During the 1890s, a period of intense construction ensued, spurred by the Praya Reclamation Scheme, which gave the city a large chunk of what is now Central's core land base between Des Voeux and Connaught roads. The architecture of the new buildings situated in this area expressed the gothic/classical style of the era, many with ground floor arcades to shelter from rain and sun. By now Leigh & Orange, encouraged by the patronage of Sir Paul Chater, was considered the prime architectural office of the colony. Where the Mandarin Oriental Hotel now stands, the firm built the Queen's Building, a large office block that solidified the firm's reputation. They then built the adjacent Prince's Building, even larger. The St. Georges Building soon followed in 1904, a steel concrete structure with iron columns and teak floors. Such are the vagaries of historical records that there are some buildings no one really knows conclusively who designed, but Leigh & Orange's early prominence in local architecture put them on shortlists for any number of the city's major works. Yet the firm has never allowed itself to become specialised in only one or two building types, even if they were exalted ones. It designed go-downs, warehouses, docks and the Star Ferry wharves, critical components of the central city in the days when those zones were generally waterfront industrial in use. The ability to move among genres helped the firm survive in tough times, and capitalise in good ones.
