Walk in Bras Basah by Sam Lii

Walk in Bras Basah

The National Heritage Board aims to foster nationhood, promote identity building, and champion the development of a vibrant cultural and heritage sector in Singapore. As the custodian of Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage, NHB is responsible for telling the Singapore story, sharing the Singaporean experience and imparting our Singapore spirit. Through the national collection, NHB presents heritage programmes and curates exhibitions to connect the past, present and future generations of Singaporeans through a shared experience. To document and archive the national monuments, stimulate public interest, also to promote greater awareness and appreciation of Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architectural heritage and history through these National Monuments.

OUR MISSION

To preserve and celebrate our shared heritage "NHB undertakes the roles of safeguarding and promoting the heritage of our diverse communities, for the purpose of education, nation-building and cultural understanding."

OUR VISON

Pride in our Past, Legacy for our Future "Singaporeans who know and understand our history, and cherish the importance of leaving legacies towad a shared future."

Walk in Bras Basah

CONTENTS

CONTENTS Introduction Content page Map

1 3 4

Former St.Josephs Institution (Now Singapore Art Museum) 6 Church of St.Peter & St.paul 12 Restaurant & CAFE *FOOD FOR THOUGHT 18 Cathedral of the Good Shepherd 22

Former convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel and Caldwell House (Now CHIJMES) 28 Former cathay Building (Now the Cathay) 34 Overview 40

THE CATHAY

Walk Walk in in Bras Bras Basah Basah

MAP MAP AND AND DIRECTION DIRECTION 3

ST.PETER & ST.PAUL CHURCH

RESTAURANT

GO ACROSS THE ROAD IT'S "SAM"

YOU ARE AT BRAS BASAH MRT STATION.

CATHEDRAL OF GOOD SHEPHERD

CHIJMES

Walk in Bras Basah

RECOMMENDATION OF ROUTES

MAP AND DIRECTION

If you are taking the MRT, and have a strict time table to follow it will be best to visite the monuments in this order. 1 >> 2 >> 3 >> 4 >> 5 and skip the Cathay. As Cathay is just too far for walking and might take longer time to reach your destination. If you don't mind where you start and you are free on the day, it will be best to follow 5 >> 4 >> 2 >> 3 >> 6 so you can see all the monuments introduced in this publication. AND you can enjoy a movie time with your family or friends in the Cathay which is the last stop of our tour.

71 BRAS BASAH RD SINGAPORE 189555

Walk in Bras Basah

SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM

The former St Joseph’s Institution building was established in 1867 and served as a boys’ school for a number of years. Bound by Queen Street, Bras Basah Road and Waterloo Street, the school consisted of a cluster of buildings built between the mid-19th century and the early 20th century in a classical style reminiscent of the European Renaissance. The school moved to its current location at Malcolm Road in 1987. The old building was gazetted as a national monument on 14 February 1992, and now houses the Singapore Art Museum.

EARLY YEARS

The St Joseph’s Institution building began with Father Jean-Marie Beurel, who was instrumental in raising funds not only for this boys’ school but also for the Church of the Good Shepherd (now known as the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd) and the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (now known as CHIJMES). After establishing the church in 1847, he raised monies for its adornment as well as for the boys’ school. He felt strongly that “a church without a school is like a King without progeny". In May 1852, Father Beurel’s hopes for a school were fulfilled when it was opened at the site of the first Roman Catholic chapel that had been built in 1833. The foundation stone for the school building was laid on 19 March 1855 at Bras Basah Road, but a continual lack of funds meant that the building was established only in 1867. Brother Lothaire Combes was appointed the new director of the school in 1863. He sought to finish the school building and obtained funding through the sales of the Brothers’ property on Mount Sophia,

through a public appeal, and by borrowing from the convent. He even managed to obtain the support of the government, which offered bricks for sale at cost price, although nothing came of this as the supply of bricks was eventually used up for the building of the Istana. Irish-American Brother Michael Noctor took charge of the school in 1900 and is credited with some of the more distinctive features of the school. He continued to seek funding for the school building and, with the help of Father Charles-Benedict Nain, extended the original building by adding two wings, a dome and various other features for which the building remains well known today. Even as the main block was rebuilt, classes continued to overflow and Brother Noctor made further efforts to build another block known as Anderson Building, which opened in 1907. The Hall and Chapel above it were completed in September 1912. The dedication service at the Chapel in November 1912 marked the Diamond Jubilee of the founding of the school.

