 Clifford Pier in December 2005 | |
| Type | pier |
|---|---|
| Locale | 80Collyer Quay, Singapore 049326 |
| Owner | Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (former) The Fullerton Heritage (restaurant) |
| Maintained by | Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (former) |
| Characteristics | |
| Construction | Woh Hup[1] |
| History | |
| Designer | Frank Dorrington Ward,Public Works Department |
| Opening date | 3 June 1933; 91 years ago (1933-06-03) |
| Listed | Operation Ceased |
| Closure date | 1 April 2006; 18 years ago (2006-4-1) |
| Coordinates | 1°17′02.10″N103°51′12.85″E / 1.2839167°N 103.8535694°E /1.2839167; 103.8535694 |
Clifford Pier was a formerpier located besideCollyer Quay atMarina Bay within theDowntown Core of theCentral Area, Singapore. The pier, which opened in 1933, ceased operations in 2006.
In 2008 the site was converted into a restaurant,One on the Bund, with Chinese cuisine. This restaurant closed in 2014 and was replaced by another restaurant,The Clifford Pier, which offers a selection of local, Asian, and Western dishes under the operations of the Fullerton Bay Hotel.[2]
The Hokkiens called the pierang theng beh thow (Chinese:红灯码头, meaning "red lamp harbour"), and the Malays called itlampu merah (meaning "red lamp"), both referring to the redoil lampbeacon which shone over the pier at night as a warning to ships.
Before theTanjong Pagarwharves were built in the 1850s,Johnston's Pier was the chief landing place. By the 1920s, the pier wasworn out andGovernor of the Straits Settlements SirCecil Clementi decided to build a new pier. In 1929, the plans to build Clifford pier was approved.[3]
The new pier was named Clifford Pier in memory of SirHugh Clifford, formerGovernor of the Straits Settlements. The decision to name the newly constructed pier after Sir Hugh Clifford sparked contention.[4] The Straits Settlements Association of Singapore had several correspondences with the current governor SirCecil Clementi appealing to retain the name of Johnston for the new pier. Persuasion failed due to the governor refusing to reverse his decision on grounds that Clifford's name was prominent in the region.[5] Several members of the public also showed displeasure at the renaming, believing that the memory of Johnston's Pier would go along with its demolition. Despite the loss of the original name, locals continued to refer to the new pier in its Hokkien and Malay names.
Clifford Pier was alanding point for immigrants and other sea passengers. The pier was later used as a terminal for tourists andday trippers who boarded small boats andferries heading for theSouthern Islands. During the annualpilgrimage season toKusu Island, regular ferries departed from Clifford Pier to the island.
With the construction of theMarina Barrage, a dam across the Marina Channel which will convert the existingMarina Bay into areservoir, the existing Clifford Pier has ceased operations on 1 April 2006. TheMarina South Pier has been constructed atMarina South and was opened in April 2006 to replace the existing Clifford Pier. The existing 26,000 square metre Clifford Pier site including its adjacent former Customs Harbour Branch building has been safeguarded forconservation, and its surrounding land parcels are currently being developed into a retail,leisure, entertainment and hotel centre.
