The Empress Place Building currently houses the Asian Civilisations Museum.

The Empress Place Building (Chinese: 皇后坊大厦) is a historic building in Singapore, located on the north bank of the Singapore River in the Downtown Core, within the Central Area in Singapore's central business district. The building is currently the second wing of the Asian Civilisations Museum. The other wing of the museum is located at the Old Tao Nan School building along Armenian Street. The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM, Chinese: 亚洲文明博物馆) is an institution which forms a part of the three museums of the National Museums of Singapore. ... Singapore River The Singapore River (Chinese: 新加坡河) is a small river in terms of physical attributes, but of extreme historical importance to the country of Singapore, the political entity which shares its name. ... The Downtown Core is technically an urban planning area in the city-state of Singapore which surrounds the mouth of the Singapore River, and is part of the Central Area, Singapores central business district. ... The Downtown Core includes high-density buildings along the Singapore River. ... The central business district of Melbourne, Australia. ... The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM, Chinese: 亚洲文明博物馆) is an institution which forms a part of the three museums of the National Museums of Singapore. ... The National Gallery in London, a famous museum. ... The Old Tao Nan School building currently houses the Asian Civilisations Museum at Armenian Street. ...

History

The west façade of Empress Place Building, next to Raffles Landing Place.

The north façade of Empress Place Building, near the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.

Sculptures depicting activities carried on the banks of the Singapore River on the south front of the Empress Place Building.

A statue of Sir Stamford Raffles denotes his landing place in 1819, located next to the Empress Place Building.

During the colonial era, the Empress Place Building was known simply as Government Offices. The first civic buildings were planned here in Sir Stamford Raffles' day. Originally intended to be a courthouse, the Empress Place Building instead became offices for the government departments located in the adjacent Maxwell's House (later the old Parliament House). The office towers at Raffles Place on the south bank of the Singapore River serve as a backdrop against Sir Stamford Raffles statue located at Raffles Landing Site on the rivers opposite bank. ... Exterior of Victoria Theatre The Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall (Chinese: 维多利亚剧院及音乐会堂) is a complex of two buildings and a clock tower joined together by a common corridor and located in the civic district of Singapore. ... Singapore River The Singapore River (Chinese: 新加坡河) is a small river in terms of physical attributes, but of extreme historical importance to the country of Singapore, the political entity which shares its name. ... Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (6 July 1781 - 5 July 1826) was the founder of the city (now country) of Singapore, and is one of the best-known of the many Britons who created the largest empire the world has ever seen. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in red, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Civic can refer to multiple things: Civics, the science of comparative government Honda Civic, a small car produced by the Honda Motor Co. ... Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (6 July 1781 - 5 July 1826) was the founder of the city (now country) of Singapore, and is one of the best-known of the many Britons who created the largest empire the world has ever seen. ... In most counties in the United States the local trial courts conduct their business in a centrally located courthouse which may also house the offices of the county treasurer, clerk and recorder and assessor. ... Parliament House The Old Parliament House (Chinese: 前国会大厦), also known as the Arts House at the Old Parliament, is a building in Singapore gazetted as a national monument on 14 February 1992. ...

Maxwell's House, designed by George Drumgoole Coleman, was a two-storey house built for a merchant, John Argyle Maxwell, in 1827. However, it was never occupied by him and it became a courthouse and lands office. Subsequently, it was converted to Government Offices and additions were made in 1839 and 1847. George Drumgoole Coleman (1795-1844), also known as George Drumgold Coleman, was a civil architect who played an instrumental role in the design and construction of many of the civil infrastructure in Singapore, after the island was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. ... Naval Battle of Navarino by Carneray 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Constructed in four phases from 1864 to 1920, Government Offices was built to provide much needed space for the growing colonial administration. The original section of the building was designed by colonial engineer J.F.A. McNair and built by convict labour between June 1864 and December 1867. This original section now forms the part of the building nearest to the old Parliament House. 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... Look up Administration in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The word administration is from the Middle English administracioun, deriving from the French administration, which is itself derived from the Latin administratio: a compounding of ad (to) and ministratio (to give service). In modern usage, the word has particular meanings in particular... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Yet another courthouse was built in 1865; this is now the core of the Government Offices. In 1873-1875, the old courthouse was extended towards the river and this is where the Supreme Court of the Colony held its sessions from 1875 until 1939 when the present Supreme Court was built. Maxwell's original house became the Assembly House in 1954 after extensive renovations and reconstruction. The decision to build a new Town Hall was made in 1854; the building was completed in 1862. 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The existing Supreme Court building houses the Supreme Court of Singapore, where it commenced operations on 20 June 2005 after more than 65 years at its old premises. ... Assembly may refer to the following things: In politics, any body meeting together to discuss matters, a parliament or a legislative assembly such as the French revolutionary Legislative Assembly, or a body more designed to mediate between otherwise independent bodies, such as the United Nations General Assembly. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Government Offices that were housed included the Secretariat, Audit Office, Registration of Deeds Office, Land Office, Public Works and Medical Department, Treasury and Stamp Office and the bureaus of the Colonial Engineer, the Official Assignee and the Inspector General of the Police Force. The Legislative Chamber occupied a room on the upper floor. Secretariat may refer to: A racehorse who won the Triple Crown in 1973, see Secretariat (horse) In a Communist Party, a Secretariat is a key body that controls the central administration of the party, and if it is a ruling party, the country. ... An audit is an evaluation of an organization, system, process, or product. ... Click here for Deed, the legal instrument (Deeds is also the name of a teenage anarhist that livez in a stinky stupid countrey called Romania-i know uve never herd its name ever, but thats whiy its so stinky. ... The notion of internal improvements or public works is a concept in economics and politics. ... See drugs, medication, and pharmacology for substances that are used to treat patients. ... The term treasury was first used in classical times to describe the votive buildings erected to house gifts to the gods, such as the Siphnian Treasury in Delphi or the many buildings put up in Olympia, Greece by competing city-states, to impress each other during the Ancient Olympic Games. ... A stamp is a distinctive mark or impression made upon an object, for instance those made on a piece of paper and used to indicate the prepayment of a fee or tax. ... The French word bureau, which originally referred to an office, can in English refer to: a sort of desk with drawers, such as a writing table or a pedestal desk the Bureau Mazarin is a 17th century desk form named after Cardinal Mazarin a public office or government agency the... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An assignment is a term used with similar meanings in the law of contracts and in the law of real estate. ... A legislature is a governmental deliberative body with the power to adopt laws. ...

