The building that presently houses the Asian Civilisations Museum was built in 1864 by J. F. A. MacNair, the architect who also designed the Istana (formerly known as the Government House). The initial purpose behind the construction of this building was to house a new Court House. However, upon completion in 1865, it was immediately occupied as government offices of the Government (General) Secretariat. The building went through several upgrading and restoration, the first of which was in 1902 when the building received an extension at both ends to increase its size. Later in 1907, the Municipal Council named the area in which the building is located Empress Place to commemorate Queen Victoria’s visit to the island. As a result the building adopted the name Empress Place Building and remained as such till the 1980s.


Upon receiving self-government in 1959, this building was used by various government offices including the Immigration Department, the Muslim Registry of Religious Council of Singapore, the Registry of Births and Deaths and the Singapore Citizenship Registry. It was only in the 1980s that the building ceased to be used as government offices as the nation was embarking on a Civic and Cultural District Project and Empress Place was to be included for refurbishment. Upon completion, the building reopened on 7 April 1989 as an art museum known as the Empress Place Museum. It remained prominently as a museum for great ancient Chinese civilisations with its first exhibition showcasing furniture and artefacts originating from the Qing Dynasty.


The Empress Place Museum did not manage to last long however and was forced to close in 1995. The building was then offered to the National Heritage Board to turn it into an extension to the original Asian Civilisations Museum on Armenian Street. For this purpose, further restorations and extensions were started in March 1998 to convert the building and make it suitable for use as a museum. Conversion efforts were also undertaken throughout the process during which original foundations, carving details and an iron ring were discovered, the latter believed to have been used as a post for tying up of horses.


On 1 March 2003, the former Empress Place Building was reopened by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong as the second wing of the Asian Civilisations Museum. It is bigger than the original Empress Place Building which occupies only the current Southeast Asia and West Asia galleries. Due to its massive restoration effort, it went on to win the URA Architectural Heritage Award later that same year.




During our visit to the Asian Civilisations Museum, it was apparent to us that major effort had been undertaken to ensure the restoration and conservation of the neo-classical Palladian architectural style of that period. The building might be bigger and grander after many rounds of extension over the years but careful measures were ensured by the government to stick to the original architectural design that colonial buildings are often known for in the region. Located prominently within the tourist laden district of Singapore, buildings like this serve to inform visitors and viewers of our far and rich historical connection to the greater empire of Britain. The Empress Place Building in this case is aptly used as a museum that tells snippets of our history within the larger Asia.


At the Singapore River Interpretive Gallery on the 2nd Level (Free), the spotlight is placed primarily on the Singapore River, the heart and soul of the nation that had contributed significantly to its early growth, development and success. Commercial reusing of old buildings for purposes like this helps to draw the attention and interest of potential visitors as more often than not it appeals better to them as compared to a spanking new building that does not contain much historical significance regardless of its fresh and modern infrastructure.






*The Empress Place Building was declared a national monument on 14 February 1992.
** One might also be interested to check out the Singapore 2015 Time Capsule that is located on the field right in front of the Asian Civilisations Museum. It was sealed by the late Ong Teng Cheong on 29 December 1990 and contains significant items from the nation’s 25 years of independence. It will be opened in 2015 in commemoration of Singapore’s 50th Anniversary of Independence.

Labels: Asia, Asian Civilisations Museum, Empress Place, Empress Place Building, Museum, National Monument, Palladian Architecture, Singapore Museum

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