Situated on the intersection of Church Street and Cecil Street, the building reveals a neo-classical style architecture, evident in its symmetrical design and elements such as pillars. The large overhangs, high ceilings and window ventilators serve as functional features to adapt to the local weather. Because of its shape, it is known today as The Quadrant at Cecil.
Designed by Keys and Dowdeswell and built in the late 1920s, the building’s European visage was not uncommon for the area. The Quadrant’s design was right at home amid nearby buildings like The Chambers Bank Building and Corner House which have since been demolished.
In the early to mid-1900s, the site’s occupants seemed to have shared a common feature of being commercial institutions. Previous inhabitants of the building include the Bank of East Asia, Kwangtung Provincial Bank, Bank of China, and the Four Seas Bank (also known as Sze Hai Tong). The Four Seas Bank occupied the site after the Japanese Occupation, until 1957, when they moved into their new premises on Chulia Street. After which, the building was put under the mandate of the State. While under the government’s charge, the site was rented out to a range of occupants, including the Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association. Today, the Quadrant at the Cecil is leased by ELOH Leasings Pte Ltd and plays host to a tech Co-working hub WOTSO and the Black Swan restaurant.Buildings and sites featured on Roots.SG are part of our efforts to raise awareness of our heritage; a listing on Roots.SG does not imply any form of preservation or conservation status, unless it is mentioned in the article. The information in this article is valid as of August 2019 and is not intended to be an exhaustive history of the site/building.
