Singapore Conference Hall

The Singapore Conference Hall is a multipurpose building located in the heart of the financial district of Shenton Way in Downtown Core of Singapore. The first building to be constructed along Shenton Way, it was a place for conferences and exhibitions in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, it is refurbished and modernised into a concert hall, home to the Singapore Chinese Orchestra since 2001. Completed in 1965 at a cost of S$4 million at that time, it was an example of the nation's urban architecture then. The building is situated on a three-acre site at the junction of Shenton Way and Maxwell Road.

Singapore Conference Hall
Singapore Conference Hall, September 2006
Former namesDewan Persidangan Singapura dan Rumah Kesatuan Sekerja
General information
StatusCompleted
Architectural styleAvant-garde architecture
LocationShenton Way, Downtown Core, Singapore
Address7 Shenton Way, Singapore 068810
Coordinates1.276208°N 103.848943°E / 1.276208; 103.848943
Technical details
Floor count5
DesignationsNational monument 2010[1]
Designated28 December 2010
Reference no.62
The atrium inside the building.
A bianqing, an old Chinese instrument, placed in the building as a monument.

It was gazetted as a national monument on 28 December 2010.[1]

History

During the 1959 general election, the People’s Action Party proposed a headquarters for the trade unions as part of its five-year plan for Singapore.[2] A site on Armenian Street, formerly Saint Andrew's School, was initially chosen in 1960,[3] but a larger site along Shenton Way was chosen instead in 1961. In June 1961, the government requested architects in Singapore and Malaya to submit design proposals for the building, and two local architects, Ng Keng Siang and Tio Seng Chin, were to judge them.[4] Malayan Architects Co-Partnership's design was subsequently selected by the government in March 1962, and the designers behind the top three submissions received cash prizes.[5]

Construction of the Singapore Conference Hall began in August 1962, with the building's foundation stone laid by a low-ranking trade unionist on 9 August.[6] The structural parts of the building were completed by July 1964,[7] but completion of the building, initially scheduled for end-1964, was delayed, which was attributed by a top government official to the building's "complicated nature".[8] The Conference Hall and Trade Union House was eventually opened in October 1965, in time for the National Trade Union Congress's annual conference, and cost S$4 million[9]

Opened on 15 October 1965 by Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, the Dewan Persidangan Singapura dan Rumah Kesatuan Sekerja[10] (Malay for Singapore Conference Hall and Trade Union House) as it was formerly known was built to house the headquarters of the National Trades Union Congress and host various exhibitions and conferences. Closely linked to Singapore’s history, the building witnessed several significant events in the post-independence years.[2]

Architecture

The design was selected from a nationwide open competition in 1961 and was a design of Singapore's urban architecture in the 1960s. The original architecture primarily consisted of concrete and glass in its facade. It has a large butterfly roof. In the past the roof and terrace were equipped with vertical sunscreens to provide shade to the interior. The concourse on the first level was conceived as a large space for programmes and from which visitors could find their way to the upper floors. Today, it is used as a concourse as well as a reception area for the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. The area can be used for exhibitions, receptions, performances and conferences. The area was originally designed as a naturally ventilated space. The trade congress rooms were located on the third to fifth floors of the building. The building was designed by Malayan Architects Co-Partnership and was completed by Architects Team 3. The five-storey building has no basement and has an outdoor car park.

References
  1. Fern, Ong Sor (28 December 2010). "Singapore Conference Hall a national monument | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  2. "Former Singapore Conference Hall and Trade Union House".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. "SITE FOR TRADE UNION HOUSE SELECTED". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  4. "Designs sought for Trade Union House". The Straits Times. Singapore. 14 June 1961. p. 4. Retrieved 24 December 2022 – via NewspaperSG.
  5. "Winners of design contest named". The Straits Times. Singapore. 18 March 1962. p. 4. Retrieved 24 December 2022 – via NewspaperSG.
  6. "'Unknown' hero lays stone of T.U house". The Straits Times. Singapore. 9 August 1962. p. 5. Retrieved 24 December 2022 – via NewspapaerSG.
  7. "$4 mil Trade Union House now half completed". The Straits Times. Singapore. 1 July 1964. p. 5. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  8. "$4m. trade union house ready by February". The Straits Times. Singapore. 16 October 1964. p. 8. Retrieved 24 December 2022 – via NewspaperSG.
  9. "$4m. Trade Union House to be ready for NTUC meet". The Straits Times. Singapore. 28 June 1965. p. 4. Retrieved 24 December 2022 – via NewspaperSG.
  10. Singapore Art Society; Singapore Conference Hall and Trade Union House (1965). Singapore Conference Hall, Trade Union House inaugural art exhibition = Dewan Persidangan Singapura Ramah Kesatuan Sa-kerja pameran lukisan pertama = Xinjiapo da hui tang zhi gong hui da sha shou jie mei zhan. Singapore: Art Society. OCLC 222147956.

Further reading
  • National Heritage Board (2002), Singapore's 100 Historic Places, Archipelago Press, ISBN 981-4068-23-3
  • Wong Yunn Chii (2005), Singapore 1:1 - City, Urban Redevelopment Authority, ISBN 981-05-4467-7
  • Norman Edwards, Peter Keys (1996), Singapore A Guide To Buildings, Streets, Places, Times Books International, ISBN 981-204-781-6
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