For 120 years, this was home of St Joseph's Institution, a missionary school. Founded by the French priest Father Jean-Marie Beurel and a small group of LaSalle Brothers on 1 May 1852, the school was open to boys of all religions. Construction of the first building began in 1855 and took 12 years to complete.
The curved semi-circular wings with generous verandahs were completed in 1903 when the original building was enlarged to the design of Father Charles Nain. As the enrolment increased, new facilities were added, including the Anderson Block (1907), the school hall and the Chapel (1912).
In 1987, the school moved to larger grounds in Malcolm Road, but the statue of St John Baptist de La Salle by Cesare Aureli remains. The restoration of the building to an art museum commenced in 1992. The guiding philosophy was to respect the original building fabric while integrating the requirements for a state-of-the-art museum. The three historical structures, the Central Building, the Anderson Block and the Chapel were retained.
The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) was officially opened on 20 January 1996 and is dedicated to Singapore and Southeast Asian art history and contemporary expressions. As the national art gallery, the Singapore Art Museum is also the nation's premier venue for international art exhibitions. The former St Joseph's Institution (now known as SAM) was gazetted as a national monument in 1992.