In the heart of Kuala Lumpur, within just 3.5 kilometres of Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, a fascinating tapestry of history meets modern creativity. Buildings that once defined the city’s past have been reborn, reimagined, and repurposed, creating spaces where heritage and innovation coexist.
Join us on Part 1 of a 2-part walking tour of the city from Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, whose past lives are shoulder to shoulder with future developments.
02 Menara KL
01 → 02 »» 21 MIN
Stepping out of Concorde Hotel KL, the city stirs to life. We walk along Jalan P. Ramlee, where cafés and office towers cast long morning shadows. Turning onto Jalan Puncak, the air grows quieter, the street lined with leafy trees and old apartments. The final stretch is an uphill walk, a steady climb towards Menara KL. We catch sight of the tower, looming above the city as we make our way up. We’re not the only pedestrians arriving on foot—joggers often use the incline as part of their routines.
Erected in 1991, Menara KL stands at an impressive 421 metres against blindingly blue skies. This steely grey tower facilitates country-wide telecommunication while also serving as a unique lookout point.
Hailed as a symbol of progress in the 90s, Menara KL is now only one of the many skyscrapers dominating the skyline. Despite that, it’s still constantly upgrading to stay current. For instance, in January 2024, the new revolving restaurant ARAS was unveiled to be over 280 metres in the air, offering a luxury dining experience with a 360° view. Even annual events such as the Tower-thon, a vertical race up the tower, had recently included the addition of a ‘Cosplay’ category to attract younger participants.
“From here, can see Genting Highlands,” says Aemizureen Binti Kamarudin, Menara KL’s Chief Brand Development, pointing to a dark blue mountain range in the distance. Clinging onto the Sky Deck railings overlooking the cityscapes at 300 metres high, it’s difficult to imagine how much Kuala Lumpur has changed over the last twenty-eight years.
On a clear day like this, we were able to pick out the places we would be visiting in our urban walking tour.
Once the tallest structure in Malaysia, Menara KL is currently the seventh tallest tower internationally.
The breathtaking panoramic shots of the city were taken from the Sky Deck.
03 The Toffee
02 → 03 »» 24 MIN
Descending from Menara KL, we stroll down Jalan Raja Chulan, where the city’s modern skyline peeks through lush greenery. Passing the KL Forest Eco Park, the urban jungle blends seamlessly with nature’s calm. The shaded walkway leads us to Jalan Gereja, where heritage buildings contrast with high-rises. Turning left onto Jalan Hang Lekiu, the atmosphere shifts—old-world charm lingers in the historic shopfronts. Amid the bustle, The Toffee stands out with its warm signage.
Nestled in the same building that once housed Malaysia’s first insurance company, The Toffee is a contemporary space that celebrates art, design and architecture in their most expressive forms.
Named after the owner, Dr. Tan’s beloved childhood dog, Toffee is a wonderfully apt name for a whimsical third space amidst downtown KL. Once an insurance office in the 1950’s, the building is now a center for contemporary artistic expression.
Ur-Mu—short for Urban Museum— is one of the quirky places dwelling on levels 5 & 6 at The Toffee. Pakharuddin Sulaiman’s ‘TUBUH’ exhibition on level 6 scrutinises the national psyche of the 1990s to 2000s through the manipulation of the human body in at turns eerie and witty ways. Dr. Tan’s personal collection at level 5, on the other hand, immerses us in an artistic reawakening, as we’re guided through a colourful clash of contrasting themes, mediums and time periods.
Toffee also features event spaces spanning levels 3 & 4, and Boombong, a rooftop garden at level 7.
Rounding the corner from Jalan Gereja, we're greeted by the sight of Toffee’s signage.
Boombong, the rooftop garden, had transformed a once-derelict and crumbling space into an urban sanctuary and social hub. The sunset views here are nothing short of magnificent.
Ur-Mu's collections are comprised of a large variety of mediums, including sculptures, sandpaintings, historical photographs (with a twist), and even everyday objects artistically infused with deeper meaning.
Originally designed for better airflow, these walls now add an old-school charm to the rooftop.
Looking out from Boombong, we see buildings upon buildings, and just like a rainforest's multi-layered ecosystems, the city too is tiered, hiding away rare glimpses of otherworldly sights.
