Architect’s Statement
Restoration Of Loke Thye Kee Building
As the debris were cleared, makeshift boards, partitions, ceiling, signages removed, the silence broke. The spirit of the humble yet iconic Loke Thye Kee Building must have chuckled for the first time since the last 20 years.
Every rightful detail of the building began to reveal itself in light and had its say. Restoring Loke Thye Kee was thus simply and rightfully about finding answers and solutions from within.
Re-presenting Loke Thye Kee back to Penang is not only about reconnecting with generations of Penang-ites who have strong romantic and sentimental memories of the once famous Hainanese restaurant, but it is also about introducing this icon to a new generation of multi-cultural Penang-ites who hold no such sentiments.
Thus, the choice of colours of the restored Loke Thye Kee building was consciously made to ‘reach out’ culturally, and to relate to a broad spectrum of the contemporary society of Penang. This is the Loke Thye Kee that shall subtly and confidently reestablish itself as an icon and landmark of the rejuvenated Georgetown.
K. H. Tan, Architect
As the debris were cleared, makeshift boards, partitions, ceiling, signages removed, the silence broke. The spirit of the humble yet iconic Loke Thye Kee Building must have chuckled for the first time since the last 20 years.
Every rightful detail of the building began to reveal itself in light and had its say. Restoring Loke Thye Kee was thus simply and rightfully about finding answers and solutions from within.
Re-presenting Loke Thye Kee back to Penang is not only about reconnecting with generations of Penang-ites who have strong romantic and sentimental memories of the once famous Hainanese restaurant, but it is also about introducing this icon to a new generation of multi-cultural Penang-ites who hold no such sentiments.
Thus, the choice of colours of the restored Loke Thye Kee building was consciously made to ‘reach out’ culturally, and to relate to a broad spectrum of the contemporary society of Penang. This is the Loke Thye Kee that shall subtly and confidently reestablish itself as an icon and landmark of the rejuvenated Georgetown.
K. H. Tan, Architect
Electrical
Following the owner's brief of ensuring contemporary safety and convenience while maintaining historical design accuracy, heritage contractor SeriousBiz managed to source the last electrician in Penang, who was able to put in a traditional surface mounted wiring system. The wiring was matched with classic black bakelite electrical switches and fittings sourced and collected over the years by SeriousBiz. Old ceiling fans were also rescued from local demolition projects and re-commissioned on the 2nd floor open-air roof terrace of Loke Thye Kee building.
Geometric Floor Tiles
The original geometric tiles found in the building represent a style commonplace in the British colonial Straits Settlements and French Indochina in the late 1900s and early 20th Century. During restoration works in 2012, 80% of Loke Thye Kee's classic floor tiling was cleaned and restored. The remaining damaged areas were replaced with custom ordered cement tiles from Vietnam.
Structural
The 2nd floor rooftop terrace was originally finished in green mosaic, but after 80 years of direct exposure to the natural forces, water had found its way through the hairline cracks into the concrete and steel floor slabs. The weakened slabs had begun to crumble, so they had to be demolished and re-cast. The current terrace is now finished in terra cotta tiles and rebuilt to withstand another 80 years.
Timber Lattice
The timber lattice surrounding the1st and 2nd floor roofing of Loke Thye Kee building represents not only the delicate workmanship utilised for its construction, but also the unique fusion of architectural styles by local architect Chew Eng Eam in the 1920s. This Malay-style lattice was infused with an oriental-style roof structure and colonial-style columns to form the eclectic Loke Thye Kee building. Chew's designs can be seen across Penang including the Chinese Chamber of Commerce building, the Majestic Theater and the row of 14 houses along Bangkok Lane. To re-create the delicate wood design, laser-cutting was employed to achieve the fine timber details.
Wall Finishes
The project's heritage contractors were particular to the authenticity of the building materials used in the entire restoration of the project. Floor tiles were sourced from Vietnam, old recycled wood collected from Ipoh, antique brass window fittings found in Thailand and classic ceiling fans salvaged from old houses. The restoration of the wall surfaces was particularly tedious. 100 percent lime was used to maintain both the original texture of the building, as well as maintain the porous nature of the brick structure. This allows the walls to be able to release moisture.
Wood Works
The Loke Thye Kee building was miraculously spared from any presence of termites, a common problem in the surrounding marine clay environment. Nevertheless, full anti-termite treatment was done as part of the restoration. However, much of the wood structures, such as the staircases and railings had been damaged by wear and tear. Local carpenters were engaged to rebuild the various timber items, re-using whatever original parts that they were able to salvage from the building as a base.