Singapore’s First Tallest Building

Posted by oceanskies79 under Buildings and Monuments
(12) Comments • (6622) Reads • Permalink

Fellow blogger, Chun See, asked me this question some time ago and I shall pose the question to everyone here: “Did you know that across the road to Clifford Pier used to be a famous landmark… It was the tallest building in Spore in the old days. Do you know the name of this building?”

Try to decipher what is written on this plaque found on the ground level of the building.

Chun See’s question had set me on a mini journey to try to answer that question.

Photo taken in May 2006.

Thank goodness that I have managed to get some help. Victor shared with me a photo of the skyline of Singapore in the 1970s that he had came across. This photo has given some clue to the question. The answer, which you might have guessed from the photo above, is the Asia Insurance Building.

Doing a search on a2o has also helped me in my search for the answer. If you would like to see how the Asia Insurance Building looked like in the past, you can do a search at a2o. Enter “Asia Insurance Building”. Next, enter the date (I suggest that you key in from year 1950 to 1980), then select photographs, then press the “Search” button. View the results.

Can.com.sg has a post written by TY Kwan about the Asia Insurance Building being Singapore’s first tallest building in the city. The post can be found here.

Before Chun See posed that question to me, I was still ignorant that the building that stands at the corner of Finlayson Green was once the tallest building in this part of the world. Now there are taller buildings in Singapore. In comparison, the Asia Insurance Building somehow may seem not much of a significance. Will the Asia Insurance Building be forgotten? Or will it have a place in our history?

Updates: Please check this link out for more:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=71589

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(12) Comments

Posted by: Tan Wee Kiat
Posted on: May 28th, 2006

There are stamps that show the Asia Insurance Building (AIB). These stamps illustrate the changes in the Singapore Skyline over the years. Two of the stamps are shown in my little stamp-based book, "Singapore Story: a philatelic perspective". I gave copies of this book to Melissa and Shaun when I went to NHB for my first lesson on how to post on yesterday.sg . Would you like to have a copy of the book? I will send the pictures of the stamps in a separate e-mail (I don't know how to attach it here.) Incidentally, some months back there was a ST article about the (publicity-shy) family that owned/developed the AIB. I can't find this article among all my other stuff.

Posted by: Rambling Librarian
Posted on: May 28th, 2006

Hey Oceanskies, you asked "Will the Asia Insurance Building be forgotten? Or will it have a place in our history?". With this post, I think it does right? Provided they maintain the digital records :)

Posted by: chunsee
Posted on: May 28th, 2006

It was a common knowledge for us becos that was a common question posed in general knowledge quizzes. I think it was also in our primary school geog text books.

Posted by: oceanskies79
Posted on: May 28th, 2006

Chun See, after reading your comment, now I understand why I did not have the answer to your question at my fingertips. The thing is that when I was attending primary school, it is already not the tallest building in Singapore. So I was never asked that question in any of my geograpy class.

Dr Tan, thanks for the pictures of the stamps. Thanks for the offer of the book, I guess I shall give it a miss for now. Rambling Librarian: Let's hope it does. Actually I did not know anything about the Asia Insurance Building until Chun See asked me the question.

Posted by: oceanskies79
Posted on: May 30th, 2006

Hi all, sounds like Chun See's question has led to more revelation and discoveries for yours truly. Dr Tan revealed that before the Asia Insurance Building, Cathay Building was the tallest in Singapore. He points me to a link too: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=71589 I wonder if anyone would like to take up the challenge to investigate on the matter of tallest building in Singapore? How do people define what constitutes first tallest in those days?

Posted by: oceanskies79
Posted on: May 31st, 2006

I realised that this post: http://www.can.com.sg/content/neocan/en/streetwise/can_book_of_records/singapore_s_first0.html only indicated that the AI building was Singapore first tallest building in the city. AI Building is likely not the first tallest building in Singapore. Would any member like to write a post about the first tallest building in Singapore?

Posted by: Lee Kip Lee
Posted on: June 13th, 2006

What is the definition of "first"? From what year?

Posted by: ling
Posted on: July 25th, 2007

where is the old insurance building now? is it originaly located at the cathay building now?

where is the old asia insurance building now? is it originaly located at the cathay building now?

Posted by: Lee Kip Lee
Posted on: July 25th, 2007

The Asia Insurance Buiilding was in the Finlayson Green area, near Clifford Pier, whereas the Cathay Building was in Dhoby Ghaut in the Orchard Road area