The Shell House, later known as the Singapore Rubber House, or simply Rubber House, was a skyscraper in

Collyer Quay Collyer Quay () is a road in Downtown Core, Singapore that starts after Fullerton Road and ends at the junction of Raffles Quay, Finlayson Green and Marina Boulevard. The road houses several landmarks namely, Clifford Pier, Change Alley, Singap ...

, Singapore. It was officially opened in 1960 as the Singapore headquarters of

Shell plc Shell plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational petroleum, oil and natural gas, gas company, headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and second ...

. At the time of the building's completion, it was the fourth tallest building in Singapore, rising over 190 ft above ground level.

Description

The building had 15 storeys and rose over 190 ft above ground level, making it the fourth tallest building in Singapore at the time of its opening. The building also included a

theatrette A theater, theatre or playhouse, is a structure where theatrical works, performing arts, and musical concerts are presented. The theater building serves to define the performance and audience spaces. The facility usually is organized to provide ...

in the basement which could accommodate 100 people. The building was air-conditioned, and had three letter lifts, 17 passenger lifts, four high speed lifts, a waste paper chute, and an automatic telephone exchange system.

History

Plans for the construction of the building were submitted to the local authorities in September 1954. By November,

Singapore Improvement Trust The Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) is a former government organisation that was responsible for urban planning and urban renewal in Singapore. Formally established in 1927 under the Singapore Improvement Ordinance, it was modelled after sim ...

, had not approved the construction of the building. Architectural firm

Swan and MacLaren Swan & Maclaren Group is an architecture and urban design firm. One of the oldest architectural firms in the country, it was formerly known as Swan & Maclaren and Swan & Lermit, and was one of the most prominent architectural firms in Singapore ...

were commissioned to design the building. The construction of the Shell House cost over $7 million and lasted four years, having begun at the end of 1955. The interior decor of the building was designed by English architect

Jane Drew Dame Jane Drew (24 March 1911 – 27 July 1996) was an English modernist architect and town planner. She qualified at the Architectural Association School in London, and prior to World War II became one of the leading exponents of the Moder ...

on her third visit to Singapore. The building was officially opened at the end of March 1960, as the local headquarters of

. Both the

flag of Singapore The flag of Singapore was adopted in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. It remained the national flag upon the country's independence from Malaysia on 9 August 1965. The design is a horizontal bicolour of r ...

and the flag of Shell were unfurled on top of the building on 29 March 1960. Plans to demolish the building to make way for a newer building were first announced in December 1973. The new building would be developed with another partner. In 1976, the building was sold to the Rubber Association of Singapore for $7.1 million. The building became the headquarters of the association and was renamed the Singapore Rubber House. In 1978, the eighth, ninth, and eleventh floors underwent a $2 million renovation. The Rubber Association of Singapore put the building up for sale for $20 million in December 1986. The building was purchased by Savu Investments Pte Ltd for $33.1 million in 1987, paying a $3.3 million deposit. Both the Singapore Rubber House and the Winchester House were demolished following the closure of

Change Alley Exchange Alley or Change Alley is a narrow alleyway connecting shops and coffeehouses in an old neighbourhood of the City of London. It served as a convenient shortcut from the Royal Exchange on Cornhill to the Post Office on Lombard Street ...

in 1989.

References

{{coord missing, Singapore Buildings and structures in Singapore 1960 establishments in Singapore 1989 disestablishments in Singapore Former skyscrapers