And The Walls Came Tumbling Down
Iris Cheng posted on our FB timeline this very sad picture of the Art Deco Majestic Theatre in the throes of demolition. We heard about it on Saturday but honestly I found it too depressing to bother to go and take a photograph. However as Iris did bother I felt it was only right that I should publish it here for those of you who do not follow us on Facebook.
I fear that before too long we shall have nothing left that actually has any traditional architectural styles to please the eye. But perhaps I am that voice in the wilderness – the dinosaur that refuses to lie down. I make no apologies for that and believe that one day the people might understand why I think like that.
Another Iverson’s creation is vanishing, human experience would lose something if there were no limitations to overcome!
This is sad. Ipoh has so many beautiful colonial and tin towkay mansions and it is also slowly banished, if not left to degradation.
I really applaud this blog for preserving what Ipoh was in my long distant memory.
I hope your blog can shed some light into the abandoned castle-like mansion opposite Polo ground. This building has been sort of a childhood intrigue of mine.
Yes it is so sad to see so many iconic buildings of the past torn down just like that, hope that they preserve the Lido and Cathay buildings. Hi helen the abandoned castle-like mansion opposite polo-ground has been demolish, i went back to Ipoh last month and visited the site hoping to see the castle but it was gone.
Day by day,old buildings are torn down.What a shame!It is time to preserve it.
Kevin,
Really? This is a shock for me.. I will drive over tomorrow to confirm,
Any chance you know a little history of the place?
this could not have happened without the blessingns of DBI. In any enlightened society the heritage societies would be up in ‘arms’.takut apa. No wonder the DBI is dragging its feet when requested to form a heritage council.I wish we could gang up since the PHS has failed to do it alone.
Another building bites the dust. Another of my father, B M Iversen’s buildings – how tragic. I visit Ipoh often to remember my youth and happy days in the beautiful town – soon it will have disappeared and Ipoh will look like every other town on earth – except for lack of good architecture. I realise that cinemas are defunct – but what about another furniture store? Surely Ipoh has not enough of them!!!!
This is a great tragedy. One of the best and most intact Art Deco buildings in Malaysia, still in a dignified setting and an original Iversen at that.. was there no warning?
This is tantamount to heritage vandalism. When will they ever learn!
How sad to see this. Who is the new owner of the land?
What are they going to build there?
I hope they will at least preserve Cathay and Lido. I heard
Lido had a fire recently and that the roof was burned.
Tshui gave us a link to the Chinese newspaper with pictures.
Please can anyone can update us as to the status,
meaning, is the new or current tennant going to repair the
building or will they let it rot just like the interior of
Odeon that was burned in 2005.
Thanks and looking forward to hear from anyone who can update us.
Those who are interested in this shocking affair, please read http://ipohecho.com.my/v2/2012/06/20/majestic-theatre-goes-under-the-hammer/.
It shows the futility of trying to save Ipoh’s quality buildings.
Just go to Miami South Beach and see how they preserve these beautiful Art Deco buildings.
What a shame that this is happening in Ipoh my hometown
Like it or not, Majestic theatre and Makanan pusat Tai Wah will soon be converted into a new shopping mall. . That is what I heard from friends who are in property sector.
Homesickforipoh, it does not appear to me that Lido is at the stage of ‘ let it be rotten ‘.
Tshui,
Thanks for the update on Lido. I assume and am glad that they
will REPAIR the damages. When I heard the news of the fire,
I feel very sad and shocked. And even more shocked to see
Majestic demolished.
I am angry and sad to learn of this latest demolition of yet another heritage building in Ipoh. I hope they will not touch the other buildings like Lido, Cathay or Rex. The sad thing is, not many people in Malaysia appreciates heritage buildings. To them, making money is more important. Sorry Ruth, some people in Ipoh have let you down.
Too many priceless old buildings are being torn down. Urban renewal in Ipoh seems to be about demolishing old ones to make way for new buildings. There is no attempt in “rehabilitating” them. There are hundreds of ideas how they can still be commercially viable. They could be turned into banks (Majestic cinema seems like a nice banking hall with a big carpark), nostalgia-themed restaurants, art galleries, even old-styled cinemas to screen oldies. Pubs (like Overtime), clubs, etc.
Chung Siew On shops could be a medical specialist centre.
Kg Jawa wooden house could be a Malay cultural centre with live shows. Charge an entrance fee if need to.
Ipoh Motors could reinstate themselves on Brewster Road. Imagine what a statement that would make about upholding tradition.
My fellow reader friends here can supply even more suggestion once we get started.
KKFoong, this is what we’re trying to tell everyone. just because it’s an “old” building, doesn’t mean it should be demolished and turned into a car-parks (eg. the famous Round Market, which is no more!) or just left empty….
yes, developing Ipoh is good…..but famous/historical landmarks should not end being the ‘victims’
Both the Odean and Star cinemas are for sale. Won’t be long before they too come down, unless some Heritage friendly people buy them up for adaptive reuse!
I can but say thank you to ipohworld – and ipohecho – for keeping us abreast of what sacrilege is going on in Ipoh – soon we will only have a photographic archive of the beautiful town it was.
MBI should take the developer to court instead of settling with a compound fine. The Law provides for a fine of RM50,000 and/or jail time.The fine is peanuts but sending the developer to jail would make others think not just twice but very long and hard if they intend to demolish a historical building.
Hi Steven. apparently, it’s ‘easier’ to pay the fine rather than wait for ‘permission’ from the authorities (when building/renovating…etc.) but you’re right about the fine being ‘peanuts’.
Hi Steven,
I think a more realistic punishment would be to force the
developer to reconstruct the building, at least the shell
for the sake of preservation and then the interior can be
modified and retrofitted for a new business.
If MBI were to jail the developer, please bear in mind that
the developer is probably not a sole proprieter and thus have
to jail all the company officials involved in the deal.
Do we jail the manager or the financer, the one who writes
the cheque or the foreman or whomever — the list is so long.
An employee can easily say he or she is just following
instructions from higher up to do his/her job.
Yes, the fine is just peanuts. The developer were so desperate
to demolish despite not having gotten approval because they
were worried about outcries from the public and thus want it
done before anyone stands in their way.
Going forward, as soon as we see such demolition again,
we should all demand MBI to have the cops barricade the
area to force a stoppage of the work.
Hi HomesickforIpoh, reconstruction of the demolished building plus a fine (for expenses incurred to the coucil) is a good idea. Jail term shall be imposed for failure to re-construct the building within stipulated time. Of course, the directors of the company shall be held responsible. The company shall also be blacklisted.
Perhaps, the council can do the reconstruction, and freeze the assets of the company and the directors for use as guarantee for financing until the works are completed. All costs borne by the developer.
Hi NCK,
Excellent ideas. You articulated it better than me.
Yes, I thought about ideas like public protest at the work site
but then the innocent public can get jailed and it’s not worth it
for us.
Your ideas are great. We should gather everyone’s consent
and signatures to MBI for anything similar in the future.
Thanks.
Hi HomesickforIpoh, surely I was just babbling. If tough actions were to be taken against those perpetrators, jail terms and bankruptcy shall await them.