MacDonald House

The MacDonald House (Chinese: 麦唐纳大厦) is a historic building in Singapore, and is located at Orchard Road in the Museum Planning Area, within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. Initially built for a bank, it continues to function as a banking hall (albeit for a different bank) today, although it is more well known to be the site of a bombing attack in 1965 at the height of Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation.

History

The MacDonald House, located a short distance from the Istana, is the last remaining office building in facing brick in the central area. The building was built in 1949, and designed by Reginal Eyre of the architectural firm Palmer and Turner. One of the first high-rise buildings in Orchard Road, the MacDonald House housed mainly British, American and Australian companies. It also house EMI's recording studios, used by local bands during the 'pop yeh-yeh' period. Before the building was vacated in the early 2000s, the building housed HSBC on the first few floors of the building.

Macdonald House, London

Macdonald House is a seven-storey building in Grosvenor Square in Mayfair, London that used to be part of the High Commission of Canada in London. Macdonald House was used for the cultural and consular functions, trade and administrative sections of the High Commission, the Immigration section as well as the High Commissioner's official residence. Previously, Macdonald House was the home of the American Embassy in London.

In 1936 the former (residential) buildings on this site were demolished as part of a redevelopment scheme led by the Duke of Westminster. The current building occupies numbers 1 to 3 on the eastern side of the square.

The American embassy moved into the building in 1938. The current US embassy, also in Grosvenor Square, was completed in 1960. During the Second World War when the Chancery was on one side and U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower's headquarters on another, Grosvenor Square became popularly known as "Little America."

The building was renamed Macdonald House in honour of Canada's first prime minister Sir John A. Macdonald, and was reopened by the Canadian High Commission on Dominion Day (July 1), 1961.