MacDonald House
Encyclopedia
The MacDonald House is a historic building in Singapore
, and is located at Orchard Road
in the Museum Planning Area
, within the Central Area
, Singapore's central business district
. Initially built for a bank, it continues to function as a banking hall (albeit for a different bank) today, although it is more well known to be the site of a bombing attack
in 1965.
, is the last remaining office building in facing brick
in the central area. The building was built in 1949, and designed by Reginal Eyre of the architectural firm Palmer and Turner. One of the first high-rise buildings in Orchard Road, the MacDonald House housed mainly British
, American
and Australia
n companies. Before the building was vacated in the early 2000s, the building housed HSBC
on the first few floors of the building.
In an incident known as the MacDonald House bombing
, two Indonesia
n saboteur
s placed a bomb on the mezzanine
floor on 10 March 1965, killing two and wounding 33. This was one of a number of terrorist attacks in Singapore during the Indonesian Confrontation in support of President Sukarno
's opposition to the merger of Singapore, Malaya
, Sabah
and Sarawak
to form the Federation of Malaysia.
After years of remaining vacant, the building was put up for sale by tender
on 5 April 2002, with a net lettable area of about 78600 square feet (7,302.2 m²) over ten stories. While the sale was on-going, the building was gazette
d as a national monument
on 10 February 2003, with the exterior façade
coming under protection. The successful bidder, Tinifia Investment, paid S$
36 million for the freehold
building in 2003, and closed the building for extensive interior renovations costing another S$12 million, including the upgrading of the ceiling
s, floor
s, lobby
and lift
s, and the introduction of carparking facilities with the addition of a mechanical parking system for 30 car
s.
The building re-opened in April 2005 with full occupancy. Mccann Worldgroup occupies the fifth to eighth floors while a beauty/spa
operator, Expressions International, takes up the top two floors. The flagship Orchard Road Branch of Citibank Singapore
opened on 23 June 2005, occupying 37000 square feet (3,437.4 m²) of space spread over the building's lower four floors which house the largest wealth management centre in Asia
http://www.citibank.com.sg/global_docs/prod/pr/230605.pdf.
Palmer and Turner came to Johor Bahru
in 1939 and then to Singapore in 1940 from Shanghai
via Hong Kong
. The firm was established by Colonel
P.O.G. Wakeham in Singapore shortly after World War II
. It was probably the longest established and one of the best known architectural firms in Southeast Asia
, having been formed in Shanghai circa 1882.
The MacDonald House is one of Palmer and Turner's first buildings in Singapore, and was built for The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. It was the first large office building of the post-war period.
The building was built in a Neo-Georgian
style. It is a reinforced concrete
framed structure and clad in light red brickwork
of fine detail, the last major building of its kind in downtown Singapore. It was the first building to be fully air-condition
ed in Malaya
. In addition to the ground bank
ing hall, seven floors of staff flats
occupied the building. An open well runs through the building, allowing natural light into the inner offices. There are six skylights in the ceiling of the banking hall which thus needs no artificial lighting during the day.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and is located at Orchard Road
Orchard Road
Orchard Road is a road in Singapore that is the retail and entertainment hub of the city-state. It is regularly frequented by the local population as well as being a major tourist attraction...
in the Museum Planning Area
Museum Planning Area
The Museum Planning Area is an urban planning area in the Central Region of Singapore. It is located in the area known as the Civic District. The area plays a "bridging role" between the Orchard Street area and the Downtown Core, which necessitates proper transport networks for vehicles,...
, within the Central Area
Central Area
In Singapore, the Central Area or Central Business District contains the core financial and commercial districts, including eleven urban planning areas, namely Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South, Museum, Newton, Orchard, Outram, River Valley, Rochor, Singapore River and Straits View as...
, Singapore's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. Initially built for a bank, it continues to function as a banking hall (albeit for a different bank) today, although it is more well known to be the site of a bombing attack
MacDonald House bombing
The MacDonald House bombing occurred on 10 March 1965, at the then Hongkong and Shanghai Bank building along Orchard Road of Singapore. The time bomb was planted by a duo of Indonesian saboteurs, during the period of Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation...
in 1965.
History
The MacDonald House, located a short distance from the IstanaIstana Singapore
The Istana is the official residence and office of the President of Singapore. Meaning "palace" in Malay, it is where the president receives and entertains state guests. The Istana is also the working office of the Prime Minister of Singapore...
, is the last remaining office building in facing brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
in the central area. The building was built in 1949, and designed by Reginal Eyre of the architectural firm Palmer and Turner. One of the first high-rise buildings in Orchard Road, the MacDonald House housed mainly British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n companies. Before the building was vacated in the early 2000s, the building housed HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
on the first few floors of the building.
