The OFFICIAL SSC Singapore Architectural Preservation Movement Thread

[redstone]

Um, yes it WAS supposed to be demolished and a new temple dedicated to the same god built...

I had suggested all but the Mary church for preservation. Honestly, I had never heard of the Mary church before...

[RafflesCity]

I have never seen that Mary church or the temple myself

I wonder what made them decide to keep these...

maybe your suggestions help

[redstone]

The Mary church is suprisingly very north, in Hougang!

[redstone]

Supreme Court, City Hall buildings to be turned into art gallery
By Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia

INGAPORE: Singapore's art scene will be getting a monumental boost in the form of a grand new venue.

The government will convert its current Supreme Court and City Hall buildings into a fine art gallery in four to five years' time.


This is part of the Information, Communications and the Arts Ministry (MICA)'s moves to make Singapore "the place to be".

The Supreme Court and City Hall buildings will have a combined exhibition space of 11,000 square metres.

"This art gallery will display some of the best works of art from the region, Southeast Asia, Asia. We will also display some of the art of our very best Singapore artists. This will definitely enhance Singapore's standing as an art hub. We'll be able to attract more international collections, and become a hub for the arts, which is what we want to do - to make Singapore a global city of the arts," said Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts.

The Singapore Art Museum says it'll rethink its strategy to complement exhibitions at the new art gallery.

"The new art gallery will focus primarily on Singapore art but in an international context, and the Singapore Art Musuem at old SJI will perhaps focus on just Southeast Asia, or just on special exhibitions," said Singapore Art Museum's Kwok Kian Chow.

And, there'll be modifications to other arts venues.

The Asian Civilisations Museum in Armenian Street will be converted into a Peranakan museum.

The Victoria Concert Hall and Victoria Theatre will be refurbished.

And, to unleash creativity and passion at the community level, MICA will work with private organisations and community development councils to provide seed funding for innovative projects that promote social bonding and create arts jobs. - CNA

Read the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts' Addendum to the President's Address.

[rark]

omg! no!!

[Pengui]

Why not ?

[babystan03]

What so shocking about it??

[hyacinthus]

Originally Posted by babystan03

What so shocking about it??

Precisely... There are examples of old govt offices becoming Art Galleries/museum/hotels eg. Asian Civilisation Museum at Empress Rd.

Maybe, Redstone can't take it?

[SkylineTurbo]

Preserving them would be more practical.

[Kit]

I don't mind the idea but please, no more colourful windows..........

[rark]

i thought a musuem at city hall would be better.... but i guess singapore history museum has more than enough place for exhibits

[RafflesCity]

hmm..actually this isnt so shocking..huaiwei told me about this some time back when we were discussing the new Supreme Court

anyway I think its an appropriate function for the building, provided they retain its appearance and hope that glass fixture will not compromise that

[SkylineTurbo]

^ Good point, it would give it a better look.

[RafflesCity]

The Supreme Court and the City Hall

[SkylineTurbo]

Resembles the US Capitol in a way.

[hyacinthus]

Originally Posted by RafflesCity

The Supreme Court and the City Hall

Nice... haven't seen this at night... hmmm...

[SkylineTurbo]

This Greeko-Roman architecture is very nice when used by the government/council.

[Pengui]

When I think about it, it will be quite nice that very close by in the city centre will be
- the national library
- the art museum
- the concert and threatre hall at the esplanade
- the promenade around the bay with the new pedestrian bridge
- the new botanical garden
- marina city park.

All in all it makes sense to me and looks like a good project :-)

[huaiwei]

Jan 14, 2005
Four new heritage sites

Symbols of religious freedom, 3 churches and a temple are declared 'national monuments'

By Tracy Sua

THREE Roman Catholic churches and a Taoist temple, four of Singapore's oldest community religious buildings, are being declared national monuments today by the Preservation of Monuments Board.

Deemed significant pillars of support for the ethnic groups they cater to, The Church of St Joseph in Victoria Street, Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Ophir Road, Church of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Tou Mu Kung Taoist Temple, both in Upper Serangoon Road, bring the number of monuments here to 54.

'These churches and temple are closely associated with the social life and activities of people, organisations and institutions that have an impact on the community and nation. They are powerful symbols of the religious freedom enjoyed in Singapore over 180 years,' said the board's executive secretary, Mr Wan Meng Hao.

One of the new monuments is the first Eurasian Catholic church, Church of St Joseph. Built in 1850 by the Portuguese Mission, it was later deemed too small for the Portuguese-Eurasian community. So a new church was built on the same site in 1904, but was demolished, re-built and completed later in 1912.

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, built in 1886, was meant for Indian Catholics in Singapore - especially for the community in the Rochor district - for almost a hundred years. The church opened its doors to other ethnic groups in 1974, but a Tamil mass is still conducted every week.

From attap chapel in 1853 to a brick one in 1910, the Church of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary catered to the Teochew community in the Serangoon-Punggol area. The head of the church founded a Catholic girls' school in 1881 and a boys' school in 1885.

The Tou Mu Kong Temple which caters to the Teochew community in Upper Serangoon Road, was one of two remaining temples in Singapore with a permanent wayang (Chinese opera) stage, until 1998.

For eight decades, Chinese opera was performed there during religious and other festivals, but now a road runs through it. The landmark stage was demolished in 1998 when Upper Serangoon Road was being widened. The only temple in Singapore with a permanent wayang stage now is the Tua Pek Kong Temple in Balestier Road.


UNSCATED BY WAR: The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, built in 1886, was modelled after a church in Lourdes, France, which was constructed to commemorate the sighting of the Virgin Mary there in 1853. Structures like the pointed trimmings, pointed arches, spires, flying buttresses and 16 pillars were imported from France. In World War II, two bombs damaged the schools and vicarage that was built in the church's compound, but the church was unharmed. -- SHAHRIYA YAHAYA


FUNDED BY A KING: Built in 1850, the Church of St Joseph was rebuilt in 1940 by the Portugese-Eurasian community here which it served when the building could not accomodate the growing number of worshippers. It is a traditional neo-Gothic church, which was originally funded by the King of Portugal. -- SHAHRIYA YAHAYA


HUMBLE BEGINNINGS: It started as an attap chapel in 1853, and took firmer shape as a Gothic brick church in 1910. The Church of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an example of European church architecture, The priest who designed it also designed the chapel of the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus in Victoria Street, also a monument. -- SHAHRIYA YAHAYA


INSPIRED BY A DREAM: Teochew Taoist Tou Mu Kong Temple founder Ong Choo Kee, on a business trip to Penang in 1902, had vowed loyalty to the deity, the Ninth Emperor, if his business trip was successful. The trip was a success and he purchased an amulet of the deity and installed it at a family altar in his home at Lorong Chuan. Some years later, he dreamt of an old man telling him to build a temple honouring the deity at its present site in Upper Serangoon Road, which he started doing in 1919. -- THE TAOIST FEDERATION.

[redstone]

Suprising for a 1910 structure to be in Hougang!