Almost as if an antidote to mass tourism, the Urban Museum or Ur-Mu — a private contemporary art museum in Jalan Bedara, Kuala Lumpur, owned by architect Tan Loke Mun — has brought fresh perspective to the local cultural landscape since its opening in May 2022.
“I’ve always felt Malaysia is really lacking in the area of intellectual stimulation. We boast good tourist attractions, street food and historical sites like Batu Caves, but there is nothing that leaves a lasting impact. When you visit art galleries or museums in Europe, you might forget the coffee but you remember something that stimulated you intellectually,” observes Tan, when met at his second gallery-museum Ur-Mu @ Toffee in Jalan Raja Chulan.
As he felt Malaysia needed a space that offered more than just culinary delights or traditional tourist spots, this led him to establish Ur-Mu, which aims to provide an alternative cultural experience in the heart of KL.
“I wanted to give people an alternative to just the food in Jalan Alor and it’s in the same vicinity,” he explains.
In just two years, Ur-Mu 1 has garnered excellent reviews, with visitors frequently awarding it five stars on Google. “People come and share with us how interesting it is to find a space like this in the city. They never expected to find such an intellectually stimulating environment here.”
The area retains a gritty charm. “I would like to say it’s bohemian,” corrects Tan. “It has a lot of character, with low-rise, low-density buildings. It’s where the people who make Kuala Lumpur work, live. It’s still a very residential area.”
Ur-Mu 1 is strategically situated in the Golden Triangle and its central location has significantly boosted footfall.
Regarding the exhibition, he explains: “The whole collection on display is mine. Initially, I wanted to borrow pieces from others and bring in a variety of artwork. But during the Covid-19 period, I found it easier to experiment with my own collection first. There’s always the fear of things being damaged during transportation or that someone might vandalise the artwork. So, I decided to use my collection initially, and it has worked well. We’ve been open for two years without a single incident. Malaysians are quite well behaved.”
His first art space features artworks across 10 themed sections, a rooftop sculpture garden and a Balinese garden to memorialise the late landscape maestro from Bali, Pak Made Wijaya.
“A lot of my interests are architectural but I also love monsters, toys and quirky items,” says Tan, mulling over his eclectic taste.
One of the standout pieces at Ur-Mu 1 is a massive monster sculpture by Tan Zi Hao, titled The Skeleton of Makara (The Myth of a Myth). “It’s a fascinating concept. The sculpture is of a mythical being, makara, and is inspired by how we create dinosaurs from bones or sharks from teeth. The artist explores the idea that when we find certain parts, the missing pieces allow us to construct myths. What’s real and what’s not? Art is similar, it’s subjective. When you tell someone a piece of art is worth RM50,000, who can definitively say yes or no? The value is often arbitrary.”
On a sweet note
Tan recently completed work on his second contemporary art museum at The Toffee, a project that follows his successful transformation of Ur-Mu 1, which he views as a triumph of urban regeneration. He took an old, obsolete building and repurposed it from an apartment into a museum. “This new building is much larger than the first Ur-Mu. I get to try different things — create event areas and a multi-use building. Post-Covid-19, I feel the era of single-use buildings is over. People want spaces that combine a library, art gallery, gym and even a spa to manage stress.”
Reflecting on his lifelong passion for art, Tan says, “I always liked art in school. One year in primary school, my drawing won a prize and it was exhibited in Muzium Negara. My family believed I had talent after that. Art has always been part of architecture for me. Whenever something catches my eye and I can afford it, I buy it.”
His collection is notably multifaceted, reflecting his varied interests. “Some say it’s a clear reflection of who I am.” It includes sentimental pieces like Robert Powell’s watercolour works and standout displays at the second outpost’s level five include the enormous Sa-Hari Di Pekan by Kide Baharudin in the 1950s Lounge, Tan’s favourite space in The Toffee. This sitting room reflects the
Art Deco heritage of the building, originally the Malayan office of Asia Insurance Co Ltd, opened in the 1950s by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, our first prime minister.
Different sections on this floor showcase various themes, including Creature, Black & White, Colourist, Future Art (featuring artificial intelligence-generated artworks by Chong Yan Chuah and a highly collectible sculpture by New York-born graffiti artist Futura), The Pantry, Power + War and Silky Toffee. Pakhruddin “Pakha” Sulaiman’s Tubuh: Selected Works from the Pakhruddin Sulaiman Collection exhibition is housed on level six and there is also a rooftop community space called Boombong that offers a view of the city skyline. Event spaces are aplenty on other floors and plans for a café are underway.
Tan envisions the space evolving into an art and design hub, inspired by Hong Kong’s H Queen’s, where every floor houses a different gallery.
“We hope more galleries will join us. We have a fully staffed gallery ready to support them,” he explains. “The idea is to alleviate concerns about staffing and operational issues. People worry about labour but we have a stable backbone here.”
He emphasises the importance of training the next generation in museum operations. Many of their staff members and even part-timers have received invaluable lessons on art, which is not very common in Malaysia. This knowledge transfer is crucial for sustaining art appreciation.
Tan hopes that by reducing the barriers to entry, more private museums will emerge, showcasing the incredible work of local artists. “It’s time to share these hidden gems with tourists and the new generation,” he says.
