OCBC Building (Penang)

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OCBC Building
OCBC Bank Building at Beach Street in George Town, Penang.jpg
OCBC Building (Penang)
General information
Architectural style Art Deco
Address28–30, Beach Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Town or city George Town
Country Malaysia
Coordinates 5°25′02″N100°20′31″E / 5.41725°N 100.34192°E / 5.41725; 100.34192
Current tenants OCBC Bank
Completed1938
Opened1938
Owner OCBC Bank
Height
Top floor3
Technical details
Floor count3
Design and construction
Architect(s) Charles Geoffrey Boutcher

The OCBC Building is a historical building in George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Completed in 1938, the office building, situated at Beach Street within the city's Central Business District (CBD), forms part of the Penang branch of the OCBC Bank.

Contents

History

The OCBC Building, along with the 1886 Building (left) and Kongsoon House (right), have been converted into OCBC's premier banking centre. Side view of OCBC Bank Building at Beach Street in George Town, Penang.jpg
The OCBC Building, along with the 1886 Building (left) and Kongsoon House (right), have been converted into OCBC's premier banking centre.

Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Bank Limited a predecessor to the OCBC Bank opened its Penang branch at 24 Beach Street in 1920. It moved to the present-day site in the following year. [3] After the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Oversea-Chinese Bank merged with the Chinese Commercial Bank and Ho Hong Bank to form OCBC in 1932. [3] [4]

As the economy rebounded, OCBC's Penang branch was reopened in 1934. [3] The building, originally constructed in the 1880s, underwent renovations that were completed by 1938, incorporating designs from Charles Geoffrey Boutcher. [1] [3] In the 1960s, OCBC relocated its Penang branch to a newly-constructed building nearby. [3]

In 2014, OCBC launched its new premier banking centre, which includes the current building as well as adjacent structures such as the 1886 Building and Kongsoon House. [1] [2] The premier banking centre, costing RM5 million, is OCBC's largest in Malaysia, spanning a total of 8,000 sq ft (740 m2). [2]

Description

The old logo of OCBC Bank on the facade is unchanged since the 1930s. Close up of the old OCBC logo on the OCBC Bank Building in George Town, Penang.jpg
The old logo of OCBC Bank on the façade is unchanged since the 1930s.

The building was designed in Art Deco style, featuring a dull grey façade surfaced in Shanghai plaster. [1] [3] The top two levels were constructed with vertical plaster columns, incorporating a ring motif that frames the central section. [1]

See also

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References 

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hockton, Keith (2012). Penang: An Inside Guide to Its Historic Homes, Buildings, Monuments and Parks. MPH Group. ISBN   978-967-415-303-8.
  2. 1 2 3 Amarthalingam, Sangeetha (14 Nov 2014). "OCBC Bank (M) looks to outsourcing, F&B sectors to boost premier banking in Penang". The Edge . Retrieved 8 Oct 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Langdon, Marcus (2014). A Guide to George Town's Historic Commercial and Civic Precincts. George Town: George Town World Heritage Incorporated. p. 22.
  4. "Lee Kong Chian". National Library Board - Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2019-01-30.