Yong Mun Sen’s Historical ‘Bank of China’ Painting
Sep 1st, 2010 by Steven
My Grandpa painted this piece of the Bank of China building in Singapore in the early 1950s. Rising 18 floors (auspicious height!), it was at that time the tallest building in Raffles Place, the island city’s central business district. Designed by P&T Architects & Engineers Ltd, this ’skyscraper’, located on Battery Road, overlooks the Singapore River. It’s a short walking distance from the Fullerton Hotel. BTW the modern Maybank Tower is located nearby.
The BoC building still stands tall today, being the island’s oldest high-rise office block. However, in 2000, BoC added a new 36-storey structure adjacent to the heritage building. The two blocks share a common podium. I believe ‘36′ symbolizes longevity.
Postscript - Established in 1868, Hong Kong-based P&T Architects is the oldest and largest international architectural engineering practice in South East Asia with over 1,600 staff, working from offices located in Hong Kong, Macau, China, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and the Middle East.
<Photo courtesy of Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers>