Completed in 1912 on a site at Raffles Place owned by the Portuguese Mission in China, Raffles Chambers was designed by architectural firm Swan & Maclaren. It was specially built for the purpose of housing the retail store of Katz Brothers Ltd., who had leased the land from the Mission and funded the ambitious building project. Another local retail giant, Robinson & Co. Ltd., moved its flagship store into the building in 1941. The building was destroyed in 1972 by a fire that broke out in the store, resulting in the deaths of nine people. The Overseas Union Bank (OUB) Centre now sits on the site where Raffles Chambers once stood.
