Tan Teck Guan Building
Encyclopedia
Tan Teck Guan Building is a historic building on MacAlister Road, within the compound of Singapore General Hospital
in Bukit Merah
, Singapore
. The building currently houses offices of the Ministry of Health
.
, features significantly in the history of medical education
in Singapore. It was the site of Singapore's first medical school
to train local students in western medicine.
In September 1904, Tan Jiak Kim led a group of representatives of the Chinese
and other non-European communities, and petition
ed the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir John Anderson
, to establish a medical school in Singapore. Tan, who was the first president of the Straits Chinese British Association, managed to raise $
87,077, of which the largest amount of $12,000 came from himself. On 3 July 1905, the medical school was founded, and was known as the Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School. The medical library
was first housed in the students' reading room within the school, converted from the vacant old female lunatic
asylum
in Sepoy Lines.
In 1911, a new building, Tan Teck Guan Building, was added to the medical school. It was built by Tan Chay Yan
, a successful rubber
plantation
merchant
and philanthropist
, who donated $15,000 towards its construction. Tan Chay Yan named the building in memory of his late father, Tan Teck Guan (also known as Tan Teck Gein), who was the son of entrepreneur
and philanthropist Tan Tock Seng
. This building served as the medical school's administrative block, containing the Principal's and clerk's offices. It also housed the new medical library, a reading room, a lecture
room and a pathology
museum
.
In 1912, the medical school received a donation
of $120,000 from the King Edward VII Memorial Fund, started by Dr Lim Boon Keng
. Subsequently on 18 November 1913, the name of the school was changed to the King Edward VII Medical School. In 1921, it was again changed to the King Edward VII College of Medicine to reflect its academic status.
In 1920, approval was given to build a new building for the medical school. On 15 February 1926, the College of Medicine Building was officially opened by the Governor, Sir Laurence Nunns Guillemard. With the completion of the College of Medicine Building, the medical school's Department of Anatomy
occupied Tan Teck Guan Building. An extension of the building housed the dissection
room.
In 1949, with the foundation of the University of Malaya
, the King Edward VII College of Medicine became the Faculty of Medicine of the university
.
, which was formed from the University of Malaya in 1962. In August 1985, the Preservation of Monuments Board recommended that Tan Teck Guan Building be preserve
d, following its decision not to demolish but conserve
the College of Medicine Building in 1983.
In May 1984, the Ministry of Health (MOH) obtained approval from the government to restore
and renovate
both buildings. Renovation works began in November 1985, and were completed in April 1987 at a total cost of S$14.4 million for the two buildings. In July 1987, MOH moved into Tan Teck Guan Building and College of Medicine Building, together with the Singapore Academy of Medicine and the College of General Practitioners (now the College of Family Physicians).
In October 1988, the Ministry of Information and the Arts (now the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
) approved the gazetting
of the Tan Teck Guan Building as a national monument
. Tan Teck Guan Building became a national monument on 2 December 2002. In June 2003, the National Heritage Board
installed a commemorative plaque
near the main entrance of the building to mark Tan Teck Guan Building as a national monument.
façade
with neo-classic
details. Its main entrance is embellished with an ornate arch
way supported by Doric columns, with Ionic
column
s on the upper level. The work of Tan Jiak Kim for setting up Singapore's first medical school is remembered on two historical plaques on the side pillar
s of the main entrance to the building.
The original structure of Tan Teck Guan Building consisted mainly of timber
truss
es, floors and joist
s, sitting directly on brick
. During the building's restoration from 1985 to 1987, the timber roof
and second floor timber floor had to be replaced with steel
structures as they were badly infested by termite
s. The timber window frames which were also termite-infested were replaced with new matching wooden frames. The roof tile
s were replaced with matching new ones imported from France
. The internal granite
staircase and balustrade were retained, but two brick walls were removed to allow greater flexibility for office space usage.
