The Arts House

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The Arts House
20190819 The Arts House-1.jpg
Singapore location map (main island).svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Singapore
Former names
  • Supreme Court
  • Legislative Assembly House
  • Parliament House of Singapore
  • Old Parliament House
Alternative namesThe Arts House at The Old Parliament
General information
StatusCompleted
Architectural style Neo-Palladian (1875)
Victorian (1954)
Location1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429, Singapore
Coordinates 1°17′19″N103°51′4″E / 1.28861°N 103.85111°E / 1.28861; 103.85111
Construction started1826;199 years ago (1826)
Completed1827;198 years ago (1827)
Renovated1875, 1901, 1909, 1954
Owner Government of Singapore
Technical details
Floor count2
Design and construction
Architect George Drumgoole Coleman
Known forFormer Parliament House of Singapore
Renovating team
Architects John Frederick Adolphus McNair (1875)
T. H. H. Hancock (1954)
Renovating firm Public Works Department of Singapore (1954)
Website
www.theartshouse.sg
Designated14 February 1992;33 years ago (1992-02-14)
Reference no.27

The Arts House (formerly the Old Parliament House) is a multi-disciplinary arts venue in Singapore. The venue plays host to art exhibitions and concerts. Built in 1827, the Old Parliament House is the oldest government building and perhaps the oldest surviving building in Singapore. [1] The building was home to the Parliament of Singapore from 1965 to 1999, when it moved to an adjacent new building.

Contents

History

The building occupies one of the most historic sites of Singapore. During the refurbishment of the building in 1989, archaeological evidence of older habitation in the area was uncovered with stoneware and earthenware dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries found. [2] The building's river frontage was also where Sir Stamford Raffles was presumed to have landed on 29 January 1819. The area was occupied by Temenggong Abdul Rahman and his family and followers. Raffles would later persuade the Temenggong to move to Telok Blangah in 1823 as he planned for the land to be used for public and administrative purposes. [3]

Design and construction

The original building in 1846, then known as the Public Offices of the Settlement, in sketch by John Turnbull Thomson. Coleman's original building had been changed considerably since. Public Offices, Singapore by John Turnbull Thomson 1846.jpg
The original building in 1846, then known as the Public Offices of the Settlement, in sketch by John Turnbull Thomson. Coleman's original building had been changed considerably since.

The building was designed as a Neo-Palladian mansion by architect George Drumgoole Coleman for a Scottish merchant, John Argyle Maxwell. [2] It was intended to be his private residence, however, Maxwell never occupied the house due in part to a dispute over the ownership of the land on which the house was built. Raffles had originally allocated the land for government use in his Town Plan, however, Raffles' successor John Crawfurd issued a permit allowing Maxwell to build a house on the site. [3]

The construction of the Old Parliament House began in 1826 and it was completed in 1827. Maxwell applied for a statutory grant to the site in 1827, and the Resident Councillor of Singapore, John Prince objected as the land was intended for government use. [3] A compromise was then struck in June 1827, and Maxwell was granted a 999-year lease, but the house would be leased back to the government for a 500 rupees monthly rent. [4] Later, Maxwell's residence went up for auction, which the colonial government won with a bid of $15,600 Spanish dollars, and the ownership of the courthouse was transferred to Governor George Bonham and the East India Company on 10 October 1842. [4]

Extension and uses

The building was initially used as a court house, but other government offices including the Land Office also moved into the building. [5] The first court session was held in the central room on the first floor at the front of the building. [4]

In 1839, a new single-storey annex was built on an adjacent plot of land, forming what is now the Former Attorney-General's Chambers building later incorporated into the Parliament House. The Courts then moved into this new building (later on to Empress Place Building), and the vacated building was then used as government offices. The government offices were sited at the building until 1875 when the Supreme Court moved back in after the building was renovated. [4]

The building went through several major extension works. The first was carried out between 1873 and 1875 by John Frederick Adolphus McNair. In 1901, the building was extended towards the Singapore River. As a result of the extension works, Coleman's original design was lost. In 1909, two courtrooms were reconstructed and a residence for the Attorney General was built. [2]

The building was the Old Supreme Court House until 1939.

The bronze elephant statue at the Old Parliament House. Antiguo parlamento, Singapur, 2023-08-18, DD 24-26 HDR.jpg
The bronze elephant statue at the Old Parliament House.

As Parliament House

After the Second World War, the building became known as The Assembly House when the Governor of Singapore John Nicoll used it to house the new Legistive Assembly in 1953. [6] In 1965, it became the home of the Singaporean parliament when Singapore gained independence and was therefore renamed the Parliament House. [7]

The arches at the porch of the building and Palladian windows of the front façade were part of the original design, although the building currently appeared more Neoclassical in style. [8]

The building was gazetted a national monument on 14 February 1992. [8]

The Arts House at The Old Parliament

The Arts House illuminated at night (2023) The Arts House during blue hour (2023)-L1003783.jpg
The Arts House illuminated at night (2023)

Due to space constraints at the Parliament House, a new Parliament House that faces North Bridge Road was planned next to it in 1989. [9] On 6 September 1999, the Parliament of Singapore moved into the new Parliament building, after which the vacated Parliament House became known as the Old Parliament House. It was then turned into an arts and entertainment venue called The Arts House at The Old Parliament. [6]

The Arts House at The Old Parliament opened on 26 March 2004 as an arts and heritage centre. [1] The parliamentary chamber was converted into a 150-seat concert room called as The Chamber where music performances as well as film screenings and art exhibitions could be held. [7]

The Arts House served as one of the two venues held for the opening of the 14th Parliament of Singapore on 24 August 2020, the other being Parliament House; the multiple venues were used for the first time in Singapore's history as a precaution measure for social distancing as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. [10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Old Parliament House". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board, Singapore. Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Singapore's 100 Historic Places. Archipelago Press. 2002. pp. 42–43. ISBN   981-4068-23-3.
  3. 1 2 3 Jane Beamish; Jane Ferguson (1 December 1985). A History of Singapore Architecture: The Making of a City. Graham Brash (Pte.) Ltd. pp. 25–27. ISBN   978-9971947972.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Courthouse Architecture". Supreme Court Singapore.
  5. Tsang, Susan (June 2008). Discover Singapore: The City's History & Culture Redefined. Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd. p. 71. ISBN   978-9812613653.
  6. 1 2 "The Old Parliament House Renamed "The Arts House At The Old Parliament"". Arts House Group.
  7. 1 2 Koh, Lay Tin. "The Arts House (Old Parliament House)". Singapore Infopedia.
  8. 1 2 "Former Parliament House and Annex Building (now The Arts House)". Roots. National Heritage Board. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020.
  9. "60 years of building Singapore". The Straits Times. 2 August 2025.
  10. "Parliament opening to be held at Parliament House and Arts House". CNA. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.