The building in 1951

Malayan Bank Chambers, also known as Maybank Chambers and originally known as the Whiteaway Laidlaw Building or the Whiteaway Laidlaw & Co Building, was a building on Battery Road in Singapore.

Description

The building four-storey building did not have a particular style of architecture. The building was fire-proof. The ground floor of the building had a lift and a staircase, both connecting to the first, second and third floors of the building. An 8 ft verandah ran along the building's frontage. The basement was 12,000 sq ft large and 20 ft high. The flooring was made of concrete, and the room was light and airy.[1]

The window fronts were made of teak. The ground floor also contained permanent show cases. The roof of the building was cut in two.[2] The building also had vaulted concrete slabs spanning steel girders with corrugated iron permanent shuttering.[3]

History

The building was constructed in 1915 as the signature department store of Whiteaway Laidlaw in Singapore.[1] The building cost $300,000 to build.[2] The building was designed by London-based architects H. O. Ellis and W. H. Clarke.[4] During the Japanese occupation of Singapore, the building was taken over by the Japanese army, and department store chain Tokyu commenced business in the building.[3]

In 1951, a $2,040,000 bid to take over the building after the expiration of the building's lease in 1963 was rejected.[5] Maybank took over the building for $3.6 million in 1962, renaming it Malayan Bank Chambers, and spent $15 million on upgrading the building.[6] Maybank also spent $7 million on refurbishing the interior of the building, which was done in phases from 1989 to 1994.[7][8]

On 29 September 1997, Maybank announced plans to redevelop the building for $110 million.[9] The building was demolished in 1998 to make way for the Maybank Tower.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Fine New Building". Malaya Tribune. Singapore. 31 May 1915. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Whiteaway, Laidlaw". The Straits Times. Singapore. 31 May 1915. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Chua, Joshua Yeong Jia. "Whiteaway Laidlaw". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  4. ↑ "WHITEAWAY'S". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. Singapore. 31 May 1915. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "BID FOR WHITE AWAY BLDG. FAILS". Singapore Tiger Standard. Singapore. 19 December 1951. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  6. ↑ "SingLand wins Maybank HQ contract". The Business Times. Singapore. 5 February 1998.
  7. ↑ "SingLand is project manager for Maybank's HQ redevelopment". The Straits Times. Singapore. 5 February 1998.
  8. ↑ Tan, Colin (30 September 1997). "Maybank plans major makeover for S'pore HQ". The Straits Times. Singapore.
  9. ↑ Oon, Diana (30 September 1997). "Maybank to rebuild S'pore HQ for $110m". The Business Times. Singapore.

1°17′09″N 103°51′08″E / 1.2859°N 103.8523°E / 1.2859; 103.8523

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