A Preliminary Study on the Architectural Influences of Istana Lama Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan

Traditional Malay Royal Palaces in Malaysia are significant architectural buildings which have been an important and iconic symbol of the rulers and royal families. Functioning as a place of residence and administration, Traditional Malay Royal Palaces are regarded as significant architectural heritage of historical importance. This can be said for all of the Traditional Malay Royal Palaces found in Malaysia including several palaces found in Negeri Sembilan. One of the more noteworthy palaces in Negeri Sembilan is the Istana Lama Seri Menanti which is unique in many ways especially architecturally. It is widely accepted that Negeri Sembilan has always been linked with the Minangkabau of Sumatera, Indonesia and thus it is important to define palace architecture in Negeri Sembilan such as that of Istana Lama Seri Menanti is of local indigenous architecture and not that of the Minangkabau architecture. Hence this paper is a preliminary study on the architectural influences of Istana Lama Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan and aims at investigating the influences found in the architecture of this palace. The methodologies undertaken were of case studies and precedent studies of Traditional Malay Royal Palaces in nine states of Peninsular Malaysia, document analysis of Measured Drawings archived at Center for the Study of Built Environment in the Malay World (KALAM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and site visits to selected palace locations. Findings of this research will indicate the significance of Istana Lama Seri Menanti with regards to its architectural influences and importance within the community.