Swan & Maclaren

Last updated

One of Swan and Maclaren's most prominent projects was the Raffles Hotel, now a national monument. Raffles Hotel 6, Sep 07.JPG
One of Swan and Maclaren's most prominent projects was the Raffles Hotel, now a national monument.

Swan and Maclaren Architects is the oldest architectural firm in Singapore. [1] [2] Formerly known as Swan and Maclaren, it was the most prominent architectural firm in Singapore when Singapore was a British colony in the early 20th century. [3]

Architectural firm company employing licensed architects, offering architecture-related services

In the United States, an architectural firm or architecture firm is a company which employs one or more licensed architects and practices the profession of architecture; while in other countries such as the United Kingdom, an architectural firm is a company which offers architectural services.

Contents

History

Early history

The company began as Swan and Lermit in 1887, a civil engineering firm formed by two surveyor engineers. In 1892, it became Swan and Maclaren, after Lermit withdrew and another surveyor engineer, James Waddell Boyd Maclaren, joined as partner.

Surveying The technique, profession, and science of determining the positions of points and the distances and angles between them

Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is called a land surveyor. These points are usually on the surface of the Earth, and they are often used to establish maps and boundaries for ownership, locations, such as building corners or the surface location of subsurface features, or other purposes required by government or civil law, such as property sales.

Rise to prominence

The Victoria Memorial Hall (right) was designed by RAJ Bidwell of Swan and Maclaren, who duplicated the adjacent original Town Hall that subsequently became the Victoria Theatre (left). Bidwell also designed the clock tower joining the two buildings. Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall 7, Jan 06.JPG
The Victoria Memorial Hall (right) was designed by RAJ Bidwell of Swan and Maclaren, who duplicated the adjacent original Town Hall that subsequently became the Victoria Theatre (left). Bidwell also designed the clock tower joining the two buildings.

In 1897, Regent Alfred John Bidwell joined the firm, arriving in Singapore from England after a short working stint at the Public Works Department in Kuala Lumpur of the Federated Malay States. He was the first professionally trained architect in Singapore since George Drumgoole Coleman had practised in the town in the 1820s and 1830s. Bidwell found an opportunity in Singapore to exercise his knowledge of the full range and variety of Western architectural vocabulary.

Regent Alfred John Bidwell, or R. A. J. Bidwell, was an English-born architect noted for his colonial era buildings in Singapore. His best-known works include the Raffles Hotel and the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall in Singapore, and Sultan Abdul Samad Building in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur Capital of Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, or commonly known as KL, is the national capital and largest city in Malaysia. As the global city of Malaysia, it covers an area of 243 km2 (94 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 1.73 million as of 2016. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.25 million people as of 2017. It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in Southeast Asia, in both population and economic development.

Federated Malay States

The Federated Malay States (FMS) was a federation of four protected states in the Malay Peninsula—Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang—established by the British government in 1895, which lasted until 1946, when they, together with two of the former Straits Settlements and the Unfederated Malay States, formed the Malayan Union. Two years later, the Union became the Federation of Malaya and finally Malaysia in 1963 with the inclusion of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore.

Because of Bidwell's talent and reputation for designing handsome government buildings, Swan and Maclaren became the dominant architectural firm in colonial Singapore. Bidwell dominated its work between 1897 and 1911. The firm proceeded to win the most prestigious commissions in Singapore, and many of its early buildings are still extant today. Some of these buildings have been gazetted as national monuments, and these include Raffles Hotel (1899), Teutonia Club (1900, now Goodwood Park Hotel) and Victoria Memorial Hall (1905, now Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall).

Raffles Hotel hotel

Raffles Hotel is a colonial-style luxury hotel in Singapore. It was established by Armenian hoteliers, the Sarkies Brothers, in 1887. The hotel was named after British statesman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore. It is the flagship property of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International which is owned by French multinational hotel group AccorHotels. The hotel has commenced Phase 3 of a three-phase restoration programme on 13 December 2017. Raffles Hotel is now fully closed, with a planned reopening in mid-2019. The original Singapore Sling drink is now served at a pop-up Long Bar located at 3 Seah Street, next to the Raffles Gift Shop, which remains open throughout restoration.

Goodwood Park Hotel

The Goodwood Park Hotel is a heritage hotel in Singapore, situated in a 6-hectare landscaped garden on Scotts Road. It was first built as the club house for the Teutonic Club serving the expatriate German community in Singapore, and later converted into a hotel.

Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall historic theatre and concert hall in Singapore

The Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall is a performing arts center in the Central Area of Singapore, situated along Empress Place. It is a complex of two buildings and a clock tower joined together by a common corridor; the oldest part of the building was first built in 1862, and the complex was completed in 1909. The complex has undergone a number of renovations and refurbishment, mostly recently in 2010 when the complex was closed for a four-year renovation project. It reopened on 15 July 2014.

The Raffles Hotel was one of the first of the numerous projects by Bidwell under Swan and Maclaren, which was to build a substantial number of buildings in a large variety of architectural styles. The firm was commissioned to rebuild the Teutonia Club in 1900 in its new location on Scotts Road, after it moved from its location near Raffles Hotel on North Bridge Road. Bidwell applied the south German architectural style in his design of the clubhouse. In Singapore's downtown area, Bidwell also designed the three-storey Stamford House (formerly known as the Oranje Building), completed in 1904.

Architectural style specific method of construction, characterized by the features that make it notable

An architectural style is characterized by the features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable. A style may include such elements as form, method of construction, building materials, and regional character. Most architecture can be classified within a chronology of styles which changes over time reflecting changing fashions, beliefs and religions, or the emergence of new ideas, technology, or materials which make new styles possible.

Scotts Road

Scotts Road is a road located in Central Area of Singapore. It was named after Captain William G. Scott, Harbour Master and Post Master of Singapore in 1836, who owned property and plantations on and around the area where Scotts Road now stands.

North Bridge Road

North Bridge Road is a one-way road in Singapore, running north of the Singapore River. It starts at the junction with Crawford Street in Kallang, on the western bank of the Rochor River, and continues in a southwest direction before ending at Elgin Bridge. The stretch south of the Singapore River after Elgin Bridge is called South Bridge Road. En route, North Bridge Road travels through the planning areas of Kallang, Rochor and the Downtown Core.

By 1904, Swan and Maclaren was the largest architectural firm in Singapore. In 1905, Swan and Maclaren worked on the extensions and rebuilding of the Victoria Memorial Hall. In the same year, the Chesed-El Synagogue on Oxley Rise was built. In 1907, the Singapore Cricket Club was extended and refurbished, and the 'Eastern Extension' (later 'Telegraph House', today Sofitel 'So Singapore) on 35 Robinson Road was constructed. In that year, the firm also designed and built one of the largest shops in early Singapore, the John Little department store in Raffles Place, located on the opposite side of the square from Robinson & Co. Between 1906 and 1912, Swan and Maclaren rebuilt the Saint Joseph's Church on Victoria Street, dedicated to the Lady of Fatimah, in the Gothic style. In 1911, Bidwell left Swan and Maclaren to establish his own practice. By then, he was the most important architect in Singapore.

Chesed-El Synagogue synagogue

The Chesed-El Synagogue is a synagogue in Singapore. It is located at Oxley Rise in the River Valley Planning Area, within the Central Area of Singapore.

Singapore Cricket Club Sports and social club in Singapore, established in 1852

The Singapore Cricket Club is one of the premier sports and social clubs in Singapore. Its clubhouse is located on Connaught Drive on the south end of the Padang in Singapore's central business district.

Robinson Road, Singapore

Robinson Road is a major trunk road in Singapore's Central Area. The road is named after Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson, the Governor of the Straits Settlements in 1877–1879. The land on which Robinson Road now stands was created through land reclamation work started in 1879. It was a sea-side thoroughfare until more land reclamation works in Telok Ayer Basin in the early 1900s shifted the shoreline further east to make room for the building of Shenton Way. This allowed for the road to be widened and converted into a one-way street to accommodate the rise in traffic flow pending massive urban development. Today, it is flanked on both sides by major skyscrapers and lends its name to several buildings, including Robinson Centre and Robinson Point.

After RAJ Bidwell

Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam Sultan Mosque 2, Dec 05.JPG
Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam

In 1913, Swan and Maclaren built a large villa for the Chinese businessman Eu Tong Sen on Mount Sophia. The Eu Villa was built at a grand cost of $1 million. In the same year, the firm designed the Jinrikisha Station on Neil Road.

In the years between World Wars I and II, the firm continued to lead the local market with projects such as the Sultan Mosque (1924–28), Ocean Building (1923), Hongkong Bank Chambers (now HSBC Building) (1925), Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church (1930) and the Singapore Turf Club (1934). In 1927 they completed the construction of the ‘Eastern Extension’ at 35 Robinson Road (later to be known as Telegraph House), the intersection of the ten most important overseas telegraph cables. It is today the (Sofitel) So Singapore. Swan and Maclaren also designed the Cenotaph, a granite memorial at the Esplanade Park that commemorates the soldiers who died in World War I. Its reverse side was inscribed with the names of soldiers who died in World War II.

