ARCHITECTURE CULTURE & HISTORY 2 [ARC 1323]

Project: Architecture Heritage Building Analysis

Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Architecture)

Church of Our Lady Lourdes

Name:
Chng Xing Yue (0310425)
Goh Chin Zhi (0314562)
Yong She Li (0314345)
Hiew Yen Nee (0314212)
Tutor: Ms Anida

Introduction

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes is a Catholic church located at Jalan Tengku Kelana,
Klang which completed its construction in August 1928. It is currently one of the oldest
religious buildings in Klang (Keong T. C., n.d.).
The name Church of Our Lady of Lourdes originated from Lourdes, a village in France
where Mother Mary appeared eighteen times to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. This is also
the reason why there is a carving of Mother Mary in a Grotto as Bernadette first met Mother
Mary at the Grotto of Massabielle.
The Lady asked Bernadette to build a chapel on the site of the Grotto which results in the
building of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes all around the world (Cembellin, V., n.d.).

The grotto carving at Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Klang

The history of the church can be tracked back in the 1890s, the era when Chinese and
Indian immigrants started to settle on the banks of Klang River. Klang was the main gateway
and trading centre for the Klang Valley when the railway line to Kuala Lumpur and Port
Swettenham was completed.
There were many Catholics amongst the Chinese tin mines workers and the Indians who
worked at the rubber estates around Klang. Back then, priests were sent from St. Johns,
Kuala Lumpur to tend to their spiritual welfare and the mass was celebrated in a wooden
chapel (Chin, K. Y., & Chen, V. F., 2003).
The wooden chapel sized 70 x 40ft. which was built in 1918, still exists as a government
ante-natal clinic, opposite the South Klang Bus Station.
Church of Our Lady of Lourdes was built by Father Souhait who was sent to Malaya by the
Paris Foreign Mission and was attached to St. Johns Parish. He was an architecture student
before taking up holy orders. In 1923, Father Souhait took charge of the spiritual needs of
the Catholic residents in Klang and the surrounding districts including Kuala Selangor and
Kuala Langat which was under the jurisdiction of St. Johns Parish. He realized the need for
a bigger and permanent church. (Selvanayagam, A., 1980).
The building of the Church, grotto and parochial house used $ 45,000.00 and it followed the
architectural design of the original Our Lady of Lourdes Church at Lourdes, France.
The dimension of the current Church of Our Lady of Lourdes is 464.65cm (length) x
138.20cm (width) x 191.50cm (height)

A picture of the crown on top of the church

with a cross with IHS inscripted on it
meaning lesus (Jesus) Hominum Salvator
---Jesus Savior of Men. A monogram used
by Roman Catholic Church.

Design idea

Figure 1: Faade of Our Church of Lady Lourdes

The church of Our Lady Lourdes has been influenced by Gothic architecture. Father Souhait
has made some changes on the building due to influence of tropical climate.

Figure 2: Blind Arcade and decorated frieze

Figure 3: Arcaded railings and

cross tipped pinnacles

The Church of Our Lady Lourdess faade is similar to Notre Dame de Paris. The faade is
facing east to obtain morning sunlight. The bell towers at the corner of faade rise in three
stages with cross-tipped pinnacles at the four corners joined by arcaded railings. A blind
arcade separates the upper two stages from the base. The central bays main entrance arch
is flanked by the towers lower side arches.

Figure 4: Rose Window

Figure 5: Door at the portal

The key feature of gothic architecture is the rose window at the faade. The rose window is
formed by quatrefoils around a floral heart. Statues of Virgin Mary and Jesus have been
placed at the corner at the portal of Church of Our Lady Lourdes instead of carving it on the
wall. It portrays the story of Virgin Mary.

Figure 6: The spiral stairs during recent renovation.

Stained glass

Location of spiral
stairs

Columns

Plan of Church of Our Lady Lourdes

Apse
This longitudinal nave is a single vaulted space with a loft over the entrance reached by
wrought iron spiral stairs. Wrought iron is used to replace stone stairs as it is cheaper and
easier for installation. The nave has attached columns with two types of columns, which are
Corinthian columns and ionic columns. These columns have similarities with the columns
during Early English architecture but are more simplified especially the capital of the column.
The stain glasses in the church describing story of each chapter in the bible. The altar is
placed in front of the apsidal east end with a higher ground level, lit by a pair of arched
windows. At the middle of the chapel, a wooden crucifix hangs over it.

