The Cathay

The Cathay is a mixed-use heritage and lifestyle destination at 2 Handy Road in the Museum planning area of Singapore. Opened in 1939 as the Cathay Building, it was Singapore's first skyscraper and tallest building at 16 storeys. Today it integrates a conserved historic facade with a modern shopping mall, cinema and dining outlets, and is known as the flagship of the Cathay Organisation and a landmark near Dhoby Ghaut.

Visitors can expect a heritage building combined with a contemporary mall. The exterior retains the Art Deco facade of the original Cathay Building while the interior houses retail shops, restaurants and cafes, and The Cathay Cineplex with multiple cinema halls. The setting is urban and centrally located at the junction of Handy Road and Mount Sophia, with air-conditioned indoor areas, open atrium spaces and easy access to nearby museums and parks.

The Cathay Building was completed in 1939 and opened in 1940, developed by Dato Loke Wan Tho for the Cathay Organisation. At 16 storeys it was the tallest building in Singapore at the time and housed the Cathay Cinema, Cathay Restaurant and Cathay Hotel. During the Japanese Occupation it served as headquarters for Japanese military administration and propaganda departments. After the war it remained an entertainment landmark and was redeveloped in the 2000s as The Cathay, retaining its historic facade.

The Cathay is a cultural and entertainment landmark associated with Singapore's cinema history and the Cathay Organisation. It has long been known for film premieres and as a social gathering place for dining and movies, representing the evolution of entertainment architecture from the 1930s to the present in the central arts and civic district.