After World War II, Swan and Maclaren remained important continuing with projects such as Singapore Polytechnic's original campus at Prince Edward Road. They did, however lose some of its dominance due to increased competition from both local and foreign companies.

Since 1999

In May 1999, Swan and Maclaren Architects was awarded the architectural tender for the new National Library building on Victoria Street to replace the main library on Stamford Road that was demolished. It was shortlisted out of five for the final selection in National Library Board's architectural design competition, from the 30 firms that made submissions. [1] [4] [5] [6] In September 2000, the firm's team leader, Malaysian architect Ken Yeang, ended his partnership with Swan and Maclaren Architects, which had originally been contracted to see the project through to completion. Subsequently, NLB released the firm from its contract, and called for new tenders for the construction of the new National Library building. [7] [8] The National Library building was eventually opened on 22 July 2005, after three years of construction. [9]

List of projects

National monuments

Other projects

Other projects (continued)

Related Research Articles

The year 1899 in architecture involved some significant events.

Raffles Place Place in Singapore

Raffles Place is the centre of the Financial District of Singapore and is located south of the mouth of the Singapore River. It was first planned and developed in the 1820s as Commercial Square to serve as the hub of the commercial zone of Singapore in Raffles Town Plan. It was renamed Raffles Place in 1858 and is now the site of a number of major banks. It is located in the Downtown Core within the Central Area, and features some of the tallest buildings and landmarks of the country.

Padang, Singapore

The Padang is an open playing field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore. It includes the Padang Cricket Ground. The Padang is surrounded by several important landmarks, which include Saint Andrew's Cathedral, City Hall, the Old Supreme Court Building and the City Hall MRT Station.

The Chinese High School Clock Tower Building National monument in Singapore situated in Hwa Chong Institution campus

The Chinese High School Clock Tower Building is a gazetted national monument in Singapore is situated in the campus of the integrated Hwa Chong Institution, which incorporates The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College.

Armenian Church, Singapore

The Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, referred to locally as the Armenian Church, is the oldest Christian church in Singapore, located at Hill Street in the Museum Planning Area, within the Central Area. The church was completed in 1835 and consecrated the next year. Originally a parish of the Armenian Apostolic Church, an Oriental Orthodox denomination, the last Armenian parish priest left in the late 1930s as Armenian population in Singapore dwindled. It was designated as a national monument in 1973. Armenian and Oriental Orthodox services are now regularly held at the church.

CHIJMES

CHIJMES is a historic building complex in Singapore, which began life as a Catholic convent known as the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) (圣婴女修院). The complex is located at Victoria Street in the Downtown Core, within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district.

George Drumgoole Coleman Irish civil architect who lived and worked in Singapore, Straits Settlements

George Drumgoole Coleman, also known as George Drumgold Coleman, was an Irish civil architect who played an instrumental role in the design and construction of much of the civil infrastructure in early Singapore, after it was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. Only a few of his buildings have survived in Singapore, most notably Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, Maxwell's House, and Caldwell House.

National Museum of Singapore

The National Museum of Singapore is the oldest museum in Singapore. Its history dates back to 1849, when it was started as a section of a library at Singapore Institution and called the Raffles Library and Museum. After several relocations, in 1887 it moved to its permanent site at Stamford Road in the Museum Planning Area.

Beach Road, Singapore

Beach Road is a road located within the planning areas of Kallang, Rochor and the Downtown Core in Singapore.

The Majestic, Singapore

The Majestic is a historic building on Eu Tong Sen Street in Chinatown, Singapore. Located between the People's Park Complex and Yue Hwa Building, it was known as Majestic Theatre, which was a Cantonese opera house.

Stamford House, Singapore

Stamford House is a historic building located at the corner of the junction of Stamford Road and Hill Street, in the Downtown Core of Singapore. Originally known as Oranje Building, it formerly housed a shopping mall. The building had since redeveloped along with adjoined Capitol Building and both were reopened as a hotel The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore in October 2018.

Yue Hwa Building Department store located in Chinatown, Singapore

Yue Hwa Building is a historic building located at the junction of Eu Tong Sen Street and Upper Cross Street in Chinatown, Singapore. Built by Swan and Maclaren in 1927, it was then the tallest building in Chinatown and was known as Nam Tin Building (南天大厦), owned by Lum Chang Holdings. The building housed the six-storey Great Southern Hotel, along with a few shops and cabarets that were popular among Chinese travellers. In 1993, Lum Chang Holdings sold the building to Hong Kong businessman Yu Kwok Chun, who converted it to the first Yue Hwa Chinese Products department store in Singapore in 1994. The renovation process, which conserved the exterior while adding features such as an atrium and waterfall to the interior, won the building the Architectural Heritage Award by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 1997.