In front of the building was a public square which was given the name Empress Place by the Municipal Council in 1907 in honour of Queen Victoria. It may well be the oldest pedestrian space in Singapore. Over time, Government Offices became associated with Empress Place and its name changed to what we know it today. A town square is an open area commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. ... A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the eminent Queen of England, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and Empress of India from 1 January 1877, until her death in 1901. ... A pedestrian at the intersection of Alinga Street and Northbourne Avenue, Canberra, Australia Look up Pedestrian on Wiktionary, the free dictionary A pedestrian is a person travelling on foot, whether walking or running. ...

As the demand for more government office space increased, three major extensions were added in 1880, 1904-1909 and 1920. Fortunately, every one of these extensions were faithful to McNair's Neo-Palladian design and the building maintained a harmonious overall look. 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... A villa with a superimposed portico, from Book IV of Palladios I Quattro Libri dellArchitettura, in a modestly priced English translation published in London, 1736. ...

In the surrounding area also known as Empress Place, the Memorial Hall and Tower were added in 1905 and extensive renovations were carried out from 1954 till 1979. Raffles' statue, now in front of the Victoria Memorial Hall and Theatre, as it is now called, was first erected on the Padang in 1887 but later removed to its present site in 1919. A second statue, a copy of the first one, was erected at Raffles Landing Place in 1972. The Dalhousie Memorial was originally located at Dalhousie Pier but found its present place in 1886. Cavenagh Bridge was built in 1869 and was converted to pedestrian traffic after the erection of Anderson Bridge. These are the major elements which have contributed to the developing qualities of Empress Place. 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Exterior of Victoria Theatre The Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall (Chinese: 维多利亚剧院及音乐会堂) is a complex of two buildings and a clock tower joined together by a common corridor and located in the civic district of Singapore. ... An aerial view of Singapore, showing the Padang on the right, surrounded by Singapore Parliament building, new and old Supreme Court building and Swissôtel The Stamford. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The office towers at Raffles Place on the south bank of the Singapore River serve as a backdrop against Sir Stamford Raffles statue located at Raffles Landing Site on the rivers opposite bank. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... Cavenagh Bridge is the only suspension bridge and one of the oldest bridges in Singapore, spanning the lower reaches of the Singapore River in the Downtown Core. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... A pedestrian at the intersection of Alinga Street and Northbourne Avenue, Canberra, Australia Look up Pedestrian on Wiktionary, the free dictionary A pedestrian is a person travelling on foot, whether walking or running. ... Anderson Bridge spans across the Singapore River and is located near the rivers mouth in the Downtown Core Planning Area. ...

The Empress Place Building was used by government departments until the late 1980s. It is perhaps best known as the Registry of Births and Deaths, the Citizenship Registry and the Immigration Department. The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... Registry has several meanings, all of which generally relate to its original or historical meaning as a written, official or formal record of information, or the place where such records are kept. ... Birth is the process in mammals by which a fetus is expelled from the body of its mother. ... This page deals with the cessation of life. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

In the late 1980s, plans were made to convert Empress Place Building into a museum. Extensive restoration began, culminating in the opening of the Empress Place Museum on 7 April 1989 by the then Second Deputy Prime Minister Ong Teng Cheong. The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... The National Gallery in London, a famous museum. ... Restoration can be one of several things, depending on context: In criminal justice, restoration is another term for restorative justice. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Prime Minister of Singapore is the head of government of the Republic of Singapore (and prior to 9 August 1965, the State of Singapore). ... Ong Teng Cheong (王鼎昌, Wáng Dǐngchāng) (January 22, 1936 - February 8, 2002) was the first elected President of Republic of Singapore. ...

