Cathedral of St Mary the Virgin
Jalan Raja, 50150 Kuala Lumpur
The Cathedral of St Mary the Virgin, Kuala Lumpur, is an Anglican church consecrated in February 1895. It was designed by AC Norman, who is also credited with the design of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building nearby. St Mary was constructed in early English gothic architectural style. This is apparent in the buttresses on the outside of the building. I took this photograph of it when I was documenting the heritage buildings around Dataran Merdeka for AsiaExplorers.
Cathedral of St Mary the Virgin, Kuala Lumpur.
The original building can accommodate 200 worshippers at one time. The nave has an open-timbered roof constructed of merbau and seriah wood. The apex is 13 meters (39 ft) above the floor. The chancel is paved with tessellated tiles and lit by stained glass windows on the octogonal end. During World War II, when bombs were being dropped all over Kuala Lumpur, the caretakers of the church removed the windows to protect them. However, they could not be found after the war, and had to be replaced.
An extension was carried out in 1958 with the construction of the Jubilee Hall at the rear of the church. Another renovation in 1968 added a double-storey annex. In 1983, St Mary was elevated to the status of cathedral.
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