Gallery 1 (Former Courtroom 1)

In 1939, architect Frank Dorrington Ward drafted eight different proposals for the layout of the courtrooms within the building, and finally settled on the four courtrooms surrounding a circular domed library. Over the years, as the need for more space became more pressing, seven more courtrooms were added. This is one of the original four courtrooms of the former Supreme Court, and is the best preserved today. In a period in which audio technology was still developing, Ward paid special attention to the arrangement and choice of materials, to amplify the sound within the courtroom. His design ensured that without having to raise his voice, the judge could be heard at the front of the room and all the way to the viewing gallery at the back. If you would like to, you can approach the recessed white dome at the front of the courtroom, on your left as you enter. This is a tribune, and is where the judge sat. Not only is the underside of this lined with cork to improve the acoustics, the floor, walls and ceilings in the courtroom are all lined with acoustic plaster to absorb noise. At the time, it was reported in local newspapers that this use of acoustic plaster for the construction of the courtrooms was a first in Malaya. If you turn to look out across the courtroom, you are seeing it from the judge’s perspective. Just in front of you was the secretary who took notes on the proceedings. In the middle was the prisoner’s dock where defendants were shackled. At the back of the courtroom, you can see the viewing gallery located on the mezzanine level. The gallery seated about 100 members of the public who were able to access the courtroom through separate public entrances. Most of the features that you see in this room today are the original ones built in 1939 - from the bookshelves that house artworks today, to the ceiling designs. Even the air vents on the sides of the courtroom are original. While the courtroom has been adapted to become a gallery space today, you can still see clear traces of its past life if you look closely at the features around you.