FORMER

ST.JOSEPHS INSTITUTION

SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM

FEATURES Central block

The building’s central structure dates back to the mid-19th century. Brother Combes is credited with its design, which is typical of French 19th-century religious architecture, with classical elements especially in its façade. It was a rectangular two-storey block with a pitched roof and a small belfry that was later replaced by a dome at the turn of the 20th century. When completed in 1867, the ground floor of the block included classrooms and the parlour while the upper floor served as accommodation for the Brothers and boarding for about 60 students. The hall was an open shed located in the yard that was unpaved ground with shade from a few trees. Brother Noctor further developed the structure with the addition of a dining and study hall on the Queen Street side of the compound. Rising enrolments meant that new classrooms were required. Brother Michael’s perseverance led to government funding. However, after consultation with the architecture firm of Messrs Swan & McLaren, plans to build a third floor were abandoned and lateral extensions were made instead with the addition of two wings. Arranged in a semi-circle, the wings were designed by Father Nain in a Baroque style, with a twostorey colonnade and a dome uniting the design with the original block. Dedicated in February 1903, the new building was regarded at the time as one of the most beautiful in the East. It also had a porte-cochere (coach port) and a verandah at the front of the block, with the back verandah added in 1910.

Anderson Building

Opened on 2 August 1907, the building was designed by Robert Hamilton in a Classical style. Although Brother Noctor had managed to raise funds especially from the wealthy Straits Chinese businessman Tan Jiak Kim, the cost of steel had risen so much that the cost of the building rose by $12,000. An appeal to Governor John Anderson led to added government grants and so the building, which was opened by the governor, was named after him. It housed classrooms for the rapidly expanding school, and had a central staircase that projected into the courtyard.

Chapel Building

With the completion of Anderson Building, Brother Michael set about building a new hall and chapel. The two-storey block, designed by C. Himsley, had a hall with arches on the ground floor and the chapel above it. The hall, named St. George’s Hall, was designed as a loggia with columns and it came to be one of the largest school halls in Singapore. In later years, the hall became a gymnasium, then the school hall in the 1950s. The completion of the chapel was delayed because its stained glass did not arrive on time from Europe. It was dedicated in 1912. In 1940, a stage and changing rooms were added to the hall below. During the Japanese Occupation, the beautiful stained glass was removed to Sts Peter’s and Paul’s Church but was never recovered thereafter. In 1951, the arches were enclosed, giving it a flattened look.

Brothers’ Quarters

In the 1930s, a three-storey block in Art Deco style was added to house the Brothers and offer more classroom space. It had brick walls and circular windows by the staircase.

Statue of de La Salle

The school is well known for its statue of St John Baptist de La Salle, standing with a child on either side. This was donated in 1913 by a descendant of de La Salle who had been resident in Singapore. Designed by the famous 19th-century sculptor of religious statues, Cesare Aureli, the design is based on a larger version found in St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. The cast-iron statue was nicknamed “the three dolls”. Because the statue seemed to be pointing in the direction of St Andrew’s School, which was located across the field at the time, the inhouse joke was that the founder was directing graduates of St Joseph’s to proceed to St Andrews’s since the Brothers could do no more for its students.

JAPANESE OCCUPATION During World War II, the school grounds were used by both the British and Japanese at different times. Prior to the fall of Singapore to the Japanese, the British had used it for military casualties while the Japanese used it as temporary barracks when they invaded Singapore. During the Japanese Occupation, the school was known as the Bras Basah Road Boys’ School.

