Prior to the building of the Petronas Twin Towers, the Sultan Abdul Samad building has long been a famous landmark for Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur. Unique moorish-style design, this building is designed by British architect A.C Norman. The building once served as the administrative offices for the government during the British administration, but now it is home to the Supreme and High Courts. This is the most photographed building in the city.

It is one of the oldest buildings in KL. The construction began in 1893. Some 4 million bricks, 2,500 barrels of cement, 18,000 pikuls of lime, 5,000 pounds of copper, 50 tons of steel and iron and 30,000 cubic feet of timber were used. Work was completed in 1897 at a cost of 152,000 Straits Dollars. The front facade is 137.2m (450 ft) in length with an imposing porch in the center. The porch consists of three horseshoe arches, the piers supporting them being nearly 1.2m (4 ft) in thickness. The 41.2m (135 ft) central tower holds a clock that was first heard during Queen Victoria’s birthday parade in 1897.
It features a 41-meter clock tower affectionately dubbed “Big Ben“, topped with a golden dome and flanked on both sides by two domed towers. During state occasions, colored lights twinkle in the arches, making it look like a scene from an Arabian Nights’ tale. Today, this building is the focus of thousands of Malaysian from all walks of life to gather in front of the building to user in every New Year on the stroke.