City Hall, George Town

City Hall, George Town, Penang (17 April 2011)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

The City Hall of George Town is a handsome Victorian-style building along Jalan Padang Kota Lama. It was constructed in 1903, and opened in 1906, a few decades after the Town Hall. It holds the distinction as being one of the first buildings in George Town, Penang, to be completely fitted with electric lights and fans. Pioneering the electrification of George Town was the company of August & Ludwig Huttenbach, the German brothers who formed the firm Huttenbach Brothers.

The City Hall building was originally called the Municipal Office, Penang. It was renamed City Hall when George Town was granted city status in 1957. It has continued to be known as City Hall, even when the local government was revamped in 1976. Today it is one of the buildings housing the Municipal Council of Penang Island or Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP). The whitewashed building forms an elegant backdrop to the Esplanade.

George Town City Hall (Dewan Bandaraya George Town)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

The City Hall overlooks the historic parade ground at Padang Kota Lama, and affords a panoramic view of the Esplanade. Within a stone's throw from the City Hall is the Cenotaph, the First World War Memorial.