History Raffles Place

1 history

1.1 beginning
1.2 commerce , retail
1.3 financial hub

history

centre square of raffles place


beginning

the founder of modern singapore, sir stamford raffles, intended singapore become great commercial emporium . part of plan, gave instructions in 1822 commercial area created on southwest side of singapore river. garrison engineer lieutenant r.n. philip jackson, tasked drawing town plan based on raffles instructions, raffles place located southwest of mouth of singapore river. named commercial square, , first developed 1823 1824.

a hill stood @ area between commercial square , battery road. under raffles supervision, hill leveled, soil of used reclaim marshy southern bank of singapore river form boat quay , circular road area. commercial square created open space 200 yards long 50 yards wide, small garden in middle. lots of land in area around square sold in auction @ $1,200 , $1,500 apiece. commercial enterprises became established on area; two- , four-storey buildings built around square, housing mercantile offices, banks , trading companies.

on 8 march 1858, commercial square renamed raffles place. on south side of square many godowns jetties allowed cargo loaded , unloaded directly boats located @ edge of sea. 1858 1864, land on south side of raffles place johnston s pier telok ayer market reclaimed, became collyer quay, named after chief engineer george collyer initiated construction. expansion freed larger area designated commerce, , attracted more businesses such retail stores , banks.

commerce , retail

raffles place c.1910

the area become location well-known retail stores in 19th century. john little, oldest department store, established in 1842 on commercial square. robinsons, of oldest department stores, first established on raffles place in 1858 family warehouse . robinson s later relocated few times before returning raffles place in 1891. whiteaway laidlaw first established on d almeida street in 1900 before moving stamford house, battery road in 1910. alkaff arcade, singapore s first indoor shopping arcade stretched waterfront of collyer quay raffles place, built in 1909. chinese store, oriental emporium, opened opposite robinsons in 1966.

three of tallest buildings in singapore, located @ raffles place, left right, republic plaza, uob plaza 1 , 1 raffles place. 3 280 metres in height.

the earliest banks operate in commercial square oriental bank, chartered mercantile bank of india, london , china (later absorbed hsbc), chartered bank of india, australia , china (which later became standard chartered), , asiatic banking corporation. @ turn of 20th century, banking industry in singapore took off. home-grown banks came play, competing against bigger banks lower interest rates , cultural affinity customers. 1950s, banking in singapore entered new league, bank of america establishing here in 1955 @ 31 raffles place, , bank of china @ adjacent battery road.

during world war ii, raffles place among places hit bombs when seventeen japanese bombers conducted first air raid on singapore on 8 december, 1941, during battle of malaya. japanese occupation of singapore temporarily halted near-continuous commercial development of raffles place.

financial hub

in 1960s , 1970s, retailers began moved away raffles place area locations such high street, north bridge road , orchard road, , replaced finance houses , major banks. whiteaway laidlaw department store building on battery road taken on malayan bank in 1962, , demolished make way maybank tower in 1998. robinsons moved orchard road after landmark building destroyed in 1 of worst fires in singapore s history in 1972, , neighbour overseas union bank expanded site construction of new tower in 1986. john little s building sold in 1973 , demolished.

modern-day raffles place, financial heart of singapore.

the first underground car park in singapore constructed in 1965 under raffles place, replaced in 1980s raffles place mrt station, opened in december 1987. entrance features detailings of facade of 1911 of old john little building.

raffles place dominated skyscrapers, of tallest buildings in singapore, locations of flagship banks. united overseas bank tower completed in 1974 on old bonham building site, later renovated , expanded uob plaza. other towers such singapore land tower, clifford centre, ocean building, oub centre, , republic plaza have replaced older buildings. 3 tallest buildings in singapore located on raffles place until construction of tanjong pagar centre in 2016.