CHURCH OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
 
ARCHITECT
  
YEAR BUILT
 1883
BUILDING STYLE
 British Colonial
LOCATION
 Jalan Gereja
JOHOR BAHRU ART GALLERY
(DATO' ABDULLAH JAAFAR RESIDENCE)
" The Dato Abdullah Jaafar building dates from 1910 and was built by the Syed Ahmad Sahil bin Ahmad family. It was the
official residence of Dato Abdullah bin Jaafar, the third chief minister of Johor between 1922 and 1925, when he moved
to Singapore. Dato Abdullah was the second child of Dato Jaafar Muhammad, the first chief minister of the state.

The building was by then left mostly vacant until after the Second World War when it was used to house government
agencies like The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Agency (RISDA) and the state education department, which
used it as quarters for staff and students. In the 1980s, certain sections of the building continued to be used as quarters
for staff of the education department but it was mostly unoccupied.

The building was renovated and turned into the Johor Ar Gallery in a ceremony officiated by Chief Minister Tan Sri Dato
Haji Muhyidin bin Haji Yasin in January 1994. It contains the art collection of Johor. Among the exhibits are a variety of
clothing, household utensils, weapons, coins, manuscripts bearing wonderful calligraphy, textiles, and silver, copper and
ceramic items, as well as paintings." 1
ARCHITECT
Syed Ahmad Sahil bin Ahmad family
YEAR BUILT
1910
BUILDING STYLE
 Sino Malay Palladian
LOCATION
Jalan Puteri
PASIR PELANGI MOSQUE

" The construction of the mosque was under the instruction of the Sultan of Johor. However, the construction of the
mosque was halted for a little while due to shortage of labour. Construction work resumed after a Singaporean
contractor took over the responsibility using convicts as construction labourers.

In general, the design of this mosque was influenced by the neo-classical architecture. This is obvious in the plan and
exterior elevation of the building which are symmetrical. The neo-classical design features of the building were adapted
to suit the use and function of a mosque. Similar to other Islamic architecture, this building consists of a series of small
arches.On the whole the internal spaces and building elevation have bilateral symmetry. The influence of english design
in the architecture of this mosque is depicted in the use of Corinthian columns. The series of small arches of segmental
type at the corridor, rostrum, car porch and 'Iwan' enhance the Islamic architecture of a mosque. Different from the
Sultan Abu Bakar mosque, the Pasir Pelangi only has  one minaret where the lower part of the minaret acts as the main
entrance to the mosque." 2
ARCHITECT
 Major Lomak
YEAR BUILT
 1911
BUILDING STYLE
 Neo-classical
LOCATION
 Jalan Pasir Pelangi
DATO JAAFAR RESIDENCE
Iso view
 Rear view
Front entrance close up

" The Dato Jaafar building is perched atop a hill known as Bukit Senyum and has a commanding view of the Straits of
Teberau and the Island of Singapore. The three-storey building was constructed in the late 1890s along British
architectural lines with a tower at each of the corner. It was built by Dato Jaafar bin Onn, the chief minister of Johor
during the reign of Sultan Abu Bakar.

An umbrella-shaped dome dominates the middle of roof. It is accesible by a beautifully crafted staircase. The walls are
made of bricks and plasters. The floors are made of different types of materials in different parts if the building. The
floors on the ground floor and in the porch are made of terracotta. The floors on the second floor, the main hall and
the top floor are made of wood. The interior walls are decorated with murals. The paintings were discovered when the
building was rehabilitated. They have been restored according to the original drawings.
A unique feature of the building are the tiles on the roof. Measuring 6 inch by 8 inch, the tiles are coloured gray and
are made of clay. They were handmade and were designed specially for the building." 1
ARCHITECT
Dato' Yahya bin Shaban  Al Datar
YEAR BUILT
1893
BUILDING STYLE
 Elizabethan
LOCATION
Jalan Yahya Al Datar
HILLTOP PRIVATE SCHOOL
 
ARCHITECT
  
YEAR BUILT
 1940
BUILDING STYLE
  
LOCATION
 4, Jalan Hasan Alatas
MAKTAB SULTAN ABU BAKAR
(ENGLISH COLLEGE)
 