RELOCATION AND CONSERVATION

St Joseph’s Institution relocated to Malcolm Road in December 1987. The original building underwent extensive conservation work at a cost of S$30 million and was gazetted as a national monument on 14 February 1992 before reopening on 20 January 1996 as the Singapore Art Museum. During the conservation process, the Central block, Anderson Building and Chapel building were retained while the Brothers’ quarters, the Badminton Hall and the ECA building were demolished. The central staircase in the courtyard that had fallen into disrepair had been replaced with two modern staircases in 1950, but these were removed during the conservation process. Conservation work sought to retain as much of the original details as possible, including the plasterwork of the façade at the main entrance, the roof patina, and roof and floor tiles. Using creative solutions, conservators and architects were able to meet the complicated process of remaining true to the building’s original structure while adapting it to the stringent requirements of an art museum. The museum has 13 galleries, all climatecontrolled, as well as an underground storage space below the wing at Queen Street. The Chapel is now known as the Auditorium while the Hall below it is the Glass Hall. When St Joseph’s Institution moved to its current location in 1987, the statue of de La Salle remained at the Singapore Art Museum while a replica of the statue produced in China was installed at the new school in March 1988.

CHURCH OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL

225A QUEEN STREET SINGAPORE 188551

Walk in Bras Basah

CHURCH OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL

CHURCH OF ST.PETER & ST.PAUL The Church of Saints Peter & Paul is located at 225A Queen Street. Built in 1870, the church is historically associated with the growth of the Chinese Catholic community in Singapore. The church building was gazetted as a national monument in 2003.

ORIGINS In the 1830s, a small chapel was erected at Bras Basah Road, on the site of the former Saint Joseph's Institution (currently the Singapore Art Museum) to serve the religious needs of the Chinese Catholic community. The chapel soon proved too small for the growing number of worshippers. When the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd opened nearby in 1847, the Chinese congregation joined worshippers there. Subsequently, with the growing needs of various linguistic groups, Father Pierre Paris, then overseeing the needs of Chinese and Indian Catholics, made plans to build a new church. The Church of Saints Peter & Paul was thus built and completed in 1870. The church was named after Saint Peter, the leading apostle of Christ, and Saint Paul of Tarsus, who is known for his conversion to Christianity while travelling to Damascus. A prominent Chinese Catholic, Pedro Tan Neo Keah, contributed significantly to the

construction of the church and also encouraged people to donate to the cause. Father Paris died in 1883 and his remains, together with another founder of the church, Father Adolphe Issaly, were interred at the church.

DEVELOPMENTS The church was built in the tropical Gothic style, a popular architectural style during the colonial period in Singapore. The faรงade features the statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Within the square belfry are three bronze bells installed by Father Paris that are still in use today. The bells were cast in Mans, France, and are decorated on the rims with engravings of Christ and the Virgin Mary. Inside the church, there are five stained glass windows made in France and installed around 1870. The glass panels feature, among others figures, the patron saints, Peter and Paul, and St Joseph. By the 1860s, the original Church proved to be too small and was enlarged

between 1891and 1892 by Father F. Vignol. The expansion included the construction of three marble altars, a new transept and sacristy. Between 1901 and 1902, extensions to the choir loft, porch and faรงade were paid for by Low Gek Seng and a prominent Chinese Catholic, Joseph Chan Teck Hee. At the same time, the original wooden columns were replaced with steel ones. A further expansion between 1910 and 1911 resulted in the decoration of the entrance porch and choir loft. Chan bought the land adjoining the church and built 11 houses in 1897 at his own cost to accommodate widows, catechists and the aged. This became St Joseph's House. Chan, together with Low Gek Seng, bore the cost of the 1910-1911 expansion of the church. In 1915, the existing gas lighting was replaced with electric lights. In 1969, to mark its centenary the following year, the church underwent major renovation at an estimated cost of S$65,000.

Walk in Bras Basah

Walk in Bras Basah In 2001, the Church underwent redevelopment work and undertook a fund-raising drive to raise an estimated $7 million. The work added a new parish building, a columbarium and an Adoration chapel to the church.

PEOPLE AND EVENTS In 1928, the church received large groups of Chinese Catholic immigrants from Swatow seeking refuge from Communist persecution in China. In the same year, Monseigneur Emile Joseph Mariette, the Vicar of the church, was killed by a falling plank at the building worksite of the Church of St Teresa, which was then under construction.