Singapore General Hospital
The Singapore General Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore, of which the foundation of its first building was laid in 1821....
in Bukit Merah
Bukit Merah
Bukit Merah is a hill in Singapore. Previously, it was a much larger hill that was situated at the present site of Henderson housing estate, which lies opposite the Delta Sports Complex. There was a Chinese cemetery on the reverse side of the hill. The present Bukit Merah Secondary School and...
, 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...
. The building currently houses offices of the Ministry of Health
Ministry of Health (Singapore)
The Ministry of Health is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for providing information, raising health awareness and education, ensuring the accessibility of health services, and monitoring the quality of health services provided to citizens and visitors in the Republic of...
.
Establishment of medical school
Tan Teck Guan Building, together with the adjacent College of Medicine BuildingCollege of Medicine Building
The College of Medicine Building is a historic building in Singapore, located within the grounds of the Singapore General Hospital at Outram Park, within the Bukit Merah Planning Area near Singapore's central business district.-History:...
, features significantly in the history of medical education
Medical education
Medical education is education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner, either the initial training to become a doctor or additional training thereafter ....
in Singapore. It was the site of Singapore's first medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
to train local students in western medicine.
In September 1904, Tan Jiak Kim led a group of representatives of the Chinese
Chinese in Singapore
Chinese Singaporeans are people of Chinese ethnicity who hold Singaporean nationality. As of 2010, Chinese Singaporeans constitute 74.1% of Singapore's resident population, or approximately three out of four Singaporeans, making them the largest ethnic group in Singapore...
and other non-European communities, and petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
ed the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir John Anderson
John Anderson (governor)
Sir John Anderson GCMG KCB JP was a British colonial governor, who was once the Governor of Ceylon and Governor of Straits Settlements.-Education:...
, to establish a medical school in Singapore. Tan, who was the first president of the Straits Chinese British Association, managed to raise $
Straits dollar
The Straits dollar was the currency of the Straits Settlements from 1904 until 1939. At the same time, it was also used in the Federated Malay States, the Unfederated Malay States, Sarawak, Brunei, and British North Borneo.-History:...
87,077, of which the largest amount of $12,000 came from himself. On 3 July 1905, the medical school was founded, and was known as the Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School. The medical library
Medical library
A health or medical library is designed to assist physicians, health professionals, students, patients, consumers and medical researchers in finding health and scientific information to improve, update, assess or evaluate health care. Medical libraries are typically found in hospitals, medical...
was first housed in the students' reading room within the school, converted from the vacant old female lunatic
Lunatic
"Lunatic" is a commonly used term for a person who is mentally ill, dangerous, foolish, unpredictable; a condition once called lunacy. The word derives from lunaticus meaning "of the moon" or "moonstruck".-Lunar hypothesis:...
asylum
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
in Sepoy Lines.
In 1911, a new building, Tan Teck Guan Building, was added to the medical school. It was built by Tan Chay Yan
Tan Chay Yan
Tan Chay Yan was a rubber plantation merchant and philanthropist. A Peranakan, Tan is the grandson of philanthropist Tan Tock Seng by his father, Tan Teck Guan....
, a successful 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...
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
and 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...
, who donated $15,000 towards its construction. Tan Chay Yan named the building in memory of his late father, Tan Teck Guan (also known as Tan Teck Gein), who was the son of entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and philanthropist Tan Tock Seng
Tan Tock Seng
Tan Tock Seng was a Singaporean merchant and philanthropist. Born in Malacca in 1798 to an immigrant Fukien father and Hokkien Peranakan mother, Tan rose from humble origins. In 1819, Tan moved to Singapore to sell fruit, vegetable and fowl...
. This building served as the medical school's administrative block, containing the Principal's and clerk's offices. It also housed the new medical library, a reading room, a lecture
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
room and a pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
.