Although the museum was afflicted with structural and logistical problems from its inception, it nonetheless managed to organise five outstanding exhibitions on Chinese history in six short years. The first of these exhibitions, which featured royal objects from the Qing Dynasty, put on display many precious artefacts never seen before outside China. By 1995, the museum's problems got the better of it and on 30 April that year, it closed its doors. The structure of a thing is how the parts of it relate to each other, how it is put together. This contrast with process, which is how the thing works; but process requires a viable structure. ... Logistics is the art and science of managing and controlling the flow of goods, energy and information. ... Exhibition is a word with several meanings. ... China is the worlds oldest continuous major civilization, with written records dating back about 3,500 years and with 5,000 years being commonly used by Chinese as the age of their civilization. ... The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daiching gurun(warrior country in Mongolian language); Chinese: 清朝; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was a dynasty founded by the Manchu - a nomadic nation of over two million people. ... I archaeology, an artifact or artefact is any object made or modified by a human culture, and often one later recovered by some archaeological endeavor. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining, as the last day in April. ...

Subsequently, the Empress Place Building underwent renovations and opened as the second wing of the Asian Civilisations Museum on 2 March 2003, exhibiting Southeast, South and West Asian collections. The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM, Chinese: 亚洲文明博物馆) is an institution which forms a part of the three museums of the National Museums of Singapore. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... South Asia or Southern Asia is a southern geopolitical region of the Asian continent comprising territories on and in proximity to the Indian subcontinent. ... A map showing Southwest Asia - The term Middle East is more often used to refer to both Southwest Asia and some North African countries Southwest Asia, or West Asia, is the southwestern part of Asia. ...

The Empress Place Building was gazetted as a national monument on 14 February 1992. A gazette is a newspaper. ... The Preservation of Monuments Board (PMB), a statutory board under the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), has so far gazetted 54 buildings and structures in Singapore as the National Monuments of Singapore. ... February 14 is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

Architecture

Located at the mouth of the Singapore River, the Empress Place Building's imposing Neo-Palladian exterior with timber-louvred windows and pitched clay tile roofs caught the attention of immigrants and visitors sailing into Singapore harbour. A 1905 Singapore guidebook describes Government Offices and its neighbouring buildings thus: "Apart from the cities of India, there is, perhaps, no place in the East which boasts such a handsome group of [government] buildings as viewed from the sea." Singapore River The Singapore River (Chinese: 新加坡河) is a small river in terms of physical attributes, but of extreme historical importance to the country of Singapore, the political entity which shares its name. ... A villa with a superimposed portico, from Book IV of Palladios I Quattro Libri dellArchitettura, in a modestly priced English translation published in London, 1736. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Lumber. ... I.M. Peis Louvre Pyramid: the entrance to the galleries lies below the glass pyramid The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre, pronounced in French) in Paris, France, is one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. ... A window is an opening in an otherwise solid, opaque surface through which light and sometimes air can pass. ... Pitch may refer to: Pitch is the property of a sound or musical tone measured by its perceived frequency Pitch, or tone of voice, refers to variation of tone in tonal language, and in languages with melodic accent Pitch, a throw of a baseball by a pitcher Pitch, part of... Quaternary clay in Estonia. ... Mission, or barrel, roof tiles For the towns named Tile, see Tile, Somalia and Tile, Lebanon. ... A roof tiled in imitation of thatch at Croyde, north Devon, England Rooftops in Vietnam Snow on the roof A roof is the top covering of a building that sheds rain or snow, keeping the building interior dry. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Inside, the rooms are stately, with high ceilings, handsome Doric columns and exquisite plaster mouldings and cornices. Elegantly proportioned, the building is laid out symmetrically along a central axis. This intricate ceiling is part of the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne, Australia, designed by architect Walter Burley Griffin. ... Doric, a synonym of Dorian, may refer to any of the following: The Dorians, one of the ancient Hellenic races, Doric Greek, the dialect of the former, the Doric order and its distinctive Doric column, in ancient Greek architecture, the Dorian mode in music, also called the Doric mode, or... Deconstructing a Roman pillar. ... // Gypsum plaster Plaster of Paris, or simply plaster, is a type of building material based on calcium sulfate hemihydrate, nominally (CaSO4)2*H2O. It is created by heating gypsum to about 150°C, 2(CaSO4 · 2H2O) → (CaSO4)2 · H2O + 3 H2O (released as steam). ... An example of a cornice along the top of a building in Wheeling, West Virginia. ... Symmetry is a characteristic of geometrical shapes, equations and other objects; we say that such an object is symmetric with respect to a given operation if this operation, when applied to the object, does not appear to change it. ...

Asian Civilisations Museum, Empress Place

References

• National Heritage Board (2002), Singapore's 100 Historic Places, Archipelago Press, ISBN 9814068233
• Norman Edwards, Peter Keys (1996), Singapore - A Guide to Buildings, Streets, Places, Times Books International, ISBN 9971652315

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Empress Place Building, Singapore

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External links

• Asian Civilisations Museum