CHURCH OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL Augustine Seet was from a family of loyal parishioners who had served the church for several generations. His father, Seet Twa Tee, was a dedicated catechist for 42 years, from 1883 to 1925. Augustineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brother was Father Michael Seet, who in 1911 became the first Straits-born Chinese to be ordained a priest. Augustineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son, Francis, continued the family tradition of serving as church sacristan. In the 1980s, the church was the venue for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Also known as the Queen Street Church, the building was gazetted a national monument on 10 February 2003.

In 1941, the statue of Saint Peter was damaged by a mentally unstable man claiming to be the reincarnation of Christ. He was jailed on the charge of defiling a place of worship. In 1961, two long-serving parishioners of the church, Francis Heng Im Hock and Augustine Seet Kiam Koo, each received the Papal Medal from Pope John XXIII, the highest award given to laymen in recognition of meritorious service to the Pope and the Church. Heng had been the church organist from the age of 18, retiring in 1960 at the age of 81. Seet had served as the church sacristan from the age of 15 and was still carrying out his duties at the age of 81, when he received the medal.

RESTAURANTS AND CAFE

Walk in Bras Basah

RESTAURANTS AND CAFE

CATHEDRAL OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD A QUEEN STREET SINGAPORE 188533

The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd stands at the junction of Queen Street and Bras Basah Road. Built between 1843 and 1847, it is the oldest surviving Catholic church in Singapore and is today the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese and Archbishop. The Cathedral was gazetted as a national monument on 28 June 1973.

Walk in Bras Basah

CATHEDRAL OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

HISTORY Raffles gave land at Bras Basah to the Catholic Church as early as 1822. However, it was only with the arrival of Father J. B. Boucho in 1832 that the first Catholic chapel was built there. The wood-and-attap construction was built at a cost of $700, with the money raised through public subscription. The old site at No. 3 Bras Basah Road was later converted into a school that became St Joseph's Institution (now the Singapore Art Museum). In February 1843, a dynamic French priest, Father JeanMarie Beurel, managed to convince the colonial government to provide the Catholic mission with a plot of land diagonally opposite, at the corner of Queen Street and Bras Basah Road. The plot became the location for the Church of the Good Shepherd. The foundation stone was laid on 18 June 1843 by John Conolly, a merchant resident in Singapore. French and Portuguese priests contended for the honour of evangelizing and pastoring in Singapore. Their rivalry required a papal intervention in 1886 to decide their respective spheres of influence. The French priest, Jean Marie Beurel laboured 30 years in Singapore from 1839-68. He found, on his arrival, a church which he then began to use as a school, thereby starting what developed as the St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Institution. On a nearby site he erected a bigger church, completed in 1846 and opened by him. The church was extended by three bays to its present length in 1888. The consecration of the church as the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd occurred in 1897.

The architect Denis Lesley McSwiney apparently competed with John Turnbull Thomson for the design of this new church, with McSwiney's design chosen because his had been cheaper. It was built at a cost of just over $18,000, in Renaissance style with the traditional cruciform plan and Roman Doric pillars. Shortly after the completion of the church, Father Beurel blessed it on 6 June 1947. In 1847, the distinguished water colourist, Charles Alexander Dyce, added a tower and spire that were modelled after the J. T. Thomson spire of St Andrew's Church nearby. Antwerp marble paving was added in 1860 and the nave extended in 1888. The Archbishop's Residence was designed by Father Charles Nain. In 1888, with the growing Catholic population in Singapore, the church was raised to the status of a cathedral. On 14 February 1897, the Bishop of Malacca, the Reverend Rene Fee consecrated the church after all bills were settled. The relics of St. Laurent Imbert, the first priest to visit Singapore (later martyred in Korea), are preserved in the Cathedral.

