IPOH, July 13 — The 108-year-old Ipoh Town Hall building, situated in the heart of the city here, is set to be transformed into a performing arts centre by early next year.

The white colonial-style building, which served as a British administrative centre in the early 1917s, can accommodate up to 600 people at a time.

The old post office in the rear of the town hall building is also being restored and will be turned into an art gallery.

The transformation is being undertaken under Package 2 of the Ipoh Heritage Tourism (IHT) initiative overseen by the Ipoh City Council (MBI) as part of its efforts to preserve the city’s heritage buildings so that they remain vibrant and do not fall into disuse.

Ipoh mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin said the renovation cost of over RM11 million is being funded by the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority, adding that the project focused on the restoration of the town hall building’s architecture and structural elements as well as its electrical, mechanical and audiovisual systems, and landscaping.

"This project is a continuation of IHT Package 1A, which involved development at Ipoh Padang and Package 1B involving (the upgrading of) Kinta Riverwalk, which were completed on March 8, 2022.

"For the IHT Package 2 project, the conservation work began on Nov 21, 2022, and was fully completed on May 20 (this year) as originally scheduled. We expect to open this facility (performing arts centre) to the public early next year (2025),” he said when interviewed by Bernama here.

Rumaizi said the project will not only boost the local music industry but is also in alignment with Ipoh’s designation as a "City of Music” by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in November last year.

He said once the Centre of Performing Arts, housed in the restored Ipoh Town Hall building, is ready, artistes can look forward to holding their concerts and cultural or theatre performances there.

"This way, we can also generate revenue by charging reasonable rentals for the use of our facilities,” he said.

Rumaizi added the old post office building adjoining the Ipoh Town Hall building will be transformed into the largest national art gallery in Malaysia, under the supervision of the National Visual Arts Development Board.

The art gallery, he said, will function as a hub for collecting and displaying visual art collections such as paintings and sculptures, including works from abroad.

"We believe it is worthwhile to establish this (national art gallery), even though we acknowledge that attracting tourists may be slow initially. However, we must recognise that there is a demand for such venues globally. So, I think it will take two or three years before we see the results,” he said.

Commenting on similar efforts to restore the old buildings at Concubine Lane here, also known as Lorong Panglima by the locals, Rumaizi said the area’s restoration projects were among the earliest to be undertaken by MBI to enhance heritage tourism.

He added an allocation of RM149,000 was provided by the Perak State Economic Planning Unit for restoration work involving 17 terraced houses that had been inhabited since 1908. The work started on Jan 11, 2016, and was fully completed on Feb 29, 2016.

"This location (Concubine Lane) exudes a classic aura or nostalgia, enhanced by the surrounding old buildings... this is one of the factors attracting tourists to this area,” he said.

Rumaizi said MBI’s conservation efforts have been worthwhile as it won an award for Outstanding Planning Achievement at the Commonwealth Association of Planners Awards function in November last year (2023).

He also expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, which provided substantial support to MBI, especially in terms of funding and advisory services.

He added MBI is committed to preserving old buildings in the city, a move seen as capable of promoting Ipoh as a premier heritage tourism destination in the country. — Bernama