City Hall, George Town

City Hall, George Town

The two-storey Edwardian Baroque Palladian City Hall of George Town has been a national monument of Malaysia since 1982. The building style is very similar to the Old Town Hall next door. The City Hall was last renovated in 2005. It looks the same as it did when it was built in 1903, except the original arcades on street level have been glazed.

The City Hall was built to replace the Town Hall as the new home of the Municipal Commission. Construction tenders were accepted in 1900. Lee Ah Chang, a Malaysian architect, won the contract. The new digs of the Municipal Offices was one of the first buildings in Penang to be equipped with electric lights and more importantly, fans.

Both Town hall and City Hall are on the shore and facing the main field ("Padang"). The City Hall is a masonry building, made with lime mortar, plaster and wash. It has granite columns at the entrance, and gratings of cast iron. Minton Geometric tiles in the interior match those of the Governor's house.

In 1957 George Town was declared to be a city by Queen Elizabeth II. The Municipal Offices building then officially became City Hall. In 1976 the George Town City Council was merged with the Penang Island Rural District Council. The result is the Penang Island Municipal Council, so the building is also called "Penang City Hall".

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in George Town. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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City Hall on Map

Sight Name: City Hall
Sight Location: George Town, Malaysia (See walking tours in George Town)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in George Town, Malaysia

Create Your Own Walk in George Town

Create Your Own Walk in George Town

Creating your own self-guided walk in George Town is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
George Town Introduction Walking Tour

George Town Introduction Walking Tour

Some felt in Malaya that the city of George Town should be renamed Tanjung Penaga ("Cape Penaga"). That was the name of the area where George Town now stands. But the Chinese, British, Muslim, Malay and Indian movers and shakers of the town wisely declined. It might be bad for business.

Captain Francis Light, R. N., came to Tanjung Penaga in 1786. He wanted to set up an entrepôt for...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles
Farquhar Street Walking Tour

Farquhar Street Walking Tour

Farquhar Street, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008, is a culturally rich thoroughfare in George Town, Malaysia, and home to many interesting historic properties. Let's take a brief journey down this storied street and see what they are.

At the outset of Farquhar stands the impressive Supreme Court building, a symbol of justice and governance in Penang. Just a stone's throw away,...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
George Town's Historical Religious Buildings

George Town's Historical Religious Buildings

George Town, Malaysia, has much to be proud of when it comes to religious heritage. The city boasts a plethora of wonderful churches, temples, mosques, and other religious sites – each beautifully decorated and with its own unique story. Follow us on this self-guided walk and see some of them up close.

We start at the Acheen Street Mosque. Dating back to the early 19th century, this is one of...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles