What You Don’t Know About Ipoh City Hall and Birch Memorial Tower

Ipoh City Hall

Imposing and majestic, Ipoh City Hall was built in 1916. This majestic colonial building is heavily influenced by the classical style and was designed by AB Hubback, the same architect who designed the Ipoh railway station.

The town hall has witnessed many historical events. The Malayan Nationalist Party, the first party formed in Malaya, held its inaugural congress here. Indian poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore once addressed a meeting of English school teachers here.

It housed the District Police Headquarters, as well as the Post and Telegraph Office. Today, it is an auditorium that hosts many functions such as weddings, government events, and concerts.

The building is inspired by the Victorian Neo-Renaissance, punctuated with Greek and Roman touches. You can see the gables, which are the triangular structures at the top of the building that enhance the imposing look. The Roman pillars give the building consistency and the horizontal bands that go from one side to the other give it an illusion of grandeur. Those with architectural inclinations will no doubt appreciate the finer details of the architecture; the disciplined lines, sharp edges and strong elements that make up the building.

Also note the balcony with its crisscross pattern. This is the ‘jharoka’, which is a balcony that protrudes from the plane of the wall. This adds to the architectural beauty, but also serves a functional purpose. It allows people from the inside to look out, without being seen.

birch memorial tower

Opened in 1909, the Birch Memorial is dedicated to the murdered JWW Birch, Perak’s first British resident. He was assassinated by Malay conspirators, or heroes depending on how you look at it, in 1875. There used to be a bust, but it has since disappeared.

A square with a decorated tower, the memorial has a mother bell and four smaller bells, which used to ring the chimes of Big Ben. Maybe that’s why the Birch Tower is called Ipoh Big Ben.

It can be seen in the corners of the bell tower, which is the section that supports the bells, there are terracotta figures representing the four Virtues of the British Administration- Loyalty, with sword and shield; Justice, blind and carrying sword and scales; Patience, unarmed; and Strength, with a serene face and wielding a spear. On the 4 panels of the tower you can see a magnificent mural of 44 famous people from world history. But keep in mind that the figure of the Prophet Muhammad was painted as depicting figures is prohibited in Islam.