The Textile Museum, or Muzium Tekstil, is housed in the building which was originally built for the Federated Malay States Railway. I documented it as part of the walking tour of the heritage sites of Kuala Lumpur for AsiaExplorers. The building was designed by the prolific AB Hubback, who also designed most of the buildings reflective of the Mughal architecture (local writers often incorrectly call it Moorish architecture) which was adopted from Muslim India. The Textile Museum building was completed in 1905.
Textile Museum, Kuala Lumpur.
The Textile Museum wears the distinctive red and white banding achieved by alternating fairfaced bricks with plastered ones, a style also seen in other buildings designed by AB Hubback such the Masjid Jamek and the Ubudiah Mosque. The façade continues the Islamic style of the adjacent government buildings such as the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and the old General Post Office.
The main entrance of the Textile Museum comprises two pilasters topped by chatris - the raised onion-shaped domes derived from Mughal architecture of India. On each corner of the building are octogonal towers topped by a concrete dome surrounded by smaller ones.
The building today houses the Textile Museum. In this museum, you can learn the art of batik making and weaving using indigenous materials such as kain gerus, pua, songket and telepuk. The exhibits display samples of textiles of historical value and current fashions and designs.
The Textile Museum is open 9.00am to 6.00pm daily.
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