The Arts House formerly Old Parliament House

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Posted 2016-06-24 by J.D.Wen ⇒ follow

The Arts House (formerly Old Parliament House)

The Arts House (formerly Old Parliament House) is now a multi-disciplinary arts venue to host art exhibitions, film screenings, and concerts. During restoration, the chambers were converted into a function hall though the design and furnishing were retained. It's the oldest existing government building in Singapore.

Initially the house designed by G. D. Coleman was built as the residence of John Argyle Maxwell. Upon its completion in 1827 it functioned as a court house and government offices.

Several major works were carried out over the years, and the architectural style was transformed from Neo-Palladian to Victorian. In 1953 it was converted to be the new Legislative Assembly of Singapore.

It was renamed Parliament House in August 1965 when Singapore proclaimed independence. On 14 February 1992 it was gazetted a national monument. The parliament moved to another building in 1999.

The Parliament in Singapore History Exhibition is on level 2. It is free entry for all. It tells the history of the house from 1827 to 1999. It is an important site where political pioneers delivered key speeches that were to chart the path of this nation-building journey. Visitors could see rare images of Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Dr Goh Keng Swee, Mr S Rajaratnam, and more.

A elephant bronze statue in front of the building is a gift from King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V of Siam). Singapore was the first foreign land visited by the king.

Its operating hours are from 10AM to 10PM daily. Click here for latest update.

For dining, there are three outlets to choose:
Timbre serves western food and beverages.