04 Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque
03 → 04 »» 5 MIN
Leaving Toffee’s lobby, we walk onto the sunny, motorcycle-lined streets of Jalan Hang Lekiu. Surrounded by shop lots, each building showcases architectural quirks from their respective eras, weaving a tapestry of the past to the present. Turning right onto Jalan Tun Perak, we merge into the oncoming crowds, fresh off the rumbling train tracks overhead. Closer to the Jamek Mosque station, the mosque’s vibrant sienna stands out amidst the city’s greys.
Sitting on the banks of the confluence between the Klang and Gombak Rivers, Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque is one of the city’s oldest mosques still welcoming daily worshippers.
Jamek Mosque was built on a site of historical importance—its land was once an ancient Malay cemetery, which was relocated for the mosque’s construction.
Walking through the gates on this day, however, the tone is anything but sombre. Staff members are corralling an excited school of students into tour groups, and despite the commotion, we’re welcomed with smiles and offered robes to cover our modesty.
Over the years, multiple expansions and fortification efforts have been done to maintain the mosque. While the newer structures have kept similar Moorish influences, there are benches scattered across the grounds where one can sit and contemplate the passage of time through the contrast between the well manicured gardens, weathered bricks and fresh coats of whitewash.
The mosque's Moorish style architecture stands out against the landscape of modern brutalist buildings.
Perched by the Klang and Gombak Riverbanks, Jamek Mosque paints a tranquil picture of sacred grounds —due, in part, to the clean-up efforts of the River of Life initiative.
05 Sin Sze Si Ya Temple
04 → 05 »» 8 MIN
Departing from Jamek Mosque, we turn right by the train station onto Jalan Benteng, into the fray of the bustling food stalls. Momentarily quietened by the tranquil garden along Medan Pasar, the hive of activity resumes on Jalan Hang Kasturi, where heritage buildings like the Central Market have been preserved and spruced up with new coats of paint. One more right turn takes us to the back entrance of Sin Sze Si Ya Temple.
Squeezed in between a high-rise and a row of shop lots is the narrow entrance of KL’s oldest Taoist temple, Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, still busy with daily worshippers.
The entrance of the temple is adorned with carvings of classic mythical tales.
The Sin Sze Si Ya Temple floors are covered in ash when we arrive. Looking past the smoky incense burners and enshrined deities, we catch sight of six portraits hanging in a shadowy corner.
One of the portraits is the unmis-takable figure of Kapitan Yap Ah Loy, who’d incepted the temple in the form of a small shrine behind his house. It was later relocated and reconstructed into a temple, surviving the Selangor Civil War, fires and floods in the city’s tumultuous early days.
Seeing the need to preserve the city’s slowly-forgotten past, the temple’s board of trustees president, Datuk Hew Wee Ting, spent years raising funds to build the Pioneers of Kuala Lumpur Museum, now open next door.
Amidst ancient whispers of incense, a visitor pays respect to the temple’s deities—bridging past, present, and unseen destinies.
06 Kedai Kopi Lai Foong
Across the street from the temple, we lunch at the famed Lai Foong Beef Noodle stall. Opened in 1956, the stall is now run by the third generation of the same family, where siblings William and Thomas still wake at 6AM daily to prepare the ingredients for 200 bowls.
07 REXKL
05/06 → 07 »» 5 MIN
Setting off from Sin Sze Si Ya Temple’s front entrance, we turn left at the intersection onto Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock. Framed by buildings from a bygone era, the gabled rooftops and arched windows stand proudly against the test of time. Side-stepping the tourists at Petaling Street, we turn onto Jalan Sultan, where REXKL’s storefront lies hidden behind stalls, trees and graffiti—yet, it’s still unmistakable with a constant ebb of visitors.
Once the best place to catch a movie, REXKL is now a safe haven for budding entrepreneurs, spotlighting delicious cui-sines, handsewn fashion, and unique niche shops, all in one place.
“I often say REXKL is a building without walls,” says Shin Chang. As crowds stroll casually through the building’s gaping side entrances, we know that he means that in more ways than one. After all, REXKL has had a whirlwind of these last couple of years—as recently as 2019, the building was in complete disrepair and a known hideout for drug addicts.
