Before Singapore became a city of glass and steel skyscrapers, it was a town built out of bricks made on the very shores of this island. “Our Brick Estate” is an on-going exhibition traces the history of this construction material in Singapore, rebuilding the history of the local brick industry by assembling a collection of Made-in-Singapore bricks at the library@esplanade. Architectural and urban historian Lai Chee Kien, who curated this exhibition, tells us more.
How did this exhibition come about?
The library@esplanade has seven vertical glass showcases used for exhibition every August for topics related to National Day. This year, a friend — Ms. Khoo Ee Hoon, suggested I curate one about bricks found in Singapore. She had heard my comment while documenting Bukit Brown Cemetery tombs, that bricks of all types from Singapore could be found there. She was also an avid collector of these bricks.
Where did you find the bricks for this exhibition?
The bricks came from several collections including Ee Hoon’s, those of Mr. Jevon Liew, and those excavated by a friend, Dr. Anoma Pieris, in 2001 while working on the former convict prison site at Bras Basah during the construction of the Singapore Management University. Together, they constitute an almost complete collection of bricks from most of Singapore’s important brick factories after World War II, as well as the early hand-made bricks which were thinner (about 1.5 inches thick) and coarser in finish.
Why were bricks made in Singapore?
Even during the classical Malay kingdom period when structures were constructed on Fort Canning, bricks would have been used. In 1822, the first Town Plan of Singapore mandated permanent materials to be used, and various brick kilns were set up around the Rochore-Kallang river areas. In 1858, the colonial government started its own brick factory, and the industrial methods produced bricks good enough to win prizes, as they did in Agra exhibition in 1867. Bricks were continually used in construction as many areas in the southern and western areas of Singapore had good quality clay to be used as raw materials for the bricks. There was a labour and price crisis in the 1950s when many factories closed, but the next decade onwards saw a rekindling of the industry when the Singapore government embarked on a large scale development programme including housing. By 2000, however, the factories’ land in Jurong and Choa Chu Kang were acquired to create new housing estates.
What were bricks made in Singapore like? Were they unique in anyway? (e.g. material, quality)
They were various types of bricks made in Singapore, including white bricks using a different clay. I think the development from the traditional kiln to more industrial kiln types, like the Hoffman kiln and later the tunnel kiln, made quality control a mainstay. For example, even though Asia Brick Factory at Jalan Lam San occupied only 10.3 hectares of land, it was able to produce around 37 million bricks annually in the late 1980s, when they employed a tunnel kiln.
Who were Singapore’s brick makers?
They varied from convict labour used to make the earliest bricks, to small-scale Chinese brickyards all over the island during the colonial and inter-war periods. Investment from elsewhere was also used to finance them. In 1972, sensing that it would be better for their supplies, the Housing & Development Board purchased a factory to make its own bricks and to prevent price fluctuations. At one point in time in the 1980s, the demand for bricks was so great that millions of bricks had to be imported from elsewhere to feed the construction industry.
What was the extent of Singapore’s bricks industry?
The factories were located in the southern areas of Singapore (Bukit Merah and Alexandra, for instance) and in large areas in the west. There was one in the Upper Serangoon area and earlier ones adjacent to the Rochore and Kallang Rivers. Most bricks were produced for use in Singapore, but companies have been known to supply bricks to Malaysia and elsewhere.
Where is Singapore’s brick industry today?
There are no more brick factories in Singapore today, as bricks are now all imported from overseas. Their characteristic tall chimneys and sprawling drying yards can no longer be seen. There are still kilns, but these are used more for firing ceramics, like Thow Kwang in Jurong.
What are some buildings still standing today that used these Made-in-Singapore bricks?
The many HDB flats all over the island would have them — these are the ones built before pre-cast panels and components were used in the 1990s. MacDonald House, the old Central Fire Station, old shophouses and even the National University of Singapore campus uses a lot of bricks as a primary construction material. You can see an exposed brick archway at The Arts House, which was completed in 1826 using probably imported bricks. A lot of bricks are plastered up nowadays so you can only see the plaster work and not the bricks that were covered up. Many others have known to paint over facing bricks for their homes and other buildings.
How can we identify a Made-in-Singapore brick?
We can mainly tell by their factory names imprinted onto the brick recess. Some of these include: Alexandra, Jurong, Nanyang, Sin Chew, Malayan, Asia, Goh Bee, Kim Lan, and Tekong, etc.
Bricks have much more of a history than I expected
When did Singapore stop producing bricks locally? why did they do that? is it due to the environmental concerns?
Any idea which factory produces the initial
SCBW Tiong Bahru Sit Flats uses this brick
After hacking away the walls reveal this bricks with SCBW initial.
Hi, I reached out to Chee Kien who says it could be Sin Chew Brick Works.
Looking for who manufactured Y S Pte Ltd bricks
Are there any other brick colours beside red and white bricks?
