Eu Villa Family home of Eu Tong Sen, of the Eu Yan Sang Chinese medical halls. Built in Mount Sophia in 1914 in the Edwardian Baroque style, Eu Villa was once one of the largest residences in Singapore. Designed by the firm of Swan & Maclaren, it was a five- storey building with a dome over the double- storey entrance, and a sub- basement which accommodated a kitchen and cellar. The main living areas were in the front of the building. These afforded magnificent views of the town and harbour, while the bedrooms (numbering more than ten) were located in the rear. The house, which cost $1 million to build, was one of the first buildings in Singapore to be partially constructed in reinforced concrete with steel bars. It was used as the residence of the extensive Eu family (Eu Tong Sen had six registered wives and numerous other ‘companions’) until 1973, when it was sold. It was demolished in the early 1980s to develop a condominium project.

Photo credit: National Archives of Singapore