The Majestic, Singapore
Encyclopedia
The Majestic is a historic building on Eu Tong Sen Street
in Chinatown
, Singapore
. Located between the People's Park Complex
and Yue Hwa Building
, it was known as Majestic Theatre, which was a Cantonese opera
house.
built by philanthropist
Eu Tong Sen
, also a tin
mining
and rubber
magnate
, for his wife who was a Cantonese opera fan
. Eu also formed an opera
troupe for her, and bought the street
on which the theatre
sat, naming it Eu Tong Sen Street. The building was designed by Swan and Maclaren
, the leading architectural firm at that time which also designed Raffles Hotel
and Victoria Memorial Hall. The theatre was completed in 1928.
The Majestic Theatre was originally known as the Tien Yien Moh Toi Theatre or "Tin Yin Dance Stage" and was a venue for Cantonese opera until 1938, when it was converted into a cinema
. The Shaw Brothers rent
ed the place, renamed it the Queen's Theatre, and used it to screen
the latest Cantonese blockbuster
film
s.
When the Japanese Occupation of Singapore
started in 1942 during World War II
, the theatre was renamed Tai Hwa Opera House when the Imperial Japanese Army
took control of it. It was used to screen Japan
ese propaganda
films.
over the theatre also ended in September the same year. It was then tenanted
to The Majestic Film Company, which gave the theatre its current name.
In 1956, Dato Loke Wan Tho
of Cathay Organisation
with two partners, Wong Siew Leng and Teo Cheng Hay, bought the Majestic Teatre for S$1.1 million from the Eu family. During the 1950s and 1960s, the theatre was not only popular among the locals but also attracted film stars from Hong Kong
such as Grace Chang
, Lin Dai
and Ge Lan.
In 1983, the Cathay Organisation became the sole owner after they bought out the partnership
. The theatre continued screening Chinese films until 1998 when it was closed.
. The conservation
building was then renamed The Majestic, and was opened on 17 January 2003.
In July 2007, Cathay Realty, the real estate
subsidiary
of the Cathay Organisation, put The Majestic up for sale at an estimated S$43 million.
s in Chinatown, and the theatre was once the grandest building there. The building is a mixture of Western
and Chinese
architectural style
s.
The façade
of the theatre is decorated with tile
s depicting Cantonese opera scene
s, and shiny and colourful mosaic
which show flying dragon
s with heads and tails connected. The theatre was built to accommodate a seating capacity
of 1,194. The opera house was a cave
rnous hallway with a huge dome
d ceiling
, below which there is a logo
of the letter
"M" for "Majestic".
Eu Tong Sen Street
Eu Tong Sen Street is a one-way road located in the central part of Singapore in the planning areas of Outram, Singapore River and Bukit Merah...
in Chinatown
Chinatown, Singapore
Singapore's Chinatown is an ethnic neighbourhood featuring distinctly Chinese cultural elements and a historically concentrated ethnic Chinese population. Chinatown is located within the larger district of Outram....
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Located between the People's Park Complex
People's Park Complex
People's Park Complex is a high-rise commercial and residential building on Eu Tong Sen Street in Outram, within the Chinatown of Singapore.-History:...
and Yue Hwa Building
Yue Hwa Building
Yue Hwa Building is a historic building located at the corner of the junction of Eu Tong Sen Street and Upper Cross Street, in Chinatown of Outram, Singapore...
, it was known as Majestic Theatre, which was a Cantonese opera
Cantonese opera
Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China's Cantonese culture. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Like all versions of Chinese opera, it is a traditional Chinese art form, involving music, singing,...
house.
Early history
Majestic Theatre was a Cantonese opera houseOpera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
built by philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
Eu Tong Sen
Eu Tong Sen
Eu Tong Sen was a leading businessman in Malaya, Singapore and Hong Kong during the late 19th and early 20th century. He was the son of Eu Kong Pui and Kong Pui's first wife, Madam Leung in Foshan, China...
, also a tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
magnate
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
, for his wife who was a Cantonese opera fan
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
. Eu also formed an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
troupe for her, and bought the street
Street
A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...
on which the theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
sat, naming it Eu Tong Sen Street. The building was designed by Swan and Maclaren
Swan and Maclaren
Swan and MacLaren Architects is the oldest architectural firm in Singapore. Formerly known as Swan and MacLaren, it was the most prominent architectural firm in Singapore when Singapore was a British colony in the early 20th century.-Early history:...
, the leading architectural firm at that time which also designed Raffles Hotel
Raffles Hotel
Raffles Hotel is a colonial-style hotel in Singapore, and one of the world's most famous hotels. The hotel was established by the famous Armenian Sarkies Brothers. Opened in 1887, it was named after Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles. Managed by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, it is...
and Victoria Memorial Hall. The theatre was completed in 1928.
