Built in 1827 by G D Coleman, it is Singapore's oldest surviving building and was used to house the Court and other Government Offices until 1965, when the building became Parliament House.
This oldest government building in Singapore started out as the residence of a merchant, John Argyle Maxwell. This oldest government building in Singapore started out as the residence of a merchant, John Argyle Maxwell. He never occupied it, instead leasing it out to the government. It became the Court House until the Legislative Assembly occupied it in 1954. It became the Parliament House in 1965. Today, it houses the Arts House.
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The Old Parliament House is believed to be Singapore’s oldest surviving government building. It was commissioned as a residence by the merchant, John Argyle Maxwell. The building was leased to the British colonial administration in 1827 who later purchased it in 1841. Designed in the Neo-Palladian style by G D Coleman, it was completed in 1827. A refined villa of elegant proportions, it was for many years considered to be the island’s finest building.
Little remains of Coleman’s original design. Leased to and then purchased by the Government in 1841, it housed the Court and other Government offices. A series of major alterations and enlargements in 1874-75, 1901 and 1909 changed Coleman’s design beyond recognition.
The first multi-party elections for the legislature were held in 1948. In the early 1950s, Singapore began preparing for self-rule and the building was consequently renovated and transformed into the Legislative Assembly House.
In December 1965 the building officially became Parliament House when Singapore‘s first parliamentary sessions as a fully independent Republic were held. It was long the symbol of parliamentary democracy in Singapore.
When the Parliament moved into the New Parliament Complex on 6th September 1999, the Old Parliament House was closed for renovations. On 26 March 2004, it was renamed and relaunched as The Arts House, a multi-disciplinary arts centre which showcases a broad spectrum of contemporary and entertainment events.