Before it was called Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, the building that sits prominently along Empress Place now was first known as the Town Hall. The foundation stone for the building of the Town Hall was laid by the Governor, Colonel W. J. Butterworth on 17 March 1855. It was built for the main purpose of staging local dramas and operas which were initially held at the old and irreparable Assembly Rooms. The main architect and designer of the Town Hall was none other than the Municipal Engineer, John Bennett, who completed the construction in 1862. The building however looked different than it does now. The original structure had only consisted of the current Victoria Theatre and did not reflect much of the 19th Century Palladian style that can be observed now.

Upon its completion in 1862, the Town Hall had a theatre on the ground floor and offices and meeting rooms for the Municipal Commissioners on the second floor. It served the community both as a venue for entertainment as well as administration. However, in 1893, the offices were forced to move out to make way for the growing population’s demand for entertainment. The building was not big enough to occupy the community for both purposes.


The Town Hall was used predominantly as a theatre until 1901 when it was decided that it should be incorporated into the design and building of a Memorial Hall in commemoration of the late Queen Victoria who had passed away on 22 January that year. The foundation stone was laid by Governor Sir Frank Swettenham on 9 August 1902. Architect R. A. J. Bidwell of Swan & Maclaren headed the project. He was responsible for the Palladian style that both structures of the Memorial Hall adopted, an architectural interest that was gaining popularity in British Singapore during that period. After successfully raising close to $400,000, work soon began on the construction of the Memorial Hall that included a new structure and an improvement of the existing Town Hall, altering its original design to match the Victorian Palladian theme of the Memorial Hall. A 54-metre Clock Tower was also installed, creating a common corridor that links both buildings in the centre.


The Victoria Memorial Hall was officially opened by Governor Sir John Anderson on 18 October 1905. A year later, in 1906, the Clock Tower was completed, having been delayed by sponsor Straits Trading Company in their donation of the actual clock and chimes. Work on the Town Hall was later completed and renamed the Victoria Theatre in 1909 with “The Pirates of Penzance” as its first performance on the opening night of 11 February 1909.

The Victoria Memorial Hall had been a witness to some of the country’s most significant periods of growth, from the trial of the Japanese war criminals of World War II (Sook Ching Trial) to the first meeting of the world’s longest running government, the People Action Party, on 21 November 1954. In 1979 the Victoria Memorial Hall went through major refurbishment and was renamed Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall. It has been home to some of the world’s most famous artistic endeavours of the 19th and 20th Century.


Standing in front of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall now is the original bronze statue of Sir Stamford Raffles that was casted by T. Woolner at a cost of $20,466.10. It was officially unveiled on the Esplanade on Jubilee Day 27 June 1887 by Governor Sir Frederick Weld in commemoration of 50 years of Queen Victoria’s reign. In a centennial (100 years) celebration of Singapore in 1919, the statue was shifted to its present location in front of the Victoria Memorial Hall. It was surrounded by an elaborated structure that has now been replaced with a pool colonnade. A competition had been held for people of the island to come up with an inscription that best goes with the statue. Lim Koon Tye wrote the winning entry with an inscription that reads:

“This tablet to the memory of Sir Stamford Raffles to whose foresight and genius Singapore owes its existence and prosperity was unveiled on February 6th 1919 the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Settlement.”



The use and purpose of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall has not changed much since it was first opened in 1862. It serves the needs of the society for theatrical entertainment and artistic delight and will continue to do so for years to come. The buildings have been well preserved and little damage or change has been done to its façade, still reflecting the beauty and grandeur of the old English architecture. In this case, preservation is wisely necessary in order to reflect the heritage of our colonial time. Having owed much of our early development and progress to the Englishmen of the colonial period, structures like this that one could easily identify as belonging to the Victorian period of English history allow us to pay due respect and gratitude to them. Arguable this may be as it is anyone’s right to say that their presence was not needed for our liberation. Nonetheless they had contributed significantly to our growth into a modern city state and by preserving such buildings that reflect their culture and presence, we show our gratitude towards them, certainly aiding further diplomatic ties in present and future times. It is a pity however that little appreciation is shown towards evidences of our glorious history. Most people would only know the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall as a place where concerts and performances are held occasionally and that it is probably one of the oldest venues for entertainment in the modern history of our nation. Little is known however about the process of preservation and development of the building over the years. In addition to the heightening obscurity of this building (metaphorically and physically), newer and better alternative venues for entertainment are springing up elsewhere. Places like the world-class Esplanade theatres pose a threat to the existence of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall. Preference will always be directed towards a venue that is able to provide the best quality and most advanced technology to support performances that are becoming increasingly creative and challenging. If the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall does become obsolete in the distant future, Singapore would probably continue to preserve it as a historical monument and most likely only change the use and purpose of the building, a similar fate that had been bestowed upon other historical monuments such as the Old Parliament House (present Arts House).

Labels: National Monument, Palladian Architecture, Town Hall, Victoria Memorial Hall, Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall

posted by Muse

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