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| Bulletin Board on Penang Heritage Trail |
The Syed Alattas Mansion is one of the few surviving Malaysian bungalows from the mid-victorian period (1860-75), built as an upper class Muslim residence. It is a dominant building in the surroundings of prewar terrace houses. It has a symmetrical layout in the main portion of the building. This means that the mansion has got the same structure on the ground and first floor of the house. The layouts of the rooms are repeated.
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| The symmetrical layout of the mansion. |
Written about the architecture aspects, this mansion bears witness on the cultural influences during that period. The interior and the exterior features as mentioned in the report on the heritage development project stated that it is probably the best example of a domestic building to present Penang or perhaps in the country, for such period of time. Preserving the mansion was undoubtedly important for it to be chosen as the pilot project for the heritage development. As mentioned by the Didier Repellin in the Relais(1993), the mansion "is an excellent example of this quality of human work, the capitals, friezes and molded cornices are original".
Syed Alattas mansion displays splendid architectural design and craftsmanship in timber work, masonry and stucco. The mansion has got significant physical fabrics that contribute to the understanding of the history of the Malaysian Architecture, cultural development and aesthetics. When the restoration needs to be done, the experts diagnose and determine the conservation of the roof, masonry, timber and stucco.
The masonry building of this mansion is of brick and lime stone mortar construction. The roof is covered by a terracotta pan-tile hipped roof. The interior which has classical architectural dentilated fascia, timber board ceiling and eaves, panelled doors, full-length shutters with fanlight, ornate girded ceiling roses and balustraded staircase exhibit a high quality of timber craftsmanship. It displays a band of intricate stucco embroidery which is one of the finest examples of rare early decorative plasterwork found on domestic building. The vertically aligned star and crescent, a symbol of Syed Alattas and the Lebuh Acheh community, is on the front of pediment at the building. The process of restoring the Syed Alattas should respect the history and the quality of the building
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| The original masonry of the mansion. |
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| The staircase restored. The steps, with floral relief pattern, are previously believed to have tin on top of it. This indicates the wealth owned by the Syed Mohamad Alattas. The small area of the stepping stairs shows the influences of Chinese cultures in its craftsmanship. The stairs shows the fine craftsmanship in timber work. |
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| A band of intricate stucco embellishment which is one of the finest examples of decorative plasterwork |
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| A symbol of Syed Mohammad Alatas and the Lebuh Acheh community (red flag symbol) |
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Air ventilation-following Chinese design
(can be seen a lot in shophouses nearby) |
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| The original door sill of Syed Alattas mansion |
Mouse over the mansion to explore the architectural design of the mansion.
Below is a 360 view of real structure of the architecture at the ground floor of the mansion. In this view, a spacious living space in the house was displayed. The layout is highly symmetrical. From the main door, the staircase is on the right hand side. At the top of the door, the concave "n" shape present the influence of Indian cultures in the building of the mansion. The design features in both urban and "kampung" house. These timber shutters allow maximum ventilation while ensuring maximum privacy. The highly molded cornices show the richness of the European architectural design of the mansion.
Click here to view the 360 panoramic view