Adaption of Eclectic architecture

Eclectic architecture has been spread from 15th centuries to mid-20th centuries. This style
started when Chinese immigrants came to the Straits Settlement of Malacca bringing their
idea of architecture. The adaption to the tropical climate combined with the influence of
Chinese, Malay, Renaissance, English, Dutch and variations in this style occur in all parts of
Malaysia region. As the result, eclectic style is the main architectural style that has
influenced most in Klang. (Pg. 30 Badan Warisan Malaysia 1990 Kuala Lumpur)
Name of church
Architectural style

Church of Our Lady Lourdes

Notre Dame de Paris

Gothic and Eclectic

French Gothic

Timber (Meranti) and brick

Stone, Oak (Notredamedeparis.fr, 2013)

Bent axial

Bent axial

Overhanging pitch roof

Lead roof

Jalousie

Cloister stained glass window

Height

19.1 meters

69 meters (Include 2 towers)

Vault type

Barrel vault

Rib vault

Arches

Roman arch

Pointed arch

East

West

Material used
Plan
Roof type
Window type

Faade orientation

Plan of Our Church of Lady Lourdes

Plan of Notre Dame de Paris (Lane, 2013)

Notre Dame de Paris has similar plan with Church of Our Lady Lourdes. The direction of
faade symbolizing an aspect of Christian Faith. The western faade of Notre Dame de Paris
symbolized routes to heaven and hell. Whereas the east faade Church of Our Lady
Lourdes symbolized born of new life.
Fascia board of the church

Adaption of Malay village house (Unknown, 2008)

Overhanging pitch roof

The overhanging pitch roof is constructed to create cooler environment. It adapts from local
village house as decorations and provides shades at the same time. It allows cross
ventilation to reduce the temperature in the church in order to create holiness in the church.

Lintel

Cloister Stained Glass (Unknown, n.d)

Jalousie Window with Stained Glass

Church of Our Lady Lourdes uses jalousie windows to reduce sunlight into the church.
Stained glasses are installed above the jalousie in a smaller scale. Each stained glass
represents a chapter in the bible. Lintel is placed to support the window and avoid rain water
from slipping into the church.
Our Church of Lady Lourdes does not require thick wall as much as Notre Dame de Paris
due to local climate. The heat absorbed by the wall increased directly with the thickness of
the wall. Hence, heat gained is minimized by replacing with thinner wall.

Framework of Notre Dame de Paris (Unknown, n.d.)

Interior of Notre Dame de Paris (Arras Guide, n.d.)

The structure of Notre Dame de Paris is made from oak, which is locally abundant in Paris.
Same to the Church of Our Lady Lourdes, timber such as meranti was used to build the
structure of the church. Usage of stone at Notre Dame de Paris is to maintain the
temperature in the church during winter. The use of timber and brick is to reduce the
penetration of heat as timber does not absorb heat as much as stone. Timber and brick is
better source of material compare to stone as these materials are locally abundant.

Gargoyle of Notre Dame de Paris

Ornamentation at corner of faade

(A view on Cities, 2013)

Our Church of Lady Lourdes has less ornamentation compared to Notre Dame de Paris.
This is because ornamentations such as gargoyles and flying buttress require skillful workers
and longer time to complete. The budget to build Our Church of Lady Lourdes was not
enough to cover the fees to build these ornamentations.

Clay Roof Tiles

(Church Our Lady Of Lourdes Klang, 2010)

Lead roof tiles of Notre Dame

(Unknown, 2013)

The roof of Church of Our Lady Lourdes is made of clay whereas roof of Notre Dame de
Paris is made of lead. This is because clay is more conventional and cheaper material
compares to lead. It is sustainably available in local. Clay roof tile is a better roofing material
in local as it acts as natural thermal mass insulator. It keeps the heat out and the cold during
hot day and keeps the cold out and the heat in during cold day.