Asked what role private collectors and galleries play in supporting the local art scene, Tan observes that Ur-Mu has influenced collectors to refine their tastes and standards. “Collectors now seek
museum-quality pieces. This pushes artists to elevate their work,” he notes. He recalls a time when the art market was flooded with repetitive works. Now, artists are more conscious about the quality of their output. Collectors look to museums to understand what constitutes a high standard.
This shift has benefited galleries too. “Recent shows have sold well because the artists’ work are collected by museums. It boosts their credibility and sales,” he explains.
Ur-Mu 3, located on Jalan Tun H S Lee, is set to open this month. It will feature the collection of architect and collector Ng Sek San. “It’s in a prime location between Petaling Street and Central Market. The building combines a café, flower shop, museum and rooftop water garden.” This new space, like the original Ur-Mu, aims to offer a unique urban experience.
Tan’s approach to curation is both dynamic and personal. “Pakha’s collection will continue as long as he wants. It’s only 20% of what he owns, so we might rotate it. My collection is flexible; I might add or subtract pieces for special shows.”
The Project Room on level four at The Toffee offers space for temporary exhibitions and product launches. “We had the PAM (Malaysian Institute of Architects) awards and showcase last month and we are gearing up for the Le Corbusier Exhibition from Nov 10 to Dec 29.”
After Tan opened the first Ur-Mu, many approached him to replicate the concept but they lacked an art collection. “It’s not just about having a space; it’s about years of curation and passion. You don’t suddenly find 100 pieces of good, museum-quality art on the market at one time. Some businessmen think everything can be bought but sometimes some of these things are beyond wealth.”
He acknowledges the need for spaces that foster community engagement. “We can now host talks and live sketching sessions. It’s about creating a platform for interaction and learning.”
Naming the building after his poodle Toffee, which died two years ago, exemplifies this sentiment.
“My children were overjoyed by this tribute. It’s a meaningful way to honour the pooch that was an important part of the family,” shares Tan.
This gesture highlights the personal and communal values driving his projects.
Designing dreams
While in Bukit Bintang Boys’ Secondary School, Tan was actively involved in the maintenance club, where he developed a knack for tools and became Mr Fixit.
“I learnt to be a handyman, which partly influenced my decision to pursue a career in the building industry and architecture,” he reflects.
His talent for art, discovered in primary school, further shaped his career path. At Deakin University, Australia, his undergraduate education was highly technical.
“We were taught how to build. It wasn’t just about construction but creating beautiful structures.” During his time there, Melbourne was a melting pot of ideas, profoundly influencing his thinking.
“The greatest thing I got from my doctorate at The University of Melbourne was learning to think and develop ideas that could make a difference.”
His doctorate focused on self-help housing, empowering low-income individuals with the skills to build their own homes. “I set up a housing programme in Victoria, which ran for many years. I became a social builder, training people to build,” he says.
After spending a decade Down Under, he returned to Malaysia in 1992 and joined the renowned Kington Loo — one of the first Malaysian architecture graduates from The University of Melbourne in 1953 — at BEP Architects. “Working there taught me about honesty, integrity and managing large projects.”
He needed to work for a year to get registered as an architect.
“After that, I started my practice, but Kington appointed me back as a consultant for two more years.”
In 1994, he founded Archicentre with a vision to create a firm known for award-winning and unique projects.
“Even while working for the government, I always liked being on my own. Archicentre was a dream to be unique,” says the past president of PAM, who served from 2005 to 2007.
As his presidency was nearing its end, the world was facing a subprime recession. Awareness of climate change was rising, partly due to former US vice-president Al Gore’s book and documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. “The recession allowed property owners and tenants to reset, demanding green buildings. In our country, we lacked a green rating tool, so I volunteered to lead the creation of
Green Building Index (GBI) Malaysia,” he explains. Launched in 2009, it remains the country’s original tropical green rating tool.
His home in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, the multi-award-winning S11, still remains the greenest house in the country, having achieved GDI Platinum certification. Just before Covid-19, he added another 20 kilowatt peak (kWp) of solar panels to his roof, making the house entirely self-reliant on electricity. His motivation stemmed from his role in GBI, wanting to test its efficacy and from past mistakes with clients’ homes where high electricity bills highlighted the need for better energy efficiency.
Balancing family and work is a challenge for Tan.
“My wife calls me ‘Peter Pan’ because I’m still a child at heart. She jokes that while I have won many architecture awards, I score zero for ‘Husband of the Year’,” he laughs.
He advises young architects to follow the five Ds: dream, dare, define yourself, do and don’t give up. “Defining who you are makes the journey enjoyable.”
The couple has two sons: the older is 26 and an architect in Manchester, while the younger, 22, is a recent computer science graduate from San Diego now doing his master’s.
“We try to reunite as a family once a year, usually in Japan.”
Outside of architecture and art, Tan goes to church every week and wishes to travel more. “What keeps me going is the energy from the young people around me. In my office, the average age is 26 years old. They try to teach me not to work so hard. The learning never stops,” he says.
This article first appeared on Aug 5, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia.