Arthur Benison Hubback was an English architect and soldier who designed several important buildings in British Malaya. He was active in sports, especially football and cricket. Hubback was promoted to brigadier general during his service in the British Army.

Kampong Kapor Methodist Church Church in Singapore , Singapore

Kampong Kapor Methodist Church is a Methodist church located on Kampong Kapor Road in Singapore's Little India district. The church is approximately 300 metres from Jalan Besar MRT Station.

The Fullerton Waterboat House

The Fullerton Waterboat House, originally known as the Water House, was formerly a historic water supply house used to supply fresh water to incoming ships in Singapore. The former Water House was gazetted for conservation in 2002 and has since reopened as a restaurant.

References

Notes
  1. 1 2 Tan May Ping (22 May 1999). "Swan and Maclaren to design National Library". The Business Times . p. 3.
  2. ↑ "Shortlisted designs for new library go on display today". The Straits Times . 2 October 1999. p. H60, H61.
  3. ↑ Johannes Widodo (September 2003). "Modernism in Singapore" (pdf). Docomomo. Retrieved 11 September 2007.
  4. ↑ "Want to save parts of the Library?". The Straits Times . 22 May 1999. p. H56.
  5. ↑ Vivien Ng (24 August 2000). "New library in Victoria St to cost $100m". The Business Times . p. 12.
  6. ↑ "National Library" (PDF). Singapore Biennale 2006 . 2006. Archived from the original (pdf) on 31 October 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2007.
  7. ↑ Laurel Teo (18 January 2001). "National Library design team splits". The Straits Times . p. H3.
  8. ↑ Laurel Teo (20 January 2001). "Tenders invited for new National Library building". The Straits Times . p. H5.
  9. ↑ Kristina Tom (23 July 2005). "New National Library opens". The Straits Times .
  10. ↑ "Monument No. 43". The Straits Times . 21 March 1999.
  11. ↑ Founded with Father Charles Benedict Nain and Swan & Lermit
  12. ↑ Chapel extensions, in association with Father Charles Benedict Nain
  13. ↑ St Nicholas Girls' School
  14. ↑ Extensions to St Nicholas Girls' School
  15. ↑ New covered wing
  16. 1 2 Rebuilding
  17. ↑ War Memorial Wing (West transept)
  18. ↑ Extensions (East transept)
  19. ↑ New buildings
  20. ↑ Additions and alterations to various buildings
  21. ↑ "History of the Sultan Mosque". The Straits Times . 8 July 1993. p. L22.
  22. ↑ Memorial Hall and Tower
  23. ↑ Renovation to Theatre
  24. ↑ In association with John Graham & Co.
  25. ↑ Tan Kar Lin, Ho Weng Hin and Dinesh Naidu (28 June 2007). "Heritage conservation can make good economic sense". The Straits Times .
  26. ↑ Llew-Ann Phang (15 December 2006). "Bok House: End of a Legacy". Sun2Surf. Archived from the original on 5 January 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  27. 1 2 Additions and alterations
  28. ↑ Conversion to nursing home
  29. ↑ New hospital
  30. ↑ New building
  31. ↑ Sylvia Wong (25 May 1993). "The rise and rise of Singapore's skyscrapers". The Business Times . p. S8.
  32. ↑ In association with Cyril Farey & Dawbarn
  33. ↑ Nur Dianah Suhaimi (5 August 2007). "Please don't turn The Majestic into foodcourt". The Sunday Times .
  34. ↑ In association with Tomlinson & Lermit
  35. ↑ New building, in association with E. Kolle
  36. ↑ "Ocean Towers". Emporis Buildings. Retrieved 14 September 2007.
  37. ↑ 3rd Pavilion
  38. ↑ 4th Pavilion and new wings
  39. ↑ Northern and southern wings
  40. ↑ Original building at Bukit Location
  41. ↑ Modernisation
  42. ↑ Renovation
  43. ↑ Tan Hui Yee (17 February 2005). "St Patrick's chapel compound conserved". The Straits Times .
  44. ↑ Tan Shzr Ee (11 February 2002). "Moving with the Times". The Straits Times .
  45. ↑ In association with Sir Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners
  46. ↑ Resources Centre
  47. ↑ Science Complex
  48. ↑ Extension to Senior Boarding House
  49. ↑ Alicia Yeo (21 February 2002). "Waterboat House set for new lease of life". The Straits Times .
Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.