Bastion House, Melaka

Bastion House, constructed in 1910, is a historical building situated on Jalan Kota in Melaka, adjacent to the famous A Famosa fortress. This structure was built by the British rubber company Dunlop, which had extensive rubber estates in southern Malaya. The building's name, Bastion House, reflects its proximity to the bastions of Fortaleza de Malaca, a fort originally established by the Portuguese in the 1560s.

Designed by Stewart McIntyre Ltd., a Singapore-based construction firm, Bastion House replaced an earlier building of the same name at the same location. The modernist brick architecture of the building was both practical and strategic, serving as the head office for Dunlop Malayan Estates. The upper floors of Bastion House were designed to accommodate small bachelor flats for the company’s expatriate staff. This setup reflected the British planters' lifestyle in Malaya, which included a vibrant social scene often characterized by lively gatherings at the Dunlop mess, earning the building the nickname "The Planters' Arms."

Bastion House remained under Dunlop's ownership until 1986, after which it served as a bank's premises. Today, Bastion House stands as a heritage building housing the Malay World Islamic World Museum (Muzium Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam). Its historical significance and architectural design continue to attract visitors and scholars interested in Melaka's colonial past and economic history.