has two stories, with the floor plan roughly in the shape of the letter F with an extended top bar representing the frontage. The facade of the building faces the Padang and stretches over along Jalan Raja, at that time the largest building in Malaya. The building has wide verandas on both floors. A central clock tower is in height, and designed to echo the Big Ben but in an Indo-Saracenic style. Two lower towers flanked the clock tower, each containing a staircase. The design of these two towers may have been influenced by Muir Central College of Allahabad in India. All three towers are topped by a copper-clad onion dome. The style of the building is sometimes referred to as the "blood and bandages" style—red bricks with white plastered arches and banding. Construction The construction of the building began in September 1894 and was completed in 1897. The foundation stone was laid on 6 October 1894 by the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir Charles Mitchell. The building sits on an area of 1.034 hectares, with the floor of the building occupying an area of . The construction used 4 million bricks, 2,500 barrels of cement, 18,000 pikuls of lime, 5,000 lbs of copper, 50 tons of steel and iron, and about 30,000 cubic feet of timber. Spooner had previously established in the Brickfields area a factory for the production of large number of higher quality bricks, tiles and other building material suitable for the construction of the building. The cost of construction was 152,000 straits dollars. Spooner also made many alterations and additions while the building was being constructed with the help of A. B. Hubback. Some of these, such as an extra two and a half feet of brickwork on the lower walls, were necessary to strengthen the building due to it being built so close to the river. The height of the clock tower had also caused much concern to the public, who thought that the tower might collapse due to the ground vibrations caused by a loud signal gun fired daily at noon and 5 pm, but the built tower proved to be sturdy. A problem arose with the clock first delivered as it was not in harmony with the building, and it was replaced by a second one. The clock was manufactured by Gillett & Johnston Ltd of Croydon. Opening The building was completed