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Singapore Taxi Club -> On The Roads (For All Drivers) -> Former Empress Place Building (now Asian Civilisations Museum)
Post Info TOPIC: Former Empress Place Building (now Asian Civilisations Museum)
ProTaxi


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Former Empress Place Building (now Asian Civilisations Museum)
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Former Empress Place Building (now Asian Civilisations Museum)

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Date of Construction: 1864-1865
Date of Gazette: 14 February 1992
Address: 1 Empress Place Singapore 179555
Architect: Major J.F.A.McNair, Public Works Department

The central part of this conglomerate of buildings is the oldest, and was built in 1864-65. It then served as the new Court House. New wings were added in later periods, and the number of offices housed within included the Secretariat, Audit Department, Registry of Deeds, Land Office, Public Works Department, Treasury and Stamp Office, Education Department, Medical Services Department and the offices of the Colonial Engineer, the Official Assignee and the Attorney General. The Legislative Council had its home here for many years, in an upper room in the central building (once designated as the new Court House). It was a spacious room, with a portrait of Queen Victoria at one end, and a carved teak screen at the other. The name, Empress Place, was given in deference to Queen Victoria, Empress of India. The whole line of buildings here has been resplendently restored for use as a venue for historical and cultural exhibitions. The first exhibition consisted of entire sets of furniture and artefacts used by the Emperors of the Qing Dynasty, never before shown outside of China. The exhibition venue was called the Empress Place Museum and closed due to finanical difficulties in the 1990s. Since 1997 it has become the state operated Asian Civilisations Museum.

Adapted from Edwin Lee¡¯s Historic Buildings of Singapore (1990)

More information on this monument can be found in Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board.



-- Edited by ProTaxi on Saturday 10th of November 2012 08:03:30 AM

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ProTaxi


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Credits : http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/singapore/10.html

Asian Civilizations Museum (formerly Government Offices). Empress Place, Singapore. Designed by J.F.A. McNair. 1860s

and later extensions. Photograph and text 2008 George P. Landow [You may use this image without prior permission

for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL.]

According to the museum's own site, this example of "neo-Palladian architectural style" originally served as the home of

government offices. The original building was much smaller than it is today, occupying what are our Southeast Asia and

West Asia galleries. Designed by colonial engineer JFA McNair in the mid 1860's, and built by convict labour at a cost of 53,000,

Government Offices as it was called then, was extended several times. It grew to accommodate practically the entire colonial

bureaucracy. The office of the Colonial Secretary was there, as was the Legislative Chamber.

The presence of the Surveyor General meant that up till very recently, the building was the locus of the cartographic coordinates of Singapore.

The building was re-named the Empress Place Building at the beginning of the 20th century, in honor of Queen Victoria. Government departments continued to occupy the building after Singapore's independence. Many people still remember the museum for the Citizen's Registry, Immigration Department, and Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, which were housed here.



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