Built in 1939, the Cathay Building was Singapore’s first high-rise building. Designed by Frank Brewer, the iconic building had in 1941 an air-conditioned 1,300-seat cinema, a lavish restaurant and luxury apartments. Known as a “picture palace”, it offered cinema-goers a taste of luxury with its opulent interior and decor. During the war, the Japanese Broadcasting Department moved into the Cathay Building. After the Occupation in 1945, the building was occupied by the British until 1949.
