Note: Click on any picture below to enlarge and toggle between the Before and After.
Loke Thye Kee Facade
The building designers envisioned Loke Thye Kee as a great vessel guarding the mouth of the Prangin River that once ran from the sea right up to the building. The three-storey concrete building was covered with roof tiles that resembled the scales of a fish, a further inspiration by the nautical theme.
Entrance Foyer
The entrance foyer to the restaurant area also used to double up as the kitchen preparation area. The lower staircase section was left as a pile of loose planks, and the entire railing was missing. Local carpenters were skillfully able to return the space to its original form.
Staircase
The timber staircase leading up to the 1st floor had loose planks and missing parts. Local carpenters were employed to rebuild the structure. In the meantime, 80 years of dirt and grime had to be removed to reveal the true condition of the classic geometric cement floor tiles. Eventually, 80 percent of the original floor tiles were saved and restored, with the remaining damaged tiles replaced with custom-ordered tiles from Vietnam.
First Floor (Left)
The main task of restoring this area was the crumbling water-logged concrete ceiling slabs. While the concrete and steel structure ensured good stability, the task of demolishing and re-casting the concrete slabs was challenging. Particular attention was paid to protecting the original geometric tiled flooring during the construction.
First Floor (Right)
Much of the original timber works in the building were in poor condition, or simply missing. 100 year-old recycled wood was trucked in from a warehouse in Ipoh and used to replace the original door and window frames. The staircases were refurbished and where missing, new parts were handcrafted to fit. Timber strip lattice work was added under the staircase in a design which was inspired by the original window details.
Balcony
Loke Thye Kee building features a unique balcony that wraps around the face of the 1st floor. Classic wrought iron railings and geometric tiles complete this outdoor area that was used in the old days as the ideal viewing spot for the annual Chinese New Year parades. Preparations for the painting of the walls in this area, revealed five layers of previous wall colours including orange, green, indigo, red and white. 95 percent of the original geometric tiles here were retained and cleaned.
Second Floor Covered Terrace
The original flat ceiling boards and its timber supporting structures in the 2nd floor covered terrace were removed. New ceiling boards were installed, following the angle of the pitched roof and thus creating more space and better ventilation for the area. Late additions to the original building, such as the wooden window frames and the flat panels extending from the ceiling were also removed. This revealed original architectural lines, such as the curved roof arches and additional rows of balustrades previously hidden behind plaster and mesh wire.
Roof Arches
During the restoration of the 2nd floor roof structure, large roof arches were discovered hidden behind wooden boards. After studying old photographs and building plans, the boards were removed and the roof arches around the 2nd floor were once again exposed and returned to their originally intended form.
Second Floor Open Terrace
A weathered and pitted surface and clogged drainage had left the large open terrace on the 2nd floor, a moss filled pool of stagnant water. Half the terrace had to be demolished, re-cast, waterproofed and finally re-surfaced with new terra cotta tiles. An outside lavatory, which was a later addition, was demolished to return the rooftop to its former glory.
Balustrades
This row of balustrades were precariously leaning away from the building as a result of the collapsing structure it was sitting on. The entire row was removed and the supporting structure reinforced, before it was carefully rebuilt with the original parts.