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| 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.
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| 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.