The size of church depending on how much money the bishop and the town had. As
Christianity was relatively new in Klang at that time, the prayers are mostly the immigrant
workers who are not many in amount. Therefore the scale does not need to be as big as
other Western gothic cathedrals such as Notre Dame de Paris. This result in the use of
barrel vault and roman arches in Church of Our Lady Lourdes as it is easier to be built
compared to rib vault and pointed arches that are able to support much heavier structural
loads.

Barrel vault (Chrish, 2013)

Roman Arch

Ribbed vault

Pointed Arch (Notredamedeparis.fr, n.d.)

Contextual Condition
The church is located at the center of Klang which has higher concentration of population.

The location
of the church

The railway
line

Map of Klang in the 1920s which had changed little since the late nineteenth century.
1. Cultural
Before: In early 1900s, the Parish of Our Lady Lourdes Klang had its humble. Therefore,
Priests

from St Johns Church, Kuala Lumpur used to travel to Klang to celebrate Masses

every month.
After: In 1923 Rev. Fr John Baptist Souhait was directed to take charge of the spiritual
welfare of the Catholic residents in Klang and the surrounding districts of Port Swettenham
(now Port Klang), Kuala Selangor and Kuala Langat.

Wooden Chapel

A wooden building 10 by 40 feet served as the chapel. Soon after his appointment, Fr
Souhait put up a second building by the side of the chapel which served as the Parochial
House. This building still stands today, housing the Government Antenatal Clinic, opposite
the Bus Station on Jalan Tengku Kelana.
Some Catholic leaders from the Public Works Department (PWD) Quarters in Tepi Sungai
and elsewhere helped to prepare the people and the chapel for the celebration of the
Eucharist.

2. Education
Before: Around the same time as Fr Souhait arrived in Klang, the Holy Infant Jesus Sisters
from Bukit Nanas Convent (Pineapple Hill Convent), Kuala Lumpur, also began traching
classes. Mother Superior Adele with two nuns, Sisters Stephanie and Mathew, rented a
shophouse from a Chinese towkay in Jalan Tengku Kelana and started with 19 pupils, boys
and girls. From 1924 to 1951, the school was run as a branch of the Bukit Nanas Convent.

After: In 1926, on the site next to the Church of Our Lady Lourdes, construction of a new
building began. It was officially opened by Sir William Peel on 1 January 1928. H.R.H. The

Sultan Alaeddin Suleiman Shah, the Raja Muda Selangor, Fr Souhait and Mother Provincial
Tarcisius attended the opening. In 1930, it became a school fot girls only. The last nun, Sr
Florena, retired in the year of 1976, after which the Convent School was headed by
Malaysian lay principals, the first being Puan Ng Thiam Hoo.

Secondary Convent School

Still in use, the well- maintained building is symmetrical with equal bays on each side of a
central double-storey entrance block serving as porte-cochere. The plain pointed arches of
the entrance span the road, giving public access to the central stair hallway. The entrance
blocks twin windows have pointed arch heads, decorated with beautiful plaster scrolls,
twining vines, leaves and shields.

An arcade of similar pointed arches is continued on the two sides, forming shaded
verandahs to the ground floor classrooms. Half-glazed, half-wooden, louvred windows light
and ventile the first-floor classrooms. The cross-topped pediments trio of pointed arches is
repeated at the end gables of the building.

3. Economical
Before : Work to build OLL and the presbytery which commenced in 1925 was only
completed in August 1928. It is interesting to note that Fr Souhait had a large say in the
design of the church. His early studies in architecture in France before joining the priesthood
and the carpentry knowledge he possessed stood him in good stead. When designing the
present OLL, he had set his mind and heart in having the church modelled along the lines of
the famous Gothic styled church at Lourdes in France.
Fr Souhait left Fr W.Arcond, his assistant in the care of the parish, while he went around
Peninsular Malaya collecting funds for the church. The church and parish house cost
$45,000. This was raised with help also from the parishioners of Klang, a substantial grant
from the Paris Foreign Missions and also with help from Fr Duvell, the Parish Priest of St
Johns Church in KL.
Fr Souhait was a very popular person in Klang and was very friendly with many nonCatholics in Klang. He was also responsible for converting some of them to the Catholic
faith. He was also instrumental in getting a non-Catholic European, who was then the
Mamager of the Chartered Bank in Klang in 1928 to donate the present church bell.

