Adventure in City Hall

The City Hall and former Supreme Court buildings have borne witness to many pivotal events in Singapore’s history. Landmarks of our colonial past and journey to independence, they were gazetted as national monuments in 1992.

It was in the City Hall building that Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten accepted the surrender of the Japanese Forces on 12 December 1945. This officially ended the Japanese occupation of Southeast Asia during the World War II.

It was also here that Lee Kuan Yew was sworn in as Singapore’s first Prime Minister. He took the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Office in City Hall Chamber alongside members to his cabinet on 5 June 1959.

A seat of power, its historic rooms have been occupied by various government departments including the Prime Minister’s office, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

An icon of the Civic District, the imposing copper-green dome of former Supreme Court stands out amidst the landscape of modern Singapore. The last grand neoclassical building constructed during Singapore’s colonial era, a row of 28 Corinthian columns and a tympanum depicting the Allegory of Justice front its façade.

Visitors can now soak in the rich history and architecture of the building on a self-guided or docent-led Building History Highlights tour. These tours will lead them through hallowed halls to spaces that have been meticulously restored such as Courtroom 1, the Chief Justice’s Office and Chamber and the stately Rotunda. Originally a law library, the Rotunda’s cabinets now house archival materials that can be read at leisure.

Once the highest court in the land, former Supreme Court continues to hold a prime place in Singapore’s history. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced at the National Day Rally in 2005 that the former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings would be converted into the new National Gallery Singapore.

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The design for National Gallery Singapore elegantly integrates the historical City Hall and formal Supreme Court buildings with contemporary architecture. A renewed icon for the 21st century, it maintains a masterful balance of heritage and modernity.

studioMilou Architecture in partnership with CPG Consultants Pte. Ltd won the two-stage international design competition for the Gallery in 2007, edging out 111 entries from 29 countries worldwide with their bold vision.

A sculptural canopy made from gold filigree aluminium and glass veils an entrance to the building and continues to the roof, forming a marquee that provides protective shelter and bathes the Padang Atrium in filtered, natural light.