The Ellison Building is a historical building at the corner of Selegie Road and Bukit Timah Road in Singapore. It was erected in 1924 by Isaac Ellison, a prominent member of the Jewish community of Singapore. In August 2016, the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Land Transport Authority announced that part of the building would be demolished and reconstructed to make way for the construction of the North-South Corridor.
The two-storey building comprises a row of shophouses with "varying building facades and heights". [1] It features an "iconic" curved façade and "notable" balconies and twin cupolas, is one of three buildings in the area to feature the Star of David on its exterior. [2] The star can be found on a pediment which also features the year "1924" on the top of the building. [3] According to the Urban Redevelopment Authority, it serves as "historical evidence of Singapore's pre-WW2 Jewish urban community in the Mt Sophia/Selegie area." The authority also wrote that both the building and the next-door Rex Cinema "give a distinctive character to the important trunk road which leads out of the City Centre and towards the Kandang Kerbau/Serangoon Road area." [1]
The building was constructed by businessman and leader of the Jewish community in Singapore Isaac Ellison in 1924 for "commercial purposes" and to "embody the Jewish community's entrepreneurial spirit." [4] According to Roots, which is published by the National Heritage Board, the building was "frequented by colonial governors who would sit on the roof of the building to catch races at Race Course Road held every Sunday." [5] In the early 1960s, the Rex Cinema "utilised the Ellison Building's roof to display their lighted movie signs". In 1989, the building was put up for sale, with then-owner Steven Ellison claiming that as a result of the Control of Rent Act, which had prevented the family from increasing the building's rent, the Ellison family could no longer afford to maintain the building. It was acquired by property developer Dennis Aw. [4]
Both the Ellison Building and the Rex Cinema were gazetted for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority on 5 December 2008. [1] This was reportedly a result of the government's plans for the construction of the North–South Corridor, which would affect both the Ellison Building and the Rex Cinema. In a November 2016 statement by Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, the buildings were conserved with the construction plans in mind and that the authorities intended to minimise the impact on the buildings. The plans were later revised such that the Rex Cinema would remain untouched. [6]
In August 2016, the Land Transport Authority announced that three of the building's units, 235, 237, and 239 Selegie Road, would be demolished to make way for the construction of the expressway in an "exceptional course of action". The units were to be reconstructed following the completion of the corridor. However, this decision was criticised by local heritage groups such as the Singapore Heritage Society, [3] as well as the Singaporean chapter of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, who stated that they were "deeply disturbed by the authorities' disregard for the heritage value of this building and the lack of transparency behind this decision", and that the decision "negates the critical role of heritage conservation in Singapore's national planning agenda and undermines decades of painstaking efforts by state agencies, building owners, heritage stakeholders, professionals and builders, and the progress in conservation achieved so far." [7] The authorities later announced that they would be working with local heritage groups to "retain as much of the Ellison Building as possible." [8] In February 2018, it was announced that the plans for the construction had been revised such that only one of the building's units would be demolished and rebuilt. [9]
The Central Region is one of the five regions in the city-state of Singapore and the main metropolitan region surrounding the Central Area. Comprising 13,150 hectares of land area, it includes 11 planning areas within the Central Area, as well as another 11 more outside it. The region is home to many of Singapore's national monuments as it was historically the site where the city was first founded and the country's only UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a 165-year-old tropical garden is also located in the region.
Kallang is a planning area and residential zone located in the Central Region of Singapore.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is the national urban planning authority of Singapore, and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Government of Singapore.
This article shows the notable future developments in Singapore. Most of them are currently under construction with most to be completed within the next five years.
The North–South Corridor (NSC), originally conceptualised as the North-South Expressway (NSE), is an under-construction expressway that will be the 11th of Singapore's network of expressways when completed. The North South Corridor will serve increasing traffic along the north-south corridor that is currently served by the Central Expressway (CTE). The 21.5 kilometres (13.4 mi) expressway is expected to cost about S$7.47 billion when fully completed in 2029 as North-South Corridor and will connect the East Coast Parkway (ECP) with the northern parts of Singapore.
Bukit Timah railway station was a former railway station and crossing loop in Bukit Timah, Singapore.
Kampong Java is a subzone within the planning area of Kallang, Singapore, as defined by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). It is bounded by the Central Expressway (CTE) in the west; Balestier Road in the north; Tessensohn Road, Race Course Road, Gloucester Road, Northumberland Road and Tekka Lane in the east; and Bukit Timah Road in the south.
Rex Cinemas Mackenzie, formerly Rex Cinemas and Rex Theatre, is an Art Deco style cinema building in Singapore. the cinema was adjacent to Ellison building along Mackenzie Road. The cinema was bounded by major road, Bukit Timah Road and secondary roads Mackenzie and Selegie Road.
Shaw Tower, also sometimes referred to as Shaw Towers, is a defunct high-rise commercial building located on Beach Road in Singapore. At the time of its completion in 1975, the tower housed the largest cinema in Singapore.
Selegie House is a public housing complex which includes blocks 8-10 along Selegie Road in Singapore.
The National Aerated Water Company Factory is a factory which belonged to the National Aerated Water Company. The building was integrated into the Jui Residences condominium.
The Former Bukit Timah Fire Station (BTFS), located in Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore, was a fire station. It is planned to be redesigned into a community centre for nature. It is nearby the upcoming Hume MRT station. BTFS is also located nearby other heritage sites such as the Former Ford Factory, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and the Bukit Timah Memorial.
Holttum Hall is a historic building in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Previously the office and laboratory of Richard Eric Holttum, the director of the gardens, it currently houses the Singapore Botanic Gardens Heritage Museum, which is also known as the SBG Heritage Museum.
Inverturret, also known as 7 Gallop Road, is a historic bungalow in the Gallop Extension of the Singapore Botanical Gardens. Previously the residence of the Air Officer Commanding the Far East Air Force and the residence of the French consul-general, the bungalow currently houses the Botanical Art Gallery.
Temasek Shophouse is a building on Orchard Road in the Museum Planning Area of Singapore. Completed as a townhouse in 1928, it presently serves as a "social impact hub".
Beulah House is a bungalow on Gilstead Road in Novena, Singapore. It housed an eye clinic before it was acquired by the Life Bible-Presbyterian Church in 1990.
Olson Building, also known as Block 11A or 29 Mount Sophia, is a historic building that was on the campus of the Methodist Girls' School on Mount Sophia in Singapore. It has since been repurposed as a condominium clubhouse.
2 Cable Road is a bungalow on Cable Road in Tanglin, Singapore. Completed in 1913, it was built for Municipal Commissioner Mohamed Namazie.
145 Neil Road is a shophouse on Neil Road in Bukit Merah, Singapore. It was gazetted for conservation as part of the Blair Plain Conservation Area.
Trinity Theological College Chapel is a building and former chapel in Mount Sophia, Singapore. Completed in 1969, it served as the chapel for the Trinity Theological College, which moved elsewhere in 2001. The building was later conserved and integrated into a condominium.