The church bells in the tower

After : The maintenance fee of OLL comes from the tithes and offerings by the Catholic
prayers. The church pass around an offering plate or offering basket and bring them
forward to the altar as an act of worship. Besides, the church also discreetly provide written
information about where offering boxes are located, allowing worshipers and prayers to
privately offer their gifts and contribution to the Lord.

2.0 Building Inventory

2.1 Facade

Element

Facade

Faade detail

First Floor
Wall Painted plastered bricks
Door Three wooden door that painted white
Second Floor
Wall Painted plastered bricks

Window Four louver shutter

Ornamentation- Blind Arcade at two sides of bell towers and rose
window at the center
Third Floor
Wall Painted plastered bricksWindow Four louver shutter
Ornamentation Eight cross tipped pinnacles and arcaded railing
Brief description

Pitch roof at the center of front faade splits two bell towers that rise in
three level. The blind arcade of the bell towers apart base level from
the upper levels. The cross tipped pinnacles form at corners at bell
towers and connected by arcaded railings. The windows have been
replaced by new louver shutter windows due to bad maintenance of
windows. The faade has been repainted white as the paint is fading
after years.

2.2 Window

Element

Louvers window (Jalousie)

Details

Brief description

Made of timber

Double leaf

Has window stays

Round-arched lintel

Has stained glass and simple ornamentation

The windows are found abundantly in numbers at the facades of the

church because adequate ventilation is needed to adapt the tropical
climate. The louvers are slanted downwards to block the rainwater
and sunlight. The characteristics of local Malay house window can
be seen in the design of the church window where it is made of
wood with fixed louvers. The round arch lintel is used to support the
upper part of the window to prevent the bricks in the wall from
collapsing.

2.3 Spiral staircase

Element
Details

Staircase
Has 26 threads

Brief description

Made up of wrought iron

Has holes and anti-slip feature on the surface of threads

Has railings

Spiral stairs is staircase which steps wind around a central, vertical

axis that forms a helix form. Smaller wrought iron spiral stairs is used
in the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes because the size of the church
is smaller compared to Western cathedrals. Besides, the holes on the
threads reduced the weight of the stairs. The railings and rough antislip surface of the threads are to ensure the safety of the users.

2.4 Gable Roof

Element

Gable Roof

Material

Roof Tile - Roman roof tiling with alternate imbrices and clay tiles.
Trusses Steel

Brief description

Ceiling Wire plastering board

Gable roof is also called a saddle roof, is one of the unique
features of Our Lady Lourdes church in Klang. It is also the detail
characteristic of the Gothic Revival style. Its symmetrical shape is
attractive. The purpose of using gable roof is to shed rainwater
efficiently to deal with the tropical climate in Klang as Klang is a
tropical country and it also allows for maximum attic space for the
church.

2.5 Diagonal Buttress

Element
Material

Diagonal Buttress
Clay bricks with plaster finished

Brief description

2.6 Flying Buttress

Diagonal buttress is a buttress set at 45 degree to the walls. The

adaption of diagonal buttress with clay bricks and plaster finish
brings out the late 12th century design. The intention of the
buttresses was to carry the load of the ceiling that is consists of steel
structures trusses and the plaster molding ceiling board (the curved
of the ceiling). Before buttresses came into use, walls had to be very
thick to support the weight of the church and its roof. Buttress design
allowed walls to be pierced with increasingly larger windows during
the medieval period. The thrust of the weight from the roof is the
main reason why buttresses were used in church architecture.

Element
Details

Flying Buttress
firstly constructed by temporary wooden frames

a segmental or quadrant arch bridging the gap between that

buttress and the wall

Brief description

A flying buttress is a specific form of buttressing most strongly

associated with Gothic church architecture. The purpose of any
buttress is to resist the lateral forces pushing a wall outwards by
redirecting them to the ground. The defining characteristic of a flying
buttress is that the buttress is not in contact with the wall like a
traditional buttress; lateral forces are transmitted across an
intervening space between the wall and the buttress.

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