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| Zoe posing with City Hall |
Due to the ongoing construction of the National Gallery, we were not able to go into City Hall. Hence, we only managed to take a few pictures of the building and head towards the Old Supreme Court.
National Gallery
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, at the 2005 National Day Rally Speech, gave a sneak peek into the government's plan to convert the Old Supreme Court Building and City Hall into a new national gallery. This project was then officially announced during the Singapore Biennale 2006.
City Hall in Colonial Singapore
The land with which City Hall now stands were once occupied by the private residences of Dr William Montgomerie of the East India Company and Thomas Church, the Resident Councillor. In 1926, the two homes were demolished to make way for the Municipal Building which was used to accommodate the growing administrative services. Its name was changed to City Hall in 1951 with the proclamation of Singapore as a city by King George VI.
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| On-going Construction |
Singapore’s City Council called it home until 1963 and, after its evacuation, several other government departments (Public Utilities Board, the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the former Ministry of Culture) had their offices here before the Singapore judiciary staked its claim. It was gazetted as a national monument in 1992
Trivia
The National Gallery is scheduled to be completed in 2015 and will be the largest visual arts venue in Singapore and the region.
Suggested Activity
Research on how much was spent by the National Heritage Board to renovate and refurbish the National Gallery.