Built in 1947, REXKL was first known as REX Theatre, a 1,000-seater cinema that reached the height of its popularity in the 70s when it was outfitted with the latest audio-visual tech. However, two disastrous fires later, the building was abandoned.
When refurbishment works began in 2019, there were still burn marks on the walls and heaps of rotting waste strewn about. Structurally, the building was sound, but with an interior designed for a cinema, how could other businesses be retrofitted into the space?
Well, for Shin, the answer was simple: “I look at content, intention; it’s always filling in the blanks.” His perspective was that every building was designed to serve a purpose, and his job was not to stubbornly impose his vision onto it, but rather, to look around and ask: What’s missing? And at this moment in time, downtown KL was in desperate need of fresh ideas and passionate young people.
When we ask about his criteria for choosing tenants, Shin opines that there’s just one important question: “Will you be interested in doing something different?” Taking Raijin Ramen as an example, he shares that they were willing to operate in a cramped space without any traditional tables or chairs for their clients, instead going with a Japanese-style ramen bar opening into the roadside alleyway— and it worked. Deeply involved in the entire onboarding process, from the initial interviews to the shop renovation, Shin views REXKL as an incubator, both for entrepreneurial enterprises and also for ideas.
When asked if he was ever worried that this huge undertaking might fail, Shin’s reply is matter-of-fact, “Of course, but we try.”
Looking around at REXKL’s version of a food court, Back Ground Marketplace, bustling with locals and tourists choosing between authentic Sarawak Laksa from a jungle-themed restaurant or New York pizza from an American-inspired pizzeria, it’s easy to think that he and his co-founders’ efforts have paid off.
So, what’s next? There are plans to expand on the Back Ground Marketplace concept in a different part of KL, but they haven’t quite found the perfect spot for it yet. And in the meantime, REXKL is always looking for budding entrepreneurs.
“Come and do business here la!” laughs Shin, his eyes twinkling mirthfully.
Beyond an entrepreneurial platform, REXKL has been transformed into a social hub for the youth.
Shin Tseng, one of the seven founders of REXKL, is an architect by trade. Through his urban rejuvenation projects, he aims to elevate the city’s livability and preserve its legacy.
The neon REXKL signage overlooking the nighttime scenes of Petaling Street.
Since its construction in 1947, the REXKL building has been through multiple fires, prompting reconstruction works to salvage it. As it stands today, REXKL still retains its original design.
Street art breathes life into spaces, transforming walls into vibrant cultural expressions.
The construction of BookXcess' signature maze of bookshelves in REXKL was a collaborative effort befitting the BookXcess branding, while fully utilizing the sloping staircases of the REX Theatre structure.
Ahmad Rushdi, 41
Owner, Outsiders Bikes
As an avid cyclist himself, Ahmad knows the difficulties of finding a good bike shop in the car-centric city centre. I n fact, his store, Outsiders Bikes, is one of the only two bicycle specialist shops in town.
Found amidst the rowdy food stalls of Back Ground Marketplace, Outsiders Bikes is a physical manifestation of years of labour, grease and gritty determination. Being an avid cyclist himself, Ahmad first started out working in cycling event crews, before finally taking the plunge and opening his own store.
Besides routine maintenance, Ahmad mainly focuses on custom builds, often going out of his way to assemble the perfect bike for each customer. Sometimes, if orders require parts that can’t be found locally, he would have them specially imported to be fitted onto the bikes.
Bert Lee, 40s
Owner, Unnamed Store
Tucked away on the first floor of REXKL is a little shop filled to the brim with quaint oddities, exotic antiques and pre-loved knick-knacks. Curiously, the shop doesn’t have a name, and for Bert Lee, the founder, it’s a matter of philosophy—only fate can decide who steps into the shop and finds something that catches their eye.
The insides of the store are lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves, laden with all manner of trinkets, from multi-lingual second-hand books to vintage statuettes to rows of faded matchbox cars. Describing the place as a way to share bits of his life experiences with others, Lee curates every item that goes into the shop, hoping to kindle a sense of wonder for its shoppers. Likewise, he aspires to spark joy with his next venture at REXKL—a vintage records shop.
Continue reading Part 2 as we stroll through the streets of Kuala Lumpur for a glimpse into the city’s past through renewed cultural landmarks.
