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Transformation Of Architecture Design

Transformation of Architectural Design
----Study of old HSBC and UOB Plaza

Introduction

Raffles Place is a financial heart of Singapore, located in downtown core and the central area, the home of many landmarks buildings. It was located in the south bank of Singapore River according to 1822 Jackson’s Town Plan.
Raffles Place was no more than a quiet green at the very beginning. As the economy and trading activities were progressed, a number of two and four storey buildings sprang up around the area in 1823-1824. Housing mercantile offices, banks and trading companies came into play. Although these early buildings were reconstructed, rebuild, or demolished many years later, they symbolized the value of this area in Singapore history.
Later around 1958, many new buildings on the south side of Raffles Place were go downs with jetties that allowed cargo to be loaded and unloaded directly from boats. New land was reclaimed for commercial use, which indicated the fast development of economic growth in early Singapore. This new land became Collyer Quay where the old HSBC building as one of the first banks in Singapore stood in the second half of the 19th century.
Huge changes in terms of architectural design of buildings in Raffles Place came out. Old buildings were demolished to make way for the construction of a number of new buildings; banking industry in Singapore also took off. From 1950, banking in Singapore entered a new league, Bank of America, Bank of China, and Malayan banks were established one after another. This was followed in 1965 by the construction of United Overseas Bank towers which were considered the tallest building in Singapore for many years. .

As the commercial centre of Singapore, Raffles Place with a great number of notable buildings has been experiencing a remarkable change in architectural design. Architectural transformation parallels with the public recognition of a country; in other words, it is a way to observe the historical...