CATHEDRAL OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Walk in Bras Basah

he Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is the oldest Catholic Church in Singapore but does not possess the architecture splendor like other cathedrals / churches. It is located in the Museum Planning Area within the Civic District. The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd was constructed in the Neo-Gothic Style in 1897.It is located in the heart of downtown San Sebastian. The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd was designed by the Basque Architect Manuel De Echave. There are a lot of stained glass windows (designed by Juan Bautista Lazaro) in the church that allows a lot of light into the building. There is a sculpture of Christ as the Good Shepherd above the altar. The Cathedral has several side altars done in gold leaf which are beautiful. The church also contains the country’s oldest pipe organ – still in good condition and is played occasionally.

he building is built in sandstone from the Monte Igueldo quarries and there is a tower that measures 75 m in height, built by Ramon Cortazar. There are statues of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, San Antonio, Santa Teresa, and the Sagrado Corazon. The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is located in the Ensanche de Amara. The Mass is well-organized and there are a lot of Usherettes to assist you in the Church. The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd has a fascinating association with the History Of Korea’s Catholic Martyrs. Saint Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert, in all probability the first Catholic priest to the island, died a martyr in Korea and the church’s name “Good Shepherd” was inspired by what he wrote knowing the persecutions the missionaries will face “In desperate circumstances, the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” The church has a very dynamic congregation.

Interior – Good Shepherd Cathedral

Year of Construction 1846 Date of Gazette 28 June 1973 Architech

Denis Lesley McSwiney

CHIJMES

Walk in Bras Basah

CHIJMES

20 VICTORIA STREET SINGAPORE 187996

CHIJMES C H I J M E S w a s o r i g i n a l l y k n ow n as the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ), a premier girls’ school established in 1854 by an order of French Catholic nuns. Originally located on a self-contained city block bound by Victoria Street, Bras Basah Road, North Bridge Road and Stamford Road, the site formerly included the Englishlanguage primary and secondary schools, a Chinese-medium school called St Nicholas Girls’ School, an orphanage, the nun’s quarters, and the chapel. In 1983, the primary and secondary schools relocated to their current premises at 626 and 628 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh respectively. The site was redeveloped and partially demolished to build the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC) headquarters. The remaining complex includes Caldwell House, the chapel now known as CHIJMES Hall, and the orphanage building, and now houses a number of retail and food and beverage outlets. The complex was gazetted as a national monument on 26 October 1990.

In 1851, Father Jean-Marie Beurel, priest of the Good Shepherd Church, was sent to Paris to recruit teachers on behalf of the Apostolic Vicar of Malaya. He approached the Institute of the Charitable Schools of the Holy Infant Jesus of St Maur, an order of welleducated and socially conscious nuns. In October 1852, the order sent a group of nuns, led by Rev. Mother Mathilde Raclot, to Penang, where they established the first Infant Jesus school in Asia.

Walk in Bras Basah In February 1854, Mother Raclot and three companions travelled to Singapore, where they moved into a house on the corner of Victoria Street and Bras Basah Road. Purchased from magistrate’s clerk H. C. Caldwell, it came to be known as Caldwell House. Despite the initially austere living conditions, the sisters commenced lessons for two classes of students less than two weeks after their arrival. Later referred to colloquially as the “Town Convent”, the school soon expanded and became known for providing education of a good standard. The following year, the convent acquired the house adjacent to Caldwell House. This became an orphanage for children who were unwanted or from poor or broken homes. Single mothers or women who could not afford to keep their babies often left them at the orphanage’s side gate, which came to be known as the “Baby Gate” and the “Gate of Hope”. Such abandoned children were often female, Chinese, and suffering from poor health. Many died after being abandoned, with some already dead upon arrival. Those that survived learned vocational and domestic skills and received a free education at the school. By the 1890s, the simple chapel that had been constructed in 1855 had become insufficient for the expanding school and

