Carcosa Seri Negara

Residence in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Carcosa Seri Negara is a residence located on two adjacent hills inside the Perdana Botanical Gardens, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Originally built as the official residence and guest house of the British High Commissioner in Malaya, it is now owned by the Government of Malaysia. The name is a composite of the two colonial mansions located on the compound: the residence, named Carcosa (completed in 1898), and the guest house, now named Seri Negara (1913). The buildings figured prominently in the Malaysian independence movement, with several meetings held there. Since Independence in 1957, it has been used as residences for visiting dignitaries (1957–1989), and as a luxury hotel (1989–2015). Since 2017, it has been used as a museum.

Carcosa Seri Negara refers to two buildings, the larger Carcosa and the smaller (and newer) Seri Negara (or King's House).

The Carcosa mansion was built in 1896–1897 as the official residence of Sir Frank Swettenham, the first British High Commissioner of the then Resident General of the Federated Malay States. It was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback under instruction from the State Engineer of Selangor's Public Work Department, Charles Edwin Spooner, and sometimes also credited to Arthur Charles Alfred Norman. According to a letter he wrote in 1936, Swettenham chose the name Carcosa from the name of a mythical city in the horror short story collection The King in Yellow. Swettenham assumed the word was a portmanteau of two Italian words, cara and casa, intended to mean "desirable dwelling".

Swettenham moved into Carcosa during construction, and the official housewarming party was not held until August 28, 1898. and the property was then vacated by the British High Commissioner on August 31, 1957, when it was returned to the Malayan Government. It was then opened as the Istana Tetamu (Guest's Palace), hosting many visiting dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth II in 1986. The lease was set for a renewable 10 year term.

The Carcosa Seri Negara Logo was designed by Johan Design Associates (JDA) in 1989. The Logo was derived from metaphors (involving natural elements, environment, humanity, charm and beauty etc. ), in this case a swan, are quite common, especially in the hospitality related outlets, exotic resorts, nature's goodness, romance and gender enhanced branding, where specific nuances are drawn into play. It exude perceptions of warm hospitality, sense of wellbeing, nature's exuberance, high society living and dining.

One of Carcosa Seri Negara's trademarks was the English afternoon tea, served in the drawing room, or on the wrap around verandah, overlooking the gardens. It was served daily.

In April 2017, the Asian Heritage Museum (AMH) signed a 3 year lease to rent Carcosa Seri Negara until 2020 where all its repairs will be solely taken responsible by the museum body itself. However, within 1 year before the slated handover in March 2019, the AHM was kicked out from the premises by the Federal Land Commissioner without any explanation with a note of seizure sent to them 1 month later. The residence appeared in an episode of The Amazing Race: All Stars, in which competing teams checked into a "Pit Stop" on the property. The 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians filmed scenes set at the ancestral Young mansion, named Tyersall Park, based on the former estate in Singapore of the same name, at the then abandoned Carcosa Seri Negara. Carcosa Seri Negara serves as the residences of the Blacketts and Mr Webb in the 2020 television production of The Singapore Grip.