Lee Rubber Building
Lee Rubber Building is located at the corner of Jalan Tun H. S. Lee and Jalan Hang Lekir (known as High Street and Cecil Street during the British colonial era). The building was designed by Arthur Oakley Coltman of the British architecture firm, Booty Edwards & Partners company. Its grey façade sports the Modernist Art Deco design as its architectural style, with striated lines and mouldings complete with differentiated corner treatment topped with an essential flag pole. Its five-foot way is broken by solid wall-like pillars. It has a strong geometric shape with a corner set at a 45° angle. Like most urban Art Deco structures, the original building has a flat roof with no cornice or overhang. It also has a pediment that portrays the building's original name in English and Chinese. The building was constructed in 1930. Upon completion, it was the tallest building in Kuala Lumpur at that time. In 1942-1945, the building was used by the Japanese government as the headquarters of Japanese secret police during World War II. In 1950s, an additional floor was added to the structure, making it a five-story building. In 2003, Popular bookshop opened for operation in the building. The building was put up for sale in 2015 by its former owner, Lee Rubber Group; the Popular bookstore and the Kasturi tuition centre upstairs vacated the building several months later as a result. Nevertheless, Kuala Lumpur City Hall by-laws prohibit the demolition or significant structural alteration to the heritage building. The then-85-year-old structure was sold for RM29 million to Singapore-based GF Land Sdn Bhd in January 2016. Lee Rubber Building will be turned into a boutique hotel, expected to open by July 2022. On top of the original four-storey structure, a new podium and an additional two floors are constructed. The building also sports a series of atriums within to bring in natural light. The building is preserved under the National Heritage Act and is listed as a heritage structure category 2 by Kuala Lumpur City Hall. This entails a preservation of the entire façade. The building is accessible within walking distance northeast of Pasar Seni LRT/MRT station.
History
The Lee Rubber Building () is a historical building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.