The Building

The School

The Former St Joseph’s Institution which today houses the Singapore Art Museum was founded in 1852, by 6 La Salle Brothers. The first school building was in the form of a chapel, but with rapidly expanding student population within a year, an attap hut had to be built to accommodate the increasing numbers. Still the figures increased, and the cornerstone for a new school building was laid on 19 March 1855, on the Feast Day of St Joseph.

The building and expansion of the school building was overseen by Brother Lothaire in the early years, and in the years leading up to the Great War, by Brother Michael Noctor and the Reverend Father Charles Nain. Father Nain was an architect by training, and may be credited with the design of the two curved blocks the flank the driveway of the museum today. The design of the the classical grand façade and dome was inspired by Bernini’s Colonnade in front of the St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. 

From School to Museum

When the school relocated in 1987, the premise was gazetted as a national monument and restoration work commenced in 1992. The museum officially opened in January 1996. Before the commencement of conversion works was carried out, a feasibility study showed that some people felt that the building was unsuitable and too small to meet the needs of a museum intended for contemporary art. However under the skillful supervision of architect Wong Hooe Wai, a balance of new features with the old architecture gave us the beautiful museum building which we enjoy today. Glass panels were added to the corridors of the building to allow for air-conditioning and climate control, keeping the environment cool for visitors, and protecting the artefacts at the same time.

The Glass Hall

The multipurpose hall located beyond the lobby area was recreated as a frameless glass enclosure, the glass adding a modern touch to an original space, and at the same time allowing light and transparency while being incorporated seamlessly with the public spaces of the museum.

The Auditorium

The former school chapel is now used as the museum’s auditorium. The chapel’s original character is retained in the plaques depicting religious scenes. In place of the original stainglass window (which had been destroyed during the Second World War) is Filipino Artist Ramon Orlina’s glass installation, a more modern and contemporary addition to the classic architecture.

The Galleries

Walls which previously separated classrooms were taken out to create the galleries, except when they had historic significance. Galleries 7 and 8 have also been named after valuable bequests by pioneer artists Liu Kang and Georgette Chen respectively.