Nadia: November 2011

ASSALAMUALAIKUM..

THIS IS MY GROUP PROJECT ABOUT- (G) ANALYSIS OF GWHS BUILDING (PRESENTATION)

CENTRAL ARCH -COCHERE OF LOGAN'S BUILDING

(17 JULY 2010)

ISLAMIC 1

ISLAMIC 2

LOGAN 1

LOGAN 2

LOGAN 3

LOGAN 4

LOGAN BUILDING BEFORE RESTORATION

(18 JUNE 2008)

LOGAN BUILDING , BEACH STREET FACADE

(12 AUGUST 2006)

STATE 1

STATE 2

STATE 3

UNION STREET FACADE OF LOGAN'S BUILDING

( 17 JULY 2010)

Logan’s Heritage Building

Beach Street, one of Penang’s longest streets, served as George Town’s financial and banking hub for decades. A bustling street during the day, the entire 2km stretch is “dead” at night, a far cry from the turn of the 19th century when it hummed with activity because of the port nearby. Its location also made it the place to shop for imported goods.

For many years, there were proposals by the previous state government to revive the financial centre especially at night, but nothing materialised.
The historic commercial centre still houses shipping companies, import and export trade offices and wholesalers and the street is still lined with premier banks which are housed in heritage buildings.

Logan’s Building which has been beautifully restored is a two-storey block of shops fronting Beach Street, Union Street and Bishop Street in George Town. It is located within the core zone of the George Town Unesco World Heritage Site.

The building was named after a Scotsman, James Richardson Logan, a barrister who arrived in Penang in 1839 but moved to Singapore several years later to join his brother’s law firm. His brother, Abraham, was editor-proprietor of Singapore’s premier newspaper then, the Singapore Free Press.

James returned to Penang in 1853 to practice law and in 1855, the two brothers bought the Pinang Gazette which was located at the Logan Building. The newspaper is said to have been influential with James as the editor championing Penang’s cause in governance, free trade and protecting commercial activities while criticising the East India Company.

James also wrote 27 volumes of the Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia, which were also called Logan’s Journals, from 1847-1859.

The two-storey building used to be three storeys when it was built in the 1800s but by the 1930s, it had become dilapidated.
The owners then, the Chung Keng Kwee Estate, brought in the architect Lim Soo Loon to renovated the building and had the upper floor removed. The parapet was then redesigned in the Art Deco style which was fashionable in the 1930's. Rusticated plasterwork starts from the ground floor right to the moulded cornices that underline the parapet.

Logan’s Building used to house upmarket shops and offices during the British administration as well as Today, one corner of it belonged to Barkath Stores which closed down during the 1980's, and has remained shut till today (18 June, 2008).

It was known afterJames Richardson Logan, the lawyer commemorated with the Logan Memorial. One of the most charming - yet often overlooked features of the Logan's Building is its central arch defining a granite-paved porte-cochère, which in the old days led to a courtyard for carriages.

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Update: 23 November 2010

Logan Building, which is now owned by OCBC Bank, will be known as the Logan Heritage following a RM6.8 million restoration project that brought it to look as good as new. The funding of the restoration includes RM5 million from OCBC Bank and RM1.8 million from TecCentury, a property management company. The building will become an arcade housing food & beverage outlets, a money changer and other retail outlets.

The Logan’s Building, which is now known as the Logan Heritage, is a two-storey building owned by the OCBC Bank and it has 23 office units with a built-up area of 3,994.8sq metres.

Painted in beige, it sits majestically at the junction of Beach Street, Union Street and Bishop Street.

The building used to be the workplace of a prominent lawyer James Richardson Logan in the 1860s.

He and his elder brother, Abraham came from Edinburgh, Scotland, to the Straits Settlement of Penang in the 1840s.

They both practised law in Singapore before migrating to Penang in the 1860s.

It is said that Logan was loved by the local residents then as he was devoted to justice and knowledge.

Apparently, he had on some occasions defended the needy on a pro bono basis at no cost to them.

Originally, a grand three-storey building with cast iron balconies, it was later reduced to two storeys.

It also has an inner courtyard within the premises.

The last occupant on the ground floor was Barkath Store before the building was closed for restoration early this year.

The restoration project was conceived by OCBC Bank which spent RM5mil while Kuala Lumpur-based TecCentury Sdn Bhd, which is a property management company, spent RM1.8mil.

TecCentury executive director Joe Kan Weng Hoe said the building would be officially opened on Dec 17.

It shall boast a variety of food and beverages outlets, a foreign currency exchange facility, a gadgets’ shop, a convenience store besides smaller commercial interests.

“We also hope to promote tourism with a uniqueness of Penang Heritage through this pre-war building. We also hope to turn the premises into a food and beverage hub coupled with light entertainment for bankers in the area,” he said during a briefing tour yesterday.

Kan also said that a hall was also set up to be a briefing spot on Penang’s heritage.

“We will work closely with the George Town World Heritage Inc to invite all schools in Penang to Logan Heritage for free briefings.

“Our main objective is to embrace Penang’s heritage and we have different concepts for this building. It is also a good stop for tourists to enjoy its rich heritage value,” he said.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng who visited the building yesterday, praised the efforts of the bank and the company in meeting the heritage guidelines of the Penang Municipal Council.