Singapore opens new arts house

Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Singapore

As part of its strategy to become the regional hub for the arts and to boost local tourism, Singapore opened on March 26 another arts center.

It is the second such arts center to be developed in the three-million-strong city-state, after the 2002 opening of the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, a performing arts center locally known as "The Durian" for its spiky roof.

The historical Old Parliament House has now become the Arts House, and its opening kicked off with a spectacular eight-minute light-and-sound show, "A Story of This House", produced by Glen Goei, a prominent Singaporean stage and film director.

Tracing the building's past, Goei started his fascinating show with images of Singapore when it was just a quiet fishing village, which soon boomed into a maritime trade port with traders and merchants coming from as far as China and India.

With electronic images arranged as live shots, Goei captured the arrival of the British and told a visual story of the Old Parliament House.

The House is the oldest colonial building in Singapore and dates back to the late 1820s. Once known as the Old Court House, the House was originally designed by GD Coleman as a residence for John Argyll Maxwell, but was built on government land. Maxwell was a merchant and one of the first three magistrates appointed by Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of the British colony of Singapore.

Upon its completion in 1827, Maxwell leased the House to the government. Up to 1939, it was known as the Court House, the Old Court House or the Old Supreme Courthouse. After the second World War, it was referred to as the Assembly House, and became the home of the new legislative assembly.

In 1965, it was renamed the Parliament House and took on a new function as a courthouse and legislature. Renovations were made to the building in 1873-1875, 1901, 1909 and 1954-1955.

This two-story neo-Palladian building stands on the banks of the Singapore River, where Raffles dropped anchor for the first time in 1819.

Now, adding to the vibrant arts scene in the Civic District, it is at walking distance from the Asian Civilisations Museum, the Esplanade, Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.

Another event to mark the Old Parliament-to-Arts House transformation was a 10-day christening party called No More Walls, featuring 200 artists in a music, dance, theatre, comedy and visual arts fest.

Apart from Singaporean artists, the festival also featured those from Malaysia, Japan, China, Spain, the United States, Australia, Italy, Britain, Iceland, India and Taiwan. It remains a question as to why no Indonesian artists participated in the event.

One of the theater highlights was the late Kuo Kao Pun's socio-political satire No Parking on Odd Days, a monologue about how the rights of individuals are overturned by bureaucratic regulations.

The performance, which was held in the Debating Chamber, reflected on the original function of the venue where parliamentary debates were held. The play was restaged by Theatreworks' education and outreach associate artistic director Jeffrey Tan and featured veteran actor Lim Kay Tong, who played for a 154-strong audience in the Chamber.

Although there was no evident distortion of sound during the performance of Italian music group Neri Per Caso, during Lim's monologue, it became evident that improvements needed to be made in the acoustics of the venue.

The architects of the new Art House have retained the original layout of the building, thus the number of seats are limited.

For example, the Chamber, which is designed for theater, musical and dance performances as well as fashion shows, has only 154 seats, while the Screening Room -- a movie theater that occupies the former administrative department of the legislature -- has only 75 seats. The Play Den, an interactive exploration facility, was built in the former office of the chief minister and can accommodate only 120 visitors.

Such limited seats creates an ambience similar to a clubhouse with extended facilities, including an exhibition gallery, multifunction rooms for receptions, workshops and seminars, a studio for yoga and dance classes, and a two-story restaurant and wine bar.

The establishment of the Arts House once again underlines Singapore's aptitude for strategic planning.

It did not happen overnight, said Christine Kohr, Director of Special Projects (Arts) of the Singapore Tourism Board, but was the fruit of a plan that was long in the making.

Soon, visitors to Singapore will have an opportunity to tour the city-state's newest lifestyle and heritage venue upon an introduction by the Singapore Tourism Board, the travel sector and the Arts House itself.