The Majestic Theatre was originally known as the Tien Yien Moh Toi Theatre or "Tin Yin Dance Stage" and was a venue for Cantonese opera until 1938, when it was converted into a cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
. The Shaw Brothers rent
Renting
Renting is an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property owned by another. A gross lease is when the tenant pays a flat rental amount and the landlord pays for all property charges regularly incurred by the ownership from landowners...
ed the place, renamed it the Queen's Theatre, and used it to screen
Projection screen
A projection screen is an installation consisting of a surface and a support structure used for displaying a projected image for the view of an audience. Projection screens may be permanently installed, as in a movie theater; painted on the wall; or semi-permanent or mobile, as in a conference room...
the latest Cantonese blockbuster
Blockbuster (entertainment)
Blockbuster, as applied to film or theatre, denotes a very popular or successful production. The entertainment industry use was originally theatrical slang referring to a particularly successful play but is now used primarily by the film industry...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s.
When the Japanese Occupation of Singapore
Japanese Occupation of Singapore
The Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II occurred between about 1942 and 1945 after the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. Military forces of the Empire of Japan occupied Singapore after defeating the combined Australian, British, Indian and Malayan garrison in the Battle of Singapore...
started in 1942 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the theatre was renamed Tai Hwa Opera House when the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
took control of it. It was used to screen Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
films.
Post-war years
Shortly after the Japanese occupation ended in 1945, the Shaw Brothers' leaseLease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
over the theatre also ended in September the same year. It was then tenanted
Leasehold estate
A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....
to The Majestic Film Company, which gave the theatre its current name.
In 1956, Dato Loke Wan Tho
Loke Wan Tho
Loke Wan Tho born in Kuala Lumpur , was a cinema magnate, ornithologist, and photographer. He was the founder of Cathay Organisation in Singapore and Malaysia, and Motion Picture and General Investments Limited in Hong Kong....
of Cathay Organisation
Cathay Organisation
Cathay Organisation Holdings Limited is one of Singapore's leading leisure and entertainment groups. It has the first THX cinema hall and digital cinema in Singapore. The group has operations in Singapore and Malaysia.-The early years:...
with two partners, Wong Siew Leng and Teo Cheng Hay, bought the Majestic Teatre for S$1.1 million from the Eu family. During the 1950s and 1960s, the theatre was not only popular among the locals but also attracted film stars from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
such as Grace Chang
Grace Chang
Grace Chang , aka Ge3 Lan2 , is a Chinese actress and singer.Born in Shanghai, Chang moved with her family to Hong Kong in 1948....
, Lin Dai
Lin Dai
Linda Lin Dai was a Chinese actress of Hong Kong films made in Mandarin during 1950s–60s. She was a star actress in the Shaw Brothers Studio stable....
and Ge Lan.
In 1983, the Cathay Organisation became the sole owner after they bought out the partnership
Partnership
A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
. The theatre continued screening Chinese films until 1998 when it was closed.
Redevelopment
In the early 2000s, the Majestic Theatre was renovated at a cost of S$8 million into a three-story shopping mallShopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
. The conservation
Architectural conservation
Architectural conservation describes the process through which the material, historical, and design integrity of mankind's built heritage are prolonged through carefully planned interventions. The individual engaged in this pursuit is known as an architectural conservator...
building was then renamed The Majestic, and was opened on 17 January 2003.
In July 2007, Cathay Realty, the real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of the Cathay Organisation, put The Majestic up for sale at an estimated S$43 million.
Architecture
The Majestic is one of the prominent landmarkLandmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
s in Chinatown, and the theatre was once the grandest building there. The building is a mixture of Western
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
and Chinese
Chinese architecture
Chinese architecture refers to a style of architecture that has taken shape in East Asia over many centuries. The structural principles of Chinese architecture have remained largely unchanged, the main changes being only the decorative details...
architectural style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
s.
The façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
of the theatre is decorated with tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
s depicting Cantonese opera scene
Scene (film)
In TV and movies, a scene is generally thought of as the action in a single location and continuous time. Due to the ability to edit recorded visual works, it is typically much shorter than a stage play scene....
s, and shiny and colourful mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
which show flying dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s with heads and tails connected. The theatre was built to accommodate a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 1,194. The opera house was a cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
rnous hallway with a huge dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
d ceiling
Ceiling
A ceiling is an overhead interior surface that covers the upper limit of a room. It is generally not a structural element, but a finished surface concealing the underside of the floor or roof structure above....
, below which there is a logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
of the letter
Letter (alphabet)
A letter is a grapheme in an alphabetic system of writing, such as the Greek alphabet and its descendants. Letters compose phonemes and each phoneme represents a phone in the spoken form of the language....
"M" for "Majestic".