{{Short description|Former building on Battery Road, Singapore}} thumb|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 four-storey building was built in a stripped-down classical style, typical of commercial buildings of the period, featuring simplified classical mouldings, and an engaged giant order of pilasters spanning the second and third floors, with an attic storey above the main entablature. It was described in the press at the time as having 'no particular style of architecture' due to the prevalence of this type of simplified classicism at the time, and contained no specific architectural reference (eg. moorish or baroque). 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.<ref name = "Malaya Tribune">{{cite news |last= |first= |date= 31 May 1915|title= Fine New Building.|url= https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/maltribune19150531-1.2.71|work= Malaya Tribune|location= Singapore|access-date= 15 July 2022}}</ref>
The window fronts were made of teak. The ground floor also contained permanent show cases. The roof of the building was cut in two.<ref name = "Straits Times">{{cite news |last= |first= |date= 31 May 1915|title= Whiteaway, Laidlaw.|url= https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19150531-1.2.65|work= The Straits Times|location= Singapore|access-date= 15 July 2022}}</ref> The building also had vaulted concrete slabs spanning steel girders with corrugated iron permanent shuttering.<ref name = "Chua">{{cite web |url= https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1122_2006-06-15.html|title= Whiteaway Laidlaw|last= Chua|first= Joshua Yeong Jia|date= |website= Singapore Infopedia|publisher= National Library Board|access-date= 15 July 2022|quote=}}</ref>
==History== [[File:Smoke from fire at Singapore Naval Base, January 1942.jpg|thumb|Whiteaway Laidlaw Building (bottom right) on 2 January 1942, during the Japanese invasion of Malaya]] The building was constructed in 1915 as the signature department store of Whiteaway Laidlaw in Singapore.<ref name = "Malaya Tribune"/> The building cost $300,000 to build.<ref name = "Straits Times"/> The building was designed by London-based architects H. O. Ellis and W. H. Clarke.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date= 31 May 1915|title= WHITEAWAY'S|url= https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19150531-1.2.64|work= The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser|location= Singapore|access-date= 15 July 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref name = "Chua"/>
In 1951, a $2,040,000 bid to take over the building after the expiration of the building's lease in 1963 was rejected.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date= 19 December 1951|title= Bid for White Away Bldg. Fails|url= https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singstandard19511219-1.2.99|work= Singapore Tiger Standard|location= Singapore|access-date= 15 July 2022}}</ref> Maybank took over the building for $3.6 million in 1962, renaming it Malayan Bank Chambers, and spent $15 million on upgrading the building.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date= 5 February 1998|title= SingLand wins Maybank HQ contract|url= |work= The Business Times|location= Singapore|access-date= }}</ref> Maybank also spent $7 million on refurbishing the interior of the building, which was done in phases from 1989 to 1994.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date= 5 February 1998|title= SingLand is project manager for Maybank's HQ redevelopment|url= |work= The Straits Times|location= Singapore|access-date= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Tan|first= Colin|date= 30 September 1997|title= Maybank plans major makeover for S'pore HQ|url= |work= The Straits Times|location= Singapore|access-date= }}</ref>
On 29 September 1997, Maybank announced plans to redevelop the building for $110 million.<ref>{{cite news |last= Oon|first= Diana|date= 30 September 1997|title= Maybank to rebuild S'pore HQ for $110m|url= |work= The Business Times|location= Singapore|access-date= }}</ref> The building was demolished in 1998 to make way for the Maybank Tower.<ref name = "Chua"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{coord|1.2859|103.8523|region:SG|display=title}}
Category:Buildings and structures in Singapore Category:1910s establishments in Singapore Category:1998 disestablishments in Singapore