Penang Masonic Temple
Encyclopedia
The Penang Masonic Temple is an historic Masonic building located st 136 Jalan Utama {Western Road), corner of Jalan Brown (Brown Road), in the former city of George Town
on Penang Island
in the state of Penang
, Malaysia. In 1924, The Royal Prince of Wales Lodge No. 1555, United Grand Lodge of England
, and Lodge Scotia No. 1003, Grand Lodge of Scotland
, each of which had its own meeting hall, agreed to build the Penang Masonic Temple at its current site to serve their own needs as well as those of other Masonic bodies in the area. A limited company
was formed, with each lodge controlling half, to buy the property, construct the building and own and maintain it thereafter. The land was acquired in 1926 and the foundation was laid on 17 December 1927 Designed by architect Howard Leicester in the Art Deco
style of architecture, the building was built by contractor Lee Ghee Sok.
Today it is considered a heritage site
and its white exterior is painted white with some of its Art Deco details are painted blue. It is still used by the founding lodges for their meetings and is also utilised by 7 other Masonic bodies of either English or Scottish jurisdiction, which pay rent for its use.
George Town, Penang
George Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
on Penang Island
Penang Island
Penang Island is part of the state of Penang, on the west coat of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British East India Company on 12 August 1786, in honour of the birthday of the Prince of Wales, later King George IV...
in the state of Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, Malaysia. In 1924, The Royal Prince of Wales Lodge No. 1555, United Grand Lodge of England
United Grand Lodge of England
The United Grand Lodge of England is the main governing body of freemasonry within England and Wales and in other, predominantly ex-British Empire and Commonwealth countries outside the United Kingdom. It is the oldest Grand Lodge in the world, deriving its origin from 1717...
, and Lodge Scotia No. 1003, Grand Lodge of Scotland
Grand Lodge of Scotland
The Grand Lodge of Antient, Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland was founded in 1736 – although only a third of all lodges were represented at the foundation meeting of the Grand Lodge....
, each of which had its own meeting hall, agreed to build the Penang Masonic Temple at its current site to serve their own needs as well as those of other Masonic bodies in the area. A limited company
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
was formed, with each lodge controlling half, to buy the property, construct the building and own and maintain it thereafter. The land was acquired in 1926 and the foundation was laid on 17 December 1927 Designed by architect Howard Leicester in the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style of architecture, the building was built by contractor Lee Ghee Sok.
Today it is considered a heritage site
Heritage site
A Heritage Site is a location designated as important to the cultural heritage of a governing body such as a township, county, province, state, or country. It is a non-moveable object such as a historic site or national monument, but it may include several sites grouped together such as...
and its white exterior is painted white with some of its Art Deco details are painted blue. It is still used by the founding lodges for their meetings and is also utilised by 7 other Masonic bodies of either English or Scottish jurisdiction, which pay rent for its use.