| George Town Dispensary building | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Address | Corner of Beach Street and China Street Ghaut |
| Town or city | George Town, Penang |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Completed | 1923 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Swan & McLaren |
The George Town Dispensary building is a historical building in George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. It is situated at the corner of Beach Street and China Street Ghaut.
George Town Dispensary Limited was incorporated in 1901 after Dr. T. C. Avetoom disposed of his pharmacy, which he had established in Penang in 1889, to the company, receiving in return a major shareholding in the new company. [1] [2] After operating from a small shop in Beach Street, and with branches in Ipoh and Malacca, the company instructed architects Swan & McLaren to design new premises which were opened in 1923. [3]
Designed with elements of the classical style, the main entrance to the three-story building includes two pairs of columns and a rounded pediment within which is inscribed "1923" the year of completion. On the Beach Street side is a five-foot way in front of the premises. [4]
Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. These two halves are physically connected by the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge. The state shares borders with Kedah to the north and east, and Perak to the south.
Chung Thye PhinMSC, JP was a Chinese Malayan business magnate, planter, miner, bureaucrat, and philanthropist who served as the last Kapitan Cina of Perak and Malaya. He was reported to be the richest man in Penang.
Gurney Drive is a popular seafront promenade within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. The road is also famous for the street cuisine at the seafront's hawker centre and has been listed as one of the 25 best streets worldwide to visit by the Australian travel magazine, The Traveler. In addition, Gurney Drive has become part of George Town's Central Business District due to the mushrooming of commercial properties and shopping malls.
The Penang Hill Railway is a one-section funicular railway which climbs the Penang Hill from Air Itam, on the outskirts of the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. The railway first opened in 1923 as a two-section railway, but was overhauled in 2010 into a one-section system. It is a single-track railway with a passing loop, and it passes through a tunnel which is the steepest in the world. The total journey time can take between five and twenty minutes. The funicular train coach travels directly from the lower station to the top, but may stop at other intermediate stations upon request.
Edwardian architecture usually means a Neo-Baroque architectural style that was popular for public buildings in the British Empire during the Edwardian era (1901–1910). Architecture up to 1914 is commonly included in this style.
Beach Street is a major thoroughfare in George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Part of the city's central business district, it is also one of the oldest streets in Penang, having been created soon after the founding of the state by Captain Francis Light in 1786.
Light Street is the oldest road in the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. It was named after the founder of Penang, Captain Francis Light. As the epicentre of George Town, the street was created soon after Light established the settlement in 1786 and has been serving as a major thoroughfare within the city centre ever since.
Pitt Street or Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling in Malay is a major thoroughfare in the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. One of the oldest roads in the city centre, it was named after William Pitt the Younger, the Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1786.
Chulia Street is one of the oldest roads in the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Created soon after the founding of George Town in 1786, it forms a part of the city's Little India enclave ever since, whilst also boasting a multicultural character due to Indian Muslim and Chinese influences.
Farquhar Street is a major thoroughfare in the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Created in the late 18th century, the road forms part of the city centre's civic precinct, and is notable for the colonial buildings built under British rule. These include some of the most significant civic, religious, and commercial buildings of Penang, such as Penang High Court, Penang State Museum and Art Gallery, St. George's Church, Church of the Assumption, and Eastern & Oriental Hotel.
Northam Road is a major thoroughfare along the northern coast of the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It continues on from Gurney Drive towards Farquhar Street to the east. Since the 1990s, Northam Road has been part of the city's Central Business District, and along with Gurney Drive, it has seen a significant increase in financial activity.
Armenian Street is a narrow street in the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Located within the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site, the road has gained popularity in recent years for its rich cultural offerings and street art.
Weld Quay is a coastal road in the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. One of a handful of places worldwide that was named after a Prime Minister of New Zealand, the road runs along the city's eastern shoreline, connecting the Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu Expressway with Light Street and Beach Street.
Leith Street is a narrow road within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Once known as an enclave for rich Hakka tycoons, it is home to the famous Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion.
Prangin Road is a major thoroughfare in the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. The one-way road, one of the busiest in the city centre, forms the southernmost limit of the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site and runs along major landmarks such as Komtar and Prangin Mall.
Macalister Road is a major thoroughfare in the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. The road stretches out of Magazine Circus next to Komtar towards Western Road, a leafier enclave within the city centre.
Downing Street is a minor side street in the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. It is one of the few places worldwide that share an identical name with London's famous Downing Street, where the official residence of the British prime minister is located.
The Ban Hin Lee Bank building is situated in Beach Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
The Standard Chartered Bank building is a historical building in George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Completed in 1930, the office building, situated at Beach Street within George Town's Central Business District, was one of the tallest in the city at that time. It served as the Penang branch of Standard Chartered until 2017, after which the bank relocated to its new premise down the street. The building has since been reopened as Spaces Beach Street, one of IWG's coworking spaces in Malaysia.
Fort Cornwallis chapel is a Christian chapel situated inside Fort Cornwallis in George Town, within the Malaysian state of Penang.