ARCHITECT
  
YEAR BUILT
 1930
BUILDING STYLE
  
LOCATION
 Jalan Sungai Chat
COURT HOUSE

" The field or mall in front of this building was once a witness to historical events which marked the colonial remains until
today. This building was built during the British colonial rule in this country. The design concept is influenced by the
Palladian style of Western Architecture which has been adapted to suit local context. The building plan is designed in a
symmetrical order. The Western Architectural features can be seen in the use of composite columns, blind walls,
keystones and 'Gibbs Surround' which can be seen on the arch of the main entrance door and windows of the building.
This building was also constructed based on the classical style which is the main feature of court house buildings around
the world." 2
ARCHITECT
 Public Works Department of Johor
YEAR BUILT
 Early 1900
BUILDING STYLE
 Palladian
LOCATION
 Jalan Sultan Ibrahim
JOHOR BAHRU
FLOWER GARDEN BUILDING

" The Garden office building is the management and organisation office for the Johor Garden. The building area is also
the nursery for the Garden plants. Located at the corner to the back of the Garden area this building has a separate
entrance and exit from the visitors of the Garden.
The garden building is the service centre for the planting of tress and flowering plants for the palace. There are also old
statues kept and preserved in this building.

The design concept resembles the Sino-Malay-Palladian design which was popular in the nineteenth century in Malaya
then. This design reflects the influence of foreign architecture in the roof design and front elevation which resemble
the Palladian influence combined with the use of pilings of Malay architecture.

Among the Sino-Malay-Palladian architectural feature that can be seen on this building is the Palladian front elevation
which has been adapted to suit the size of a Malay house. The use of columns in Malay architecture can be seen in the
car porch and veranda. The original Sino-Malay-Palladian roof design was the Chinese roof which was staggered whereas
the roof of this building has been changed following the Dutch roof features, also known 'seven ridge'. The uniqueness
of this building can be seen in the decorative elements of the roof such as the 'sky pointer' which reflects the Malay
architectural influence." 2
ARCHITECT
 Public Works Department
YEAR BUILT
 1864
BUILDING STYLE
 Sino-Malay-Palladian
LOCATION
 10, Jalan Gertak Merah
ROYAL JOHOR CLUB
 
ARCHITECT
  
YEAR BUILT
  
BUILDING STYLE
  
LOCATION
 Jalan Sungai Chat
ROYAL MUSEUM
(SULTAN ABU BAKAR PALACE)

" The Sultan Abu Bakar Grand Palace building was initially the royal residence of the late Sultan Abu Bakar. At the same
time, it was also the centre of administration for the Johor government. During the reign of Sultan Abu Bakar, this
building was also used for the formal reception of heads of government and dignitaries from local and abroad. However,
at the end of the reign of Sultan Ibrahim, this building was only used for royal ceremonies while the royal residence had
been moved to the Serene Hill Palace.

On the 23 February 1982, His Royal Highness Sultan Iskandar Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail declared the Sultan Abu Bakar
Royal Palace building be turned into a museum to exhibit the royal treasures while still retaining its initial role as a
palace for conducting the royal ceremonies of the Johor Sultanate. This museum, which is now known as the Abu Bakar
Royal Museum, was opened to the public on 11 May 1990.

This palace building is a combination of Malay and English design. This can be clearly seen in the arrangement of rooms
where the left and right side of the building with a pathway in the center. The design of the dining hall depicts the
influence the Victorian style while the facade of the building reflects the neo-classical architectural style. This is clearly
projected on the columns, doors, arches and windows.The influence of Malay traditional architecture can be seen in
the steep roofs and fascia board with bamboo shoots motives. The corinthian columns around the building are derived
from the western classical architecture." 2
ARCHITECT
 Y.B Dato' Yahya b. Awaluddin
YEAR BUILT
 1886
BUILDING STYLE
 Victorian/ Neo classical
LOCATION
 Jalan Selat Tebrau
SULTAN ABU BAKAR MOSQUE
Rear view
External building
Gate post
 Minaret
Front view

" The Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque was bestowed the title in conjunction with His Highness Al-Marhum Sultan Abu Bakar 's
name, the then ruling Sultan when the mosque was built and also due to His Highness' edict to build the mosque. The
foundation stone was laid on the 26th July 1892.The construction work on the mosque started in 1893 and took eight
years with the cost of more than RM400,000. The mosque was completed on Friday, 2nd February 1900 and the first
prayer performed was the Friday prayers. The official opening ceremony was commemorated by His Highness Al-Marhum
Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Abu Bakar. As His Highness was arriving for the commemoration, a 21-gun salute was
fired and was received by the Honourable Dato' Jaafar bin Haji Muhammad the then Chief Minister of Johor.

The building was engineered by Yang Berhormat Dato' Yahya bin Awaluddin, whilst the design drawer and construction
supervisor was Tuan Haji Batuwi bin Haji Muhammad Arif bin Punak. Upon completion of the mosque, the trowel used for
cement works was kept in the Johor Palace museum. The mosque was built on Bukit Kechil next to the Straits of Johor
that features an ambience scene facing the island of Singapore. It has four minarets from which the daily 'azan' (call for
prayer) is heard. The marble used was bought from Italy and the main pulpit was from Turkey whilst the receptacle for
ashes was from China.

