AESTHETICS,RUINS & SPACE
Kellies Castle, (or Kelly's Castle as it is sometimes wrongly spelled) some kilometers out of Batu Gajah, Ipoh is a great tourist attraction. And the story about the castle is as impressive as the castle itself.
For many years, Kellies Castle has been shrouded in mystery. Today it's nicely restored and easy to reach from Ipoh.
Kellie's Castle is located in Batuh Gajah. The castle is not as famous as the Taj Mahal in Agra, India but there are some similarities, both in architecture as in the story of its building.
Kellies Castle is symbol of love, like the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. And in the architecture, there is definitely some moghul influence visible.
Kellie's Castle was built by a Scottish planter called William Kellie Smith. He built the castle for his wife. Smith himself was from a little town in Scotland: Kellas. He built the castle for the same reason as Shah Jahan a few centuries earlier the Taj Mahal: Love.
Shah Jahan built the Taj as a monument for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The original idea was to build a black and a white Taj on both sites of the river. Shah Jahan didn't come further then the known white Taj. Smith however, never had the idea of building two castles. But Smiths' reasons were no different. He loved his wife, adored her.
Smith started planning to build a castle which he wanted to call Kellas House, after his hometown in Scotland.
Smith was fascinated by the Hindu culture. His plans were to build his house with similar architecture features as in south India, Madras. For the building he imported bricks and tiles from India. He even employed even Indian workers to keep his house Indian.
The costs of material, brought from India and the Indian workers made the house fascinating for locals and foreigners. But there were other intriguing things on the house. Smith wanted to have am elevator. And he build an elevator in the castle, the first one in Malaya.
Soon after Smith started the construction of the house, some tragedies started to happen. First it was the "Spanish flu" which killed many workers in the Kellas Estate. The flu had easily spread from Europe to Asia. Soon another 70 workers became victim of the flu.
Smith had spend already a fortune in his new house but now he lost now even more money because of this. The First World War slowed the process of building. The result was that Kellas House was never completed.
Kellies Castle was never to be finished after smith's death due to pneumonia. It became a ruine with many legends. Legend of the ghost of Smith wandering through the ruins. Other legends were off secret underground tunnels. But apart of the two known tunnels, none were ever found.
However, after over eighty years, the Malaysian government refurbished the house in 2000. It had been a tourist attraction but now it became an even bigger attraction and easy accessible.
The architecture of the castle in its setting is quite interesting and beauautiful, the surroundings is what makes its beauty even more appealing, the ruins and its story creates feelings in the spaces through architecture, light ,shadows and other interesting elements.
although the path or the setting to which someone approaches this magnificent heritage its not so impressive, considering this castle is an old heritage and famous for its stories, the shop's at the entrance and the parking lot, spoil the whole mood, interest and the castles magnificence. and the wall notes or info pasted on the walls are unattractive and does not go with its story and setting.
reference:http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Kellies-Castle.html
:http://www.mymesra.net.my/index.php?topic=2719.0
For many years, Kellies Castle has been shrouded in mystery. Today it's nicely restored and easy to reach from Ipoh.
Kellie's Castle is located in Batuh Gajah. The castle is not as famous as the Taj Mahal in Agra, India but there are some similarities, both in architecture as in the story of its building.
Kellies Castle is symbol of love, like the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. And in the architecture, there is definitely some moghul influence visible.
Kellie's Castle was built by a Scottish planter called William Kellie Smith. He built the castle for his wife. Smith himself was from a little town in Scotland: Kellas. He built the castle for the same reason as Shah Jahan a few centuries earlier the Taj Mahal: Love.
Shah Jahan built the Taj as a monument for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The original idea was to build a black and a white Taj on both sites of the river. Shah Jahan didn't come further then the known white Taj. Smith however, never had the idea of building two castles. But Smiths' reasons were no different. He loved his wife, adored her.
Smith started planning to build a castle which he wanted to call Kellas House, after his hometown in Scotland.
Smith was fascinated by the Hindu culture. His plans were to build his house with similar architecture features as in south India, Madras. For the building he imported bricks and tiles from India. He even employed even Indian workers to keep his house Indian.
The costs of material, brought from India and the Indian workers made the house fascinating for locals and foreigners. But there were other intriguing things on the house. Smith wanted to have am elevator. And he build an elevator in the castle, the first one in Malaya.
Soon after Smith started the construction of the house, some tragedies started to happen. First it was the "Spanish flu" which killed many workers in the Kellas Estate. The flu had easily spread from Europe to Asia. Soon another 70 workers became victim of the flu.
Smith had spend already a fortune in his new house but now he lost now even more money because of this. The First World War slowed the process of building. The result was that Kellas House was never completed.
Kellies Castle was never to be finished after smith's death due to pneumonia. It became a ruine with many legends. Legend of the ghost of Smith wandering through the ruins. Other legends were off secret underground tunnels. But apart of the two known tunnels, none were ever found.
However, after over eighty years, the Malaysian government refurbished the house in 2000. It had been a tourist attraction but now it became an even bigger attraction and easy accessible.
The architecture of the castle in its setting is quite interesting and beauautiful, the surroundings is what makes its beauty even more appealing, the ruins and its story creates feelings in the spaces through architecture, light ,shadows and other interesting elements.
although the path or the setting to which someone approaches this magnificent heritage its not so impressive, considering this castle is an old heritage and famous for its stories, the shop's at the entrance and the parking lot, spoil the whole mood, interest and the castles magnificence. and the wall notes or info pasted on the walls are unattractive and does not go with its story and setting.
But all in all, the castle of love an tragedy, has its own sense of architecture and essence, its a heritage and a story to be remembered for generations to come, if maintained and cared for.
reference:http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Kellies-Castle.html
:http://www.mymesra.net.my/index.php?topic=2719.0
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