Tucked away in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s central business district is a mansion — one of the grandest in its heyday — that has been given a new lease on life, thanks to the commitment of one man who sought to refurbish it to its former glory.

Set on just over an acre, the property, located off Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, was built between 1860 and 1862 by the original owner, tin miner Cheow Ah Yook, who was said to have entertained the King of Siam on the grounds. In 1892, upon Cheow’s death, the property passed over to Loke Yew who then set about renovating it, taking 12 years to do so. With a sumptuous fusion of Oriental and European motifs, the Loke Mansion in its heyday of pre-war Malaya was said to be one of the most prestigious homes in Asia and was reputedly the first residence in Malaya to receive electricity.

Loke’s family lived there until the 1930s, after which it was, among others, the headquarters of the Japanese Army during its occupation of Malaya, a British CID headquarters, an art gallery and a college before falling into dereliction in the late 1990s.

Abandoned and forgotten, the property was a far cry from its glory days when Cheang & Ariff’s managing partner Datuk Loh Siew Cheang set eyes on it. Consumed by weeds and undergrowth, its paint peeling and windows missing, the property exuded a certain sadness, says Loh. “It was as if it had a broken soul, so I thought it would be worthwhile to return it to its former glory,” he remarks.

Coincidentally, at the time, the law firm was also on the lookout for new office premises, having outgrown its space at Jalan Yap Kwan Seng (which was featured in Issue 3, October+November 2003, of haven).
Cheang & Ariff contacted the owner of the Loke Mansion — a private enterprise that had bought the property from the Loke Foundation — and successfully secured a long-term lease on the property and set about refurbishing it as faithfully as possible to its original state. At the same time, the firm’s space requirements were being fulfilled.

The task wasn’t easy. “The house was in such bad shape that it was a natural flood pond as well as a haven for mosquitoes, weeds and drug addicts,” says Loh, who took six months off his practice to oversee the refurbishment work. “The first thing we had to do was solve the flood problem. We then did a dilapidation survey to assess the structural safety, the dampness, among other things.”

According to Loh, the most dilapidated section of the property were the three rooms at the rear. Although the original use of these rooms is not known, it is believed that during the time of Loke Yew, the room currently used by Cheang & Ariff as the library was the family dining room. The room to its left that is now Loh’s office is believed to have been the kitchen, while the other room (currently housing the firm’s staff) was used as a pantry.

While refurbishing the property, Loh also had to obtain more information on the historical relics on site. Probably the most significant of these is the Painted Gate, believed to be the original entrance when the Cheows resided there. (Collectively, the red door, three murals, sculptured reliefs and two panels of calligraphy are famously referred to as the Painted Gate.) The original mural and calligraphy were believed to have been completed around 1904 by a visiting artist from China, Wang Lien Fung, and restored by two local artists in the 1970s. But in the years the building was abandoned, these became very badly damaged, rendering the original paintings, reliefs and calligraphy indecipherable. Thanks to a photograph sourced from the archives of a local daily, Cheang & Ariff found a local artist by the name of Mun Chee Keong, who painstakingly restored the Painted Gate — frequently referencing books to preserve the original style.

Loh admits that restoring the reliefs to their original state was an uphill struggle given the lack of information. “Many of the reliefs were also broken. In addition, the wrought-iron acanthus leaves (from the balconies) had been stolen,” he says, adding that some of the latter were replaced by similar wrought-iron pieces from Myanmar. “In sourcing for things, we were conscious of the fact that we wanted to give the property an atmosphere that doesn’t detract from its soul,” adds Loh.

The refurbishment also entailed polishing and reinforcing the timber flooring on the first floor; in some areas, steel trusses were used. In all, the refurbishment, which took about six months, cost the law firm some RM2 million. Besides the repair work, the firm had to increase the workspace on the first floor by extending into the balcony to meet its space requirements. At the same time, it took advantage of the exterior spaces, such as the inner courtyard, using the bright and airy space as an informal meeting area for employees and clients.

Since moving into the premises in November 2007, the property has been attracting the interest of groups like Badan Warisan Malaysia (Heritage Trust Malaysia) as well as members of the public. Christopher Wong, a partner at Cheang & Ariff, who has been “assigned” the role of “tour guide”, says in some instances, people just walk in and ask if they can go on a walkabout. “It is a working office, but if I have the time, I oblige,” says Wong.

It’s easy to see why the property is gaining such attention. Notwithstanding the missing ironwork, the floor tiles, timberwork, moon gate — a hallmark of traditional Chinese architecture — and buttresses that were vestiges of the property’s Japanese occupants, are in a reasonably good state. And thanks to the use of appropriately dated furniture and artwork, a visitor can easily step back in time and imagine the grand lives of the eponymous residents of the Loke Mansion.

This article appeared in haven, Issue #35, February + March 2009, the deco and garden publication of The Edge Malaysia