Hi I collect bricks too, and recently I came across one which says PPBW. I’ve searched online but could not find any information. Would Mr Lai know what the initials stand for? Thanks!
PPBW likely could be Pasir Panjang Brickworks, beside Sungei Ulu Pandan near today’s AYE
Thanks Hock Keong! One more, how about OEK? I found the brick recently.
Hi Rebecca, if I’m not wrong, it should be Ong Eng Kee Brickworks at Pekan Nanas, Johore. The company used to be registered in Singapore but the factory is in Malaysia. However the factory had probably been closed for many years.
Wow thanks! 👍 How do you know so much about bricks? 🙂
Erm… Interest and scouring digitised newspapers, records in national archives and lots of googling during any bit of spare time haha. Unfortunately there isn’t a lot of information available on past Malaysian brick factories as there’s some with imprints that were imported for use in Singapore.
Our students found an Alexandra brick at our school site at Portsdown Road in June 2025.
We are really interested to find out how old it is as our site was the original location of the Wessex Infant and Junior School in the 1960s built for the British Army officers; children.
Is there anyone in SG who can help us with this?
Hi Shakila, if the imprint says “ALEXANDRA”, it could be any time between 1928 and 1972. If before June 1928, the imprint would usually be “A.B.W.”. Its still a 40+ years period to try guess the brick’s age though.
A.B.W bricks are pre-1928? I have that brick!
Hi Rebecca, see here the following newspaper articles:
A 1927 page with its advert
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/maltribune19270331-1.2.5.1?qt=%22alexandra%20brickworks%22&q=%22Alexandra%20brickworks%22
A 1928 article about its incorporation as a private limited company
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19280618-1.2.71?qt=%22alexandra%20brickworks%22&q=%22Alexandra%20Brickworks%22
Not exactly an advert, but a 1939 article illustration where in one of the picture can just make out the words “ALEXANDRA” in full on some of the bricks.
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19390219-1.2.240?qt=%22alexandra%20brickworks%22&q=%22Alexandra%20Brickworks%22
Thank you for replying to my query. It is helpful and I’ll be sure to share this with the team and students.
We will see if we find anything else that might be of historical value!
Hi Rebecca,
Good find! There’s newspaper adverts from 1927 that indicate the markings on their bricks as A.B.W., I can send the links if want.
Hi Shakila, Good luck and hopefully you and your students will uncover more history!
Thanks, yes please send the links! How about MB and SCC?
Here’s the last advert indicating the likely letters on the bricks, before the brickworks was incorporated as limited company.
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/maltribune19270331-1.2.5.1?qt=alexandra,%20brickworks&q=Alexandra%20Brickworks
An artificle by Alexandra Brickworks Ltd on their information as a limited company.
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19280618-1.2.71?qt=alexandra,%20brickworks&q=Alexandra%20Brickworks
Although this article is from 1939 with one of the pics showing what barely looks like “ALEXANDRA” on some of the bricks, I have seen several buildings constructed in the 1930s that used bricks with Alexandra spelt in full.
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19390219-1.2.240?qt=alexandra,%20brickworks&q=Alexandra%20Brickworks
Unfortunately I am not sure about MB and SCC. For awhile I thought MB was manufactured by Master Brickworks, but I later learnt that they actually made cement bricks, not clay bricks, so it would not likely be them.
I had speculated that SCC may be by Singapore Clay Products Limited, but I have not seen how their bricks or company logo may look like, so that could just as well be wrong 😅
They could be made by some other local brickworks that I am not aware of or imported, I wish I knew too, and would be happy to hear any leads.
Hi Rebecca
Not sure why I wasn’t able to send links here. I am on FB and you can look for Lai Fuqiang and send a pm. I had some posts on bricks.
Unfortunately I am not sure about MB and SCC. I had thought MB was manufactured by Master Brickworks, but I later learnt that they made cement bricks, not clay bricks, so it would not likely be them.
I had also guessed that SCC may be by Singapore Clay Products Limited, but I have not seen how their bricks or company logo may look like, so that could just as well be wrong too! 😅
They could be made by some other local brickworks that I am not aware of or imported from Malaysia, I wish I knew too, and would be happy to hear any leads.
Hi,
I saw a brick in Thow Kwang Pottery’s dragon kiln. The initial is SKLBW.
What does this meant & can advise on its history.
Thank you.
Regards,
Bernard Teo
Hi,
I saw a brick in Thow Kwang Pottery’s dragon kiln. The initial is SKLBW.
What does this meant & can advise on its history.
Thank you.
Regards,
Bernard Teo
Hi Bernard, it should be a brick made by Sin Khai Lam Brickworks 新開南砖廠. There’s a national archives record of the factory dating it’s operations between 1952 and 1978, that the factory was at Jurong Road Track 17, office at 31 Philips Street. Not much more info that I can find.
Thanks, HK on reply & information. Appreciate it.