CHIJMES orphanage. In 1898, a new Gothic chapel was designed by Father Charles Benedict Nain, a priest from the Church of St Peter and St Paul and a trained architect who also designed the distinctive wings of St Joseph’s Institution. The chapel was completed in 1903 and consecrated on 11 June 1904. Classes were started for Chinese-speaking girls at four bungalows rented from Hotel Van Wijk (also known as Hotel Van Dyke), adjacent to the convent site. In October 1931, the convent bought the hotel and demolished it. A new block of classrooms was built in 1933 that became Victoria Girls’ School, later St Nicholas Girls’ School. Relocation of school and development of CHIJMES As early as the 1960s, there was talk of developing what was known then as Raffles International Centre, where Raffles City now stands. By the early 1970s, the government was considering this in tandem with plans to develop a mass transport system. All these plans earmarked the large convent site for redevelopment. The government eventually acquired the land from the convent in 1983, and the schools were allocated a new site in Toa Payoh. On 3 November 1983, mass was held in the chapel for the last time, after which it was deconsecrated for non-religious

CHIJMES use. By December, the primary and secondary schools had vacated the Victoria Street site and moved to their new premises in Toa Payoh, where they began operations the following year. At the original convent site, the secondary school building was demolished in 1984 to build the MRTC headquarters. After initially indicating that it would undertake the restoration of the site, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) put up the site for sale in March 1990. To preserve the ambience of the remaining buildings, URA gazetted

Walk in Bras Basah Caldwell House and the chapel as national monuments in 1990, and designated the entire complex a conservation area with high restoration standards and strict usage guidelines. The buildings underwent extensive restoration works before the complex reopened in 1996 as CHIJMES. Pronounced â&#x20AC;&#x153;chimesâ&#x20AC;?, the name incorporates the initials of the original school and echoes its history as the site of a chapel and schools.

Walk in Bras Basah

CHIJMES

ARCHITECTURE The three main buildings within the CHIJMES complex are Caldwell House, the orphanage and the chapel. Built between 1840 and 1841, Caldwell House is the secondoldest building in Singapore and the oldest building within the complex. Designed by architect G. D. Coleman, it is one of the few surviving examples of his work. The front of the twostorey building extends in a semi-circle that creates a distinctive profile. The nuns received visitors in the parlour on the ground floor and did their sewing, reading and writing upstairs for many years. The upstairs lounge originally contained a large octagonal wooden table that now resides at the LASALLE College of the Arts. The room still features an original wall inscription that reads Marche en ma presence et sois parfait (French for “Walk along with me and be perfect”). Continuing Coleman’s neoclassical style, the two-storey orphanage is the second-oldest building within the complex. The interior of the upper floor, formerly the dormitory, features a grand gallery with large Doric columns supporting a vaulted timber ceiling. The centrepiece of the CHIJMES complex is the Gothic chapel with its flanking linkways. Renamed CHIJMES Hall, the building exterior features flying buttresses and a fivestorey spire. Carved letters on the chapel façade stand for Iesu Homine Salvator (Latin for “Jesus, Saviour of the World”). Each of the 648 columns of the building and linkways feature unique, intricate carvings of tropical birds and plants. The chapel interior features delicate stained glass windows that were produced in Bruges, Belgium by Jules Dobbelaere, considered the finest stained glass craftsman in late nineteenthcentury Europe. The glass panels depict scenes from the Bible as well as the 12 apostles. Below a cross-vaulted ceiling, the floor of the chapel is laid with multi-coloured terrazzo tiles. The chapel originally contained wooden pews imported from Toulouse, France.

2 HANDY RD SINGAPORE 229233

Walk in Bras Basah

THE CATHAY

Cathay Building, located at the foot of Mount Sophia, was once the tallest building in Singapore. It used to house the popular Cathay Cinema as well as the famous Cathay Hotel and Cathay Restaurant. The cinema was opened in 1939 while the main tower was completed in 1941. During World War II, the building served as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;brain centreâ&#x20AC;? for the colonial government, functioning similarly for the Japanese forces during the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945). On 10 February 2003, it was gazetted as a national monument of Singapore. BACKGROUND

At the foot of Mount Sophia (Bukit Seligi) in the Dhoby Ghaut area, there once stood a Victorian-style building which housed the family of prominent businessman Teo Hoo Lye. Its ground floor was occupied by Louis Molteni's bakery and confectionary. This building stood for purchased by the family of the late Loke Yew in 1937 and the land cleared for the construction of Cathay Building. $1 million to build. Sitting on a solid rock foundation on the slopes of Mount Sophia, it was the tallest building (measuring 83.51m from Dhoby Ghaut to the top of the building's water tower) in Singapore until the Asia Insurance Building was completed in 1954.