The mosque can accommodate more than 3,000 people. The place where people take their 'wuduk' (ablution) is located
at the lower level. This is to ensure that the cleanliness of the praying area is maintained and the carpets are not wet
and dirty. Meanwhile, just above this place, there are foot path where people coming to do their prayers or any other
visitors could circumvent the mosque. As sleeping is not allowed in the mosque, the place next to the 'wuduk' are
reserved for night traveller who need a break. One special feature of the mosque is that it is always cool and windy even
in hot weather.

The design concept of this mosque clearly depicts local and foreign influence. The design of the four main towers is
similar to most of the mosque towers in Egypt and the Middle East. The cylindrical towers with Moorish domes on top
were built on square platforms. The lower part of the tower is like an archway which serves as the entrance to the
mosque. Western architectural features such as neo-classical are present on this building for example, columns of
Corinthian architectural origin. The design of the base of columns which is engraved is similar to several mosques in
Egypt such as Kalet Bay, Markout, Azhar Sultan Zaman and Imam Shafie Mosque." 1,2
ARCHITECT
 Yang Berhormat Dato' Yahya bin Awaludin
YEAR BUILT
 1900
BUILDING STYLE
 Neo Classical
LOCATION
 Jalan Skudai (Bukit Kechil)
SULTAN IBRAHIM BUILDING

" The Sultan Ibrahim Building is located on area of 68,000 sq. metre and perched majestically upon a hill named Bukit
Timbalan. This building was built on the inspiration and wish of the late Sultan Ibrahim to house all government offices as
well as to signify The Glory Of The Johor Government at that time.
The building was designed by Messrs. Palmer and Turner Architects and construction works was assigned to United
Engineers and Ah Hong & Company. Foundation works began on Monday, 7th November 1938, when Tengku Mahkota
Sultan Ismail officiated the ground breaking ceremony. His Royal Highness later laid the foundation stone on 10th March,
1940. The building was completed in 1942 at a cost of RM 2 million. A banquet was held at the Royal Palace on Tuesday,
3rd November 1942 ('Meiji Setsu Day) to mark the opening of the state government office in Bukit Timbalan. Only on
Monday, 9th August 1982, was the building officially named Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim by His Royal Highness Sultan Iskandar.

On the whole, the architecture of the building shows three distinct characteristics - Johor Malay Art, Islamic Design and
colonial architecture. The intricate carvings and ornamentations of the ceiling and walls were conceived of Islamic Art
and architecture while the rafters reflect the artistic tradition of the Malays. The external features of the building
depict colonial architecture. The entire structure, wall, floor and roof were made from concrete and reinforced
concrete. The building adopts a flat roof except for the tower which was crowned with a dome that was Johor's limas
house elements.

At a glance, Sultan Ibrahim Building portrays the era and historical moments of its time. The building was once used to
store provisions during the Japanese rule. It was also used by the Japaneses as fortress when they attacked Singapore." 1
ARCHITECT
 Palmer & Turner
YEAR BUILT
 1942
BUILDING STYLE
 Johor Malay Art, Islamic & Colonial
LOCATION
 Jalan Bukit Timbalan, Bukit Timbalan
BUKIT ZAHARAH BUILDING
" Upon its completion in 1858, this building was used specifically for royal ceremonies such as the inauguration of the
sultan and royal weddings. The ground level was used as a museum for the antique cars of Sultan Abu Bakar and Sultan
Ibrahim . Upon the completion of Sultan Abu Bakar Grand Palace, the royal residence was moved to the new palace and
this building was left vacant. From the 1970s until the end of 1980s this building was used as the Bukit Zaharah Religious
School. However, when the religious school was moved to a new building in Jalan Yahya Awal, the building was left
abandoned until today.

The design concept of this building reflects the influence of western architecture. This is clearly shown in the plan and
elevation of the building. The plan, which is in the shape of a letter 't' is similar to the clover flower split into four. The
design is chosen to accommodate four main groups of foreign dignitaries like the Malays, English, Chinese and Indians
during the royal functions.

The Western architectural features can be seen in the use of classical ionic columns, decorative plasters for the outer
walls and interiors of the building and decorative glass above the windows and doors of keystone shape.
Similar to other western architectural features, the windows of this building are of segmental shape." 2
ARCHITECT
 
YEAR BUILT
1858
BUILDING STYLE
 Western
LOCATION
Garden area near the Royal Museum