The Cathay, formerly known as Cathay Building, is now home to one of Singapore’s 72 National Monuments. The front façade of the building has remained the same since the 1930’s, preserving the features of the then-trendy Art Deco architecture.

 

Art Deco, also called style moderne, is a movement in decorative arts and architecture that originated in the 1920s. It developed into a major style in Western Europe and the United States during the 1930s. It represented how modernism turned into a type of fashion, creating a sleek and antitraditional elegance that symbolised wealth and sophistication.

 

Art Deco architecture features smooth lines, geometric shapes, streamlined forms and bright--sometimes garish--colours. During the post-World War I period, expensive materials like silver, crystal, ivory and jade were heavily utilised. This was a way for artists to voice out their discontent over the austerity imposed by World War I. However, after The Great Depression hit, cheaper materials such as chrome and plastic, were favoured.

 

This transformed Art Deco architecture from a luxurious style of architecture into an elegant, minimalist one. This shift in aesthetic is particularly evident in The Cathay’s front façade that was constructed during this period; it is not made from extravagant materials but from common ones that are widely used in other typical buildings.