Buildings

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Situated in the heart of the Civic District, the City Hall and former Supreme Court buildings were focal points for many important events in Singapore’s history. It was in the City Hall building that Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten accepted the surrender of the Japanese forces on 12 September 1945, on behalf of the Allied forces.

The building also housed the office of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, when he became the first prime minister of Singapore. The then-Prime Minister Lee and members of his Cabinet took their Oaths of Allegiance and Oaths of Office on 5 June 1959 in the City Hall Chamber.

Since then, City Hall continued to house various government departments such as the Public Utilities Board, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Supreme Court and the former Ministry of Culture. It was eventually vacated in 2005.

The adjacent former Supreme Court Building was built between 1930 and 1939 to serve the judiciary system of Singapore. Its façade was designed to match City Hall, with classical architecture and corresponding Corinthian columns. The former Supreme Court Building contains five court rooms, a Court of Appeal, library, registry, accommodations for advocates and other necessary offices. Both buildings were gazetted as national monuments in 1992.

The winning architectural design for the Gallery, submitted by French architectural firm Studio Milou, follows the preservation guidelines under the authority of the Preservation of Monuments Board. This ensures that both buildings are protected while being remodelled to become a state-of-the-art visual arts museum.