Building height debate

The building was originally designed to be of seven stories but was amended to comply with the request of the authorities for a 15-foot back lane to run behind the back of the building. The loss of this strip of land hence necessitated an increase in height of the building.^[3] The newly proposed height of 239 feet was, however, rejected by the Singapore Municipal Commissioners for it violated building by-laws of a maximum 4 to 6 stories. The Singapore Municipal Commissioners recommended the reduction of the building height to 135 feet on both frontages at Finlayson Green and Collyer Quay.^[4]

On 20 February 1948, a discussion was held between the Singapore Municipal Commissioners and representatives of the Asia Insurance Company. The Singapore Municipal Commissioners were eventually convinced by Asia Insurance's technical adviser Dato Ronald Braddell, allowing for the building to rise 18 stories, at a height of 241 feet. The committee agreed that the proposed building would, by it majesty, beautify Singapore's waterfront, gaining indirect benefit from its advertisement.^[5]

Construction

Owing to its height, a formal assurance was requested by the Municipal Commissioners to ensure that the soil would be able to bear the load. In February 1949, specimens of soil from the site were sent to Europe for laboratory analysis to determine its bearing capacity. Test results were proven to be satisfactory and construction commenced in early 1950.^[6]

However, in 1951, during the execution of the work, the sandstone at depth was found to be core boulders or seams of softer sandstone up to 2 or 3 feet in thickness instead of the previously analysed solid rock. The in rush of soil during the sinking of cylinders through the beach formations aggravated the situation. On the Finlayson Green side, the road showed a series of cracks in the asphalt parallel to the building line and extending a distance of 15 to 20 feet of the center of the road. At the building line, the pavement had sunk between 2 and 3 feet throughout the length of the frontage. The absence of firm rock stratum to support the cylinders as originally designed necessitated a reduction of their bearing pressure. A specialist had to be brought in from the United Kingdom to advise on the project requirements.

To avoid the further risk of loss of ground, the sinking of the cylinders were stopped. The cylinders were carried to their final level (45 to 55 feet below road level) by underpinning them with a precast concrete segmental lining. The bearing pressure was reduced to 3.5 tons per square foot by ‘belling out’ the bases. All cylinders were back-grouted, and also each ring of the lining as it was assembled. In certain cases, underpinning through the beach formations was carried out in compressed air.

After sealing the bottoms of the shafts and encasing the segmental rings in a secondary lining, the tops of the cylinders were trimmed to a common level and a four-foot-thick reinforced concrete raft was cast over them. Into the raft were grouted the holding-down bolts and base plates for the stanchions of the steel superstructure.^[7] The 28 cylinders allowed the building load of 35,000 tons to be spread across an area of 9000 square feet.^[8] The unexpected soil composition caused the construction to stretch from 1949 to 1955, costing over $8 million, against the expected $3 million, with the earthquake-proof foundations themselves costing $2.25 million.

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

In May 1953, Singapore's waterfront lighted up in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. A giant crown with 4500 electric light bulb was erected on top of the Asia Insurance Building's skeletal structure to mark the occasion.^[9] The building has since been decked out with a three-tiered scalloped stainless steel crown to commemorate the event.^[10]

Opening

On 10 December 1955, the Asia Insurance Building was officially opened by Sir Robert Brown Black, Governor of Singapore. To commemorate the event, a plague bearing the architect's name was inscribed at the main entrance.

The Asia Insurance Building was occupied by local and foreign firms, with its offices fully sold before its completion and even after the delays. The Office of the Ceylon Commissioner in Malaya and the Singapore Baggage Transport Agency Ltd. among many others had set up their offices there. One month after the slated completion date of October 1955, the building still had no water and electricity and the lifts and air-conditioning were not yet installed, but some businesses still moved in as scheduled on 1 November 1955.^[11] The 18 stories building proposed a new prototype of office buildings, integrating offices, bank, restaurants, public and service areas all in a harmonious whole. The ground floor facing Raffles Quay was occupied by the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines while the Finlayson Green facing area was occupied by the Korean Exchange Bank.

The 18-storey building was the third and tallest skyscraper to be erected in the vicinity during the 1940s, with the Finlayson House and Bank of China Building preceding it.^[12] The improvements in building technology and British desire to create a more prominent Singapore skyline fueled the increased construction activity during the 1950s. However, the increased office space provided by buildings like the Asia Insurance Building also began to promote businesses and the service industry boom in Singapore, helping to gradually establish Singapore as a financial centre of the region.^[13]

The 14th and 15th floor housed a $500 000 Sky Palace Restaurant, completed with a bar on the 14th floor and garden on the 15th. It was the largest restaurant in Malaya, with accommodation for 800 guests. The 16th floor catered for customers who wish to relax or hold private discussions. It commanded a panoramic view of Singapore and the waterfront.^[14]

The Asia Insurance Building was also fitted with many amenities that were considered modern and luxurious at that time. An air-conditioning system by Airtemp was installed in the building and served the first to sixth floors as well as the Sky Palace Restaurant located at the rooftop.^[15] Four automated lifts were also installed and were capable of discharging 2500 to 3000 persons per hour, and the entire building was also wired for a centralised telephone system.^[16]

Suicides

Whilst it was the tallest building in Southeast Asia, the Asia Insurance Building, alongside the Upper Pickering Street Flats, saw a record number of people leaping to their deaths. On 20 June 1960, the top floor balcony was eventually closed to the public as a precautionary measure against suicides. Tourists and sightseers who wished to visit must first obtain permission from the Asia Insurance Company.^[17]