Town Hall, Penang

Town Hall
Town Hall, Penang is located in central George Town, Penang
Town Hall, Penang
Location in George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site (purple)
General information
AddressEsplanade Road,
10200 George Town,
Penang, Malaysia
Town or cityGeorge Town, Penang
CountryMalaysia
Coordinates5°25′16″N 100°20′29″E / 5.421088°N 100.341353°E / 5.421088; 100.341353
Construction started1879; 145 years ago (1879)
Inaugurated1880; 144 years ago (1880)
Cost$35,000
Technical details
Floor count2
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, iii, iv
Designated2008 (32nd session)
Reference no.1223
RegionAsia-Pacific

The Town Hall is a British-built administrative building in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. It is located adjacent to the City Hall, which now serves as the seat of the Penang Island City Council.

Completed in the 1880s, the Town Hall is the city's oldest municipal building, as it once housed the Municipal Commission of George Town.[1] It also functioned as a venue for social events for the European elites.[2] However, its administrative function was taken over by the City Hall upon the latter's completion in 1903. The Town Hall has been gazetted by the Malaysian National Museum as a historic monument since 1993.[3] More recently, the building became one of the filming locations for the 1999 film, Anna and the King.[4]

Both the Town Hall and the City Hall are located at Esplanade Road, overlooking the historic parade ground (the Padang) within the Esplanade. The buildings are also situated within George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Town Hall (left) and the City Hall (right) along Esplanade Road, overlooking the Esplanade's Padang.
  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Richmond, Simon (2010). Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei. Lonely Planet. ISBN 9781741048872.