in
sculptured stone, in Malaysia, stone was not readily available and was therefore too
expensive. Local builders looked for a finish that was mode easily available but possessed
the same properties to stone which is Shanghai Plaster, a good, cheap external grade
material which would be applied easily.
-
Horizontal bands below window and rendered
wall were finished by Shanghai plaster and the
finish was left in beige colour.
Plaster Moulding
Early Straits Eclectic Architecture Features - TeckHeng Enterprise
Jack Roof
-
Usually in Straits Eclectic building,
Party wall
-
Party walls are typically made of non-
they always built with a jack roof which
elevated above the main roof.
-
combustible material. Where required by
code, the party wall could be a fire wall.
This is to ensure hot air to escape and
Party wall can be seen in every
as well lights to penetrate the upper
adjoining building.
floors.

9. The Five-Foot Way
-
First imposed by Sir Stamford Raffles in
Singapore in 1822.
Pedestrian walkways indented into the ground
floor of a building from the road, so that the
overhanging upper floors can provide a cover to
shield pedestrians from the sun and rain.
-
This feature can be found in many shop
houses all over the world, and also in some
office buildings.
-
As the ground floor of most buildings are shops
or eating places, the five foot ways can also
function as a corridor for people to windowshop or stop by for some refreshments.
Sketches
As implied by name, five foot ways were
intended to assume a consistent width of
five feet from the absolute front to the wall and
entrance defining the frontal of the inner space,
but the guideline is not necessarily applied
universally, as certain five foot ways are wider
or narrower depending on the age, size and
function of the building.
Business Area
Five-Foot Way
Section Diagram OfTeckHeng Enterprise

10. Building Material Used
Marseille tiles was used
Shanghai plaster was used
Glass panel door with metal
as the roofing material
as the wall finishes
frame for the main entry
Concrete for the ceiling and
Classical wooden stairs
Sea-green glass window with metal
bricksfor the wall
that link to the upper floor
frame which is art deco style
Zinc roofing for the kitchen
Wall partitions from rigid acoustic wood
Decorative wood panel door
Grill doors for security
Ceiling made from plywood

11. Contextual Condition
Before Renovation
After Renovation
Before that, door grills was used as a
safety door to provide security hence bring
in natural ventilation and natural lighting
that may save electricity cost.
Nowadays, people prefer to use glass for
their office/ business area. This is to
upgrade the building façade to a modern
and elegant extent while glass may provide
transparencyas well as security for the
owner to alert when people pass by.
Timber roof truss was exposed at the
Plywood is used to cover the truss not only
upper floor. Dust and spider webs are
improve the aesthetic of office, it also helps
easily trapped onto the joints of the truss.
to cover up the air condition piping and
fixing hence make the cleaning job easier.
Door made of plywood
Door made of hard
that not easy to
wood replaced plywood
maintain because the
door is more durable
wood layer is thin and
and can be easily
not durable.
Before Renovation
maintain.
After Renovation

12. Terra cotta roof tiles are subject to unequal
Monier Marseille roof tiles are known as
shrinkage in burning, which sometimes
the interlocking French roof tile that has
causes the pieces to be twisted.
an existence of about 100 years in
history. Monier is the first in Asia to
When this isthe case great care must be
combine two state-of-the-art technologies
taken in fixing the blocks, otherwise the
(H-Cassette & Gypsum mould) to ensure
long lines of a building, such as those of
the roof tiles are of the highest precision
the string-courses or cornices, which are
with the smoothest surface finishing. This
intended to be straight, are apt to be
roof tiles are used for most art deco
uneven, and the faces of blocks are often
building.
"in winding."
Curve arch (which
contain impost and
keystone) is used in
Art Deco design to
replace column of
Straight and plain column which is not
attractive compare to decorative column
with plaster moulding. Rectilinear façade is
dull compare to an arch entrance that is
more eye catching.
Art Deco which is
not support much weightas compare to
straight and does
curve arch. Flat and smoothwall is applied
not support
because it will absorb lightand make them
much weight
noticeable then they canfocus on the
element of the building.
as compare to
curve arch. Flat
and smooth
Before Renovation
After Renovation
wall is
applied
because it will
absorb light
and make them
noticeable then

13. Open space at the back area of upper
Roofing was added to cover up as the owner
floor.
wanted to use this area as a store room
The owner removed the canopy because he
wanted to put up his company logo.
The original building provides concrete
canopy which is art deco style.
Besides, there‟s different between two
windows onthe building where left side
window havethe element of Early Straits while
on theright side, it contains the element of ArtDeco where it introduces the use of glass.This
changes it made by the owner
because they want to keep it to old style
concept yet do not want lights to emit into
the interior.
Conclusion

14. In the 1960 and 1970s, shophouses again became the common building idiom,
especially in the central areas of new towns and housing estates. In 1980s, however, the
new found of influence of urban Malaysians sparked a booming car population and a
consequent demand for car parks. Shophouses were replaced by high-rise buildings,
complete with parking bays ad surrounded by roads, which often became „islands”,
isolated from adjacent buildings.
In 1980s also marked the appearance of powerful corporation seeking expressions
through their buildings, and these were provided by the construction of high-rises. In the
late 1980s and 1990s, the merits of these isolated building as urban forms, unsupported
by a structured urban framework, began to questioned.
These doubts were paralleled by a surge of interest in conservation and the
environment. The shophouses were seen by conservationists as representing the typical
Malaysian urban form, one that particularly suited the climatic conditions of the country.
Conversely, high-rise was viewed as an anonymous international form common to every
city in the world. There was concern that Malaysian towns were losing their unique
character. Shophouses, which have provided Malaysian streets with a continuous
framework and, occasionally, the frames around town squares were preferred to isolated
high-rises. Hence, the shophouse is seen again in modern guise, housing estates and
new towns built after the 1980s.( ChenVoon Fee, 1998 )

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