Walk in Bras Basah

THE CATHAY

HISTORY Formation years Cathay Cinema, located in the front block, was the first section to be completed in 1939. The 1,321-seat cinema with black marble pillars, green tiled floors and gold ceilings opened on 3 October 1939. It was the first public space to be air-conditioned in Singapore. The opening movie was Four Feathers which starred Ralph Richardson and C. Audrey Smith. The band from the 2nd Battalion (North Lancashire) Royal Regiment performed before the 9:15 pm movie premiere.

World War II By early December 1941, Cathay Cinema was one of the few places left for relaxation in those anxious times, screening movies despite dwindling audiences. With the war imminent, the main building was rented out to the government and the British Malaya Broadcasting Corporation. Five floors were occupied by broadcast studios and administration, and two floors by the Ministry of Economic Warfare, while the Royal Air Force occupied two rooms on another floor. Cathay Building became the “brain centre” for the government. During the initial air raids and before Singapore fell to the Japanese, the building's ground floor was used by nearby residents as an air-raid shelter. On 8 February 1942, when the Japanese accelerated their attacks on Singapore, the radio station actively broadcast updates on enemy advances from their studios at the building. It has been estimated that the cinema was hit by at least 14 shells in February 1942, with one striking on the 15th after noon, killing a few Australians who were in the hall at the time. The cinema hall was then being used for shelter and refuge. Singapore fell into enemy hands that evening. During the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese Broadcasting Department moved into the building, took over the existing broadcasting facilities and, in March 1942, began Radio Syonan's transmissions from here. Later, their Propaganda Department Headquarters and Military Information Bureau were stationed here too. The restaurant became the dining

room for Japanese military officers stationed in the building. Occasional movie screenings were held for the public but these films were from existing stock in the storerooms. The fourthfloor preview theatre screened American movies exclusively for Japanese officers. Outside the building, there were human heads stuck on poles; these were beheaded looters and other victims of the Japanese military. The redeveloped Cathay Building was officially opened on 24 March 2006 and renamed The Cathay. The new complex was designed by Japanese architect Paul Tange of Tange Associates. The key feature of the building is a glass façade, which incorporates the original brown-tiled façade of the old Cathay Building. Within the complex, there is a shopping mall, which takes up the first four floors of the building, and a cineplex. The cineplex includes the plush Grand Cathay, which is the biggest hall in the cineplex, and the Picturehouse, which continues to show art house fares. On the second floor of the shopping mall, there is a history gallery called the Cathay Gallery showcasing the history of Cathay Building and the Loke family. The rest of the building consists of a residential block.

ARCHITECTURE The Cathay Building was designed by British architect Frank W Brewer in the 1930s. The building was the first and tallest skyscraper in Singapore and in Southeast Asia, with a height of 83.5 metres from the Dhoby Ghaut entrance to the top of the building's water tower. Opened on 3 October 1939 as Cathay Building, with a 1,300-seat Cathay Cinema, and the tower block as Cathay Hotel, it was the island's first air-conditioned cinema and public building, and where one could sit in an arm chair to watch a film, which was rare in those days. The building was also used as a landmark for a final approach for landing at Singapore's first purpose-built civilian airport built in 1937, Kallang Airport.

Walk in Bras Basah

THE CATHAY

OVERVIEW The National Heritage Board (NHB) was formed on 1 August 1993. Its mission is to foster nationhood, promote identity building, and champion the development of a vibrant cultural and heritage sector in Singapore. As the custodian of Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage, NHB is responsible for telling the Singapore story, sharing the Singaporean experience and imparting our Singapore spirit. NHB manages the national museums and heritage institutions, and sets policies relating to heritage sites, monuments and the national collection. Through the national collection, NHB curates heritage programmes and presents exhibitions to connect the past, present and future generations of Singaporeans. NHB is a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. The Board operates the following museums, heritage interpretative centres, institutions and precincts.

Walk in Bras Basah