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Inside a block of dilapidated walk-up apartments in Bukit Bintang is Ur-Mu, a small art gallery with big ideas
Located in a neighbourhood along Jalan Bedara and one of the last residential areas in Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle, the Urban Museum or Ur-Mu is a purpose-built contemporary art museum by Dr Tan Loke Mun, principal of DrTanLM Architect and founder of DTLM group.
Tan, an art enthusiast who has been collecting contemporary works by Malaysian and regional artists since his university days, also owns the property but wasn’t sure what to do with it until he visited the Rembrandt museum in Amsterdam, which houses a magnificent collection within a limited space.
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The Ur-Mu entrance
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The 1950s modernist four-storey walk-up apartment building features an original layout of eight two-bedroom flats, all of which were retained but with additions of a lobby, a roof-top garden, a lift, a washroom for the disabled, and a new façade.
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Artwork are thematically curated
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This new facade features an industrial steel and red brick entry and a modern staggered glazed cubic form that may stand out from the neighbours but still pays homage to its surrounding scale.
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Sculptures in spatial arrangements
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Each floor is divided into two sections and categorised thematically, so the 100-plus artwork have been curated with their corresponding narratives.
In accordance with Brâncuși’s concept of spatial arrangements, the interior is designed with the sculptures and artwork displayed along the wall of a sky-lit ceiling
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Abdul Multhalib Musa’s large scale sculpture
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The rooftop terrace culminates with a commissioned outdoor sculpture by Abdul Multhalib Musa titled Wing It!. This large-scale sculpture is set amidst a garden called Made’s Garden.
Paying homage to Made Wijaya’s design philosophy of embracing architectural ideals, the splendour of tropical flora combined with the roof’s breathtaking views make this Balinese garden soar.
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Credits
Photography: Lin Ho
Jennifer Choo is Regional Managing Editor of Tatler Homes, covering architecture, interior design, and art across Asia. Based in Malaysia, she oversees regional content on luxury residential design and contemporary art collections. Legally trained but choosing to pursue her passion for design, she previously led notable design publications and worked as an interior stylist and art consultant for property developers, design firms, and private clients.