In 1912, the medical school received a donation
Donation
A donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods including clothing, toys, food, and vehicles...
of $120,000 from the King Edward VII Memorial Fund, started by Dr Lim Boon Keng
Lim Boon Keng
Lim Boon Keng, OBE was a Chinese doctor who promoted social and educational reforms in Singapore and China. Lim was of Chinese Peranakan descent, with ancestry from Hai Teng district in Fujian, China.-Early life:...
. Subsequently on 18 November 1913, the name of the school was changed to the King Edward VII Medical School. In 1921, it was again changed to the King Edward VII College of Medicine to reflect its academic status.
In 1920, approval was given to build a new building for the medical school. On 15 February 1926, the College of Medicine Building was officially opened by the Governor, Sir Laurence Nunns Guillemard. With the completion of the College of Medicine Building, the medical school's Department of Anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
occupied Tan Teck Guan Building. An extension of the building housed the dissection
Dissection
Dissection is usually the process of disassembling and observing something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the functions and relationships of its components....
room.
In 1949, with the foundation of the University of Malaya
University of Malaya
The University of Malaya is located on a campus near the centre of Kuala Lumpur, and is the oldest university in Malaysia. It was founded in 1905 as a public-funded tertiary institution...
, the King Edward VII College of Medicine became the Faculty of Medicine of the university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
.
Preservation
In May 1982, the Singapore Government decided to move the Faculty of Medicine and School of Postgraduate Studies to the Kent Ridge campus of the National University of SingaporeNational University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
, which was formed from the University of Malaya in 1962. In August 1985, the Preservation of Monuments Board recommended that Tan Teck Guan Building be preserve
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
d, following its decision not to demolish but conserve
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...
the College of Medicine Building in 1983.
In May 1984, the Ministry of Health (MOH) obtained approval from the government to restore
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
and renovate
Renovation
Renovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
both buildings. Renovation works began in November 1985, and were completed in April 1987 at a total cost of S$14.4 million for the two buildings. In July 1987, MOH moved into Tan Teck Guan Building and College of Medicine Building, together with the Singapore Academy of Medicine and the College of General Practitioners (now the College of Family Physicians).
National monument
Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts is a ministry of the Government of Singapore...
) approved the gazetting
Gazette
A gazette is a public journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.In English- and French-speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name Gazette since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers bear the name The Gazette.Gazette is a loanword from the...
of the Tan Teck Guan Building as a national monument
National Monuments of Singapore
National Monuments of Singapore are buildings and structures in Singapore that have been designated by the Preservation of Monuments Board as being of special historic, traditional, archaeological, architectural or artistic value....
. Tan Teck Guan Building became a national monument on 2 December 2002. In June 2003, the National Heritage Board
National Heritage Board (Singapore)
The National Heritage Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government, under the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts ....
installed a commemorative plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
near the main entrance of the building to mark Tan Teck Guan Building as a national monument.
Architecture
The Tan Teck Guan Building has a Georgian architecturalGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
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"....
with neo-classic
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
details. Its main entrance is embellished with an ornate arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
way supported by Doric columns, with Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s on the upper level. The work of Tan Jiak Kim for setting up Singapore's first medical school is remembered on two historical plaques on the side pillar
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s of the main entrance to the building.
The original structure of Tan Teck Guan Building consisted mainly of timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
es, floors and joist
Joist
A joist, in architecture and engineering, is one of the horizontal supporting members that run from wall to wall, wall to beam, or beam to beam to support a ceiling, roof, or floor. It may be made of wood, steel, or concrete. Typically, a beam is bigger than, and is thus distinguished from, a joist...
s, sitting directly on brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
. During the building's restoration from 1985 to 1987, the timber roof
Roof
A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a building. A roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather. Structures that require roofs range from a letter box to a cathedral or stadium, dwellings being the most numerous....
and second floor timber floor had to be replaced with steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
structures as they were badly infested by termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s. The timber window frames which were also termite-infested were replaced with new matching wooden frames. The roof 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 were replaced with matching new ones imported from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The internal granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
staircase and balustrade were retained, but two brick walls were removed to allow greater flexibility for office space usage.