The Arts House

The Arts House At The Old Parliament

I personally love the design of the Arts House because we only get to see these kind of houses on the big screen or overseas. The buildings in Singapore are pretty much the same as our lives - mundane and rigid. Besides, the symmetry created by the neo-Palladian design of the building made it a great opportunity to take an #ootd (outfit of the day)! Jokes aside, we were genuinely fascinated by the architecture of the Arts House that was designed and built by Irish architect George Coleman. Do you know? The Arts House is Singapore’s oldest colonial building! We are certainly glad that it was officially announced in 1992 and preserved as a national monument.

The Arts House that we see today once served many purposes and belonged to many owners. Prior to its construction, the site where the Arts House is now was an area occupied by the Temenggong of Johor and his followers in 1819. They were then shifted to Telok Blangah upon the request of Raffles in 1823. The land was then assigned to Scottish merchant, John Argyle Maxwell, who was the owner and supposed resident of the house built by Coleman. However, upon completion, Maxwell loaned it to the government for use as a Court House. 

Since then, it took on many variations of uses, such as the Council Chambers, the Supreme Court, and during the Japanese Occupation, the Department of Social Welfare and other government departments as a storehouse. After the Japanese Occupation, it was declared as the Assembly House and upon independence, the Parliament House. When the Parliament House shifted in 1999, it became the Arts House in 2003.

Trivia

Wondering why there is a elephant statue outside the Arts House? Well, the elephant statue was a gift from the monarch of Thailand, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) as a commemoration of his visit in 1871. This was an extremely memorable and significant visit as it marked the first time the Thai monarch visited a foreign country. This accounts for the lasting friendship that is present between Singapore and Thailand today.

Yay selfie (again)

It is certainly fascinating to learn more about the history of this building. Sometimes I think to myself how amazing it would be if these buildings could speak to us and tell us stories from the past.

Suggested Activity

Find out the series of Comedy Shows that are being carried out at the Arts House. 

Singapore Cricket Club

Singapore Cricket Club

After walking a distance, we finally arrived at the Singapore Cricket Club, the second oldest club in Singapore (Singapore Turf Club being the oldest by a decade)! Located at the heart of the city's civic centre along Connaught Drive, the club was established in 1852 and evolved over the years from being an elite colonial sports club to a multi-racial club catering to the sporting and social needs of the Singaporean community.

 It says "No Entry" but... let's go check the place out!

Sadly, we were not allowed to enter the building as it was only open to members. Some of the members who were entering the club threw glances at us as we were loitering outside the club so we quickly took some pictures of its exterior and left.

The popularity of cricket in Singapore extended from the early European community in Singapore in the mid-19th century. While the beginning members of the club were mostly British merchants who came to Singapore, local membership increased steadily from 98 to 378 members by 1891. Thus, in order to usher and accommodate the growth in members, a fourth pavilion was built in 1907. As the club is located just opposite the Padang, it became an ideal venue for games such as rugby, hockey, soccer and even lawn bowling. Today, the club consists of additional facilities such as squash, tennis and golf.

Trivia

During the Second World War, the Club was used by the Japanese as a Military Administration Department and a Japanese officers' tea-room. The Japanese named it Syonan-ko Tonan Club and set it as a venue for important meeting places.

Suggested Activity

Find out the criteria and eligibility for someone to join the Singapore Cricket Club. 

The Old Supreme Court

The Old Supreme Court

The Old Supreme Court was the final destination that our group explored in the Civic District Trail. By the time we arrived, we were tired and sore from hours of walking, taking pictures, walking, and more pictures. Yeah you get the idea. Nevertheless, the inner photographer in us immediately took out our smart phones (and one camera) to snap (surprisingly) good pictures of the huge architecture that stood before us.

Designed by Frank Dorrington Ward, the Chief Architect of the Public Works Department, the Old Supreme Court was built from 1937 to 1939. The land it occupied previously belonged to the Grand Hotel de L'Europe.

Trivia

Underneath the foundation stone of the building laid by Sir Shenton Thomas in Malaya back in 1937, a "time capsule" was buried. It contained six Singapore newspapers dated 31 March 1937, as well as a handful of Straits Settlements coins. The time capsule is slated to be retrieved in the year 3000. How cool is that?

Architecture

What is cooler is that the Old Supreme Court can be said to be the last classical building that was built in Singapore. Milanese sculptor and architect Cavaliere Rudolfo Nolli, was tasked with the building of the Old Supreme Court. Did you know that the term “Cavaliere” refers to “knight”? Rudolfo Nolli was so successful in the 20th Century, he was given the title of a knight in Bangkok as a form of recognition for his works.

The Portrayal of Justice

The iconic representation of Justice is seen through the intricate design of sculptures in the tympanum. Justice stands in the middle, with a scale in his right hand, and a sword in his left hand. From our view, the left side depicts a scene of a cruel world plagued by violence and repression. The individual kneeling before justice symbolizes the repressed and poor, begging for protection. In contrast, the right side presents a flip-side to the world with justice. With law and order, justice for the people, there is peace. Peace brings about prosperity and abundance, depicted by the man with a cow and the children holding onto a sheaf of wheat. The individual bowing before justice symbolizes gratitude and thanksgiving.

Teachers represent education, politicians represent the people, doctors represent hope and lawyers represent justice. I never took into consideration that even the buildings where these various professions work also represent what they serve and what they stand for. What an interesting discovery! After all the snapping, we concluded our trail with a final selfie and headed straight to the mall for air-con and food.

Featuring Noah's hand and the boys who took a selfie... Without me.

Final selfie of the day with the Old Supreme Court

Suggested Activity

Research on the notable civil crime cases that were being put to justice at the Old Supreme Court.