In an incident known as the MacDonald House bombing
MacDonald House bombing
The MacDonald House bombing occurred on 10 March 1965, at the then Hongkong and Shanghai Bank building along Orchard Road of Singapore. The time bomb was planted by a duo of Indonesian saboteurs, during the period of Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation...
, two Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n saboteur
Saboteur
A saboteur is someone who commits sabotage.It may also refer to:*Morituri , a 1965 film also known as The Saboteur*Saboteur , a card game by Frederic Moyersoen, published in 2004...
s placed a bomb on the mezzanine
Mezzanine (architecture)
In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
floor on 10 March 1965, killing two and wounding 33. This was one of a number of terrorist attacks in Singapore during the Indonesian Confrontation in support of President Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
's opposition to the merger of Singapore, Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
, Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
and Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
to form the Federation of Malaysia.
After years of remaining vacant, the building was put up for sale by tender
Request for tender
A request for tender, commonly abbreviated to RFT, is a formal, structured invitation to suppliers for the supply of products or services. In the public sector, such a process may be required and determined in detail by law to ensure that such competition for the use of public money is open, fair...
on 5 April 2002, with a net lettable area of about 78600 square feet (7,302.2 m²) over ten stories. While the sale was on-going, the building was gazette
Gazette
A gazette is a public journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.In English- and French-speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name Gazette since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers bear the name The Gazette.Gazette is a loanword from the...
d as a national monument
National Monuments of Singapore
National Monuments of Singapore are buildings and structures in Singapore that have been designated by the Preservation of Monuments Board as being of special historic, traditional, archaeological, architectural or artistic value....
on 10 February 2003, with the exterior façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
coming under protection. The successful bidder, Tinifia Investment, paid S$
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
36 million for the freehold
Fee simple
In English law, a fee simple is an estate in land, a form of freehold ownership. It is the most common way that real estate is owned in common law countries, and is ordinarily the most complete ownership interest that can be had in real property short of allodial title, which is often reserved...
building in 2003, and closed the building for extensive interior renovations costing another S$12 million, including the upgrading of the ceiling
Ceiling
A ceiling is an overhead interior surface that covers the upper limit of a room. It is generally not a structural element, but a finished surface concealing the underside of the floor or roof structure above....
s, floor
Floor
A floor is the walking surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many-layered surfaces using modern technology...
s, lobby
Lobby (room)
A lobby is a room in a building which is used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer or an entrance hall.Many office buildings, hotels and skyscrapers go to great lengths to decorate their lobbies to create the right impression....
and lift
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s, and the introduction of carparking facilities with the addition of a mechanical parking system for 30 car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
s.
The building re-opened in April 2005 with full occupancy. Mccann Worldgroup occupies the fifth to eighth floors while a beauty/spa
Day spa
A day spa is a business establishment which people visit for professionally administered personal care treatments such as massages and facials. It is similar to a beauty salon in that it is only visited for the duration of the treatment. Day spas sited in airport terminals are often called airport...
operator, Expressions International, takes up the top two floors. The flagship Orchard Road Branch of Citibank Singapore
Citibank Singapore
Citibank Singapore Limited is a division of Citibank N. A. of the United States and incorporated in Singapore on 28 June 2004. It has Qualifying Full Bank status which was awarded to its parent on 20 October 1999, and the QFB status was transferred on the same day of its incorporation...
opened on 23 June 2005, occupying 37000 square feet (3,437.4 m²) of space spread over the building's lower four floors which house the largest wealth management centre in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
http://www.citibank.com.sg/global_docs/prod/pr/230605.pdf.
Architecture
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
in 1939 and then to Singapore in 1940 from Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
via Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The firm was established by Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
P.O.G. Wakeham in Singapore shortly after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was probably the longest established and one of the best known architectural firms in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, having been formed in Shanghai circa 1882.
The MacDonald House is one of Palmer and Turner's first buildings in Singapore, and was built for The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. It was the first large office building of the post-war period.
The building was built in a Neo-Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style. It is a reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
framed structure and clad in light red brickwork
Brickwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar to build up brick structures such as walls. Brickwork is also used to finish corners, door, and window openings, etc...
of fine detail, the last major building of its kind in downtown Singapore. It was the first building to be fully air-condition
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
ed in Malaya
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
. In addition to the ground bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
ing hall, seven floors of staff flats
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
occupied the building. An open well runs through the building, allowing natural light into the inner offices. There are six skylights in the ceiling of the banking hall which thus needs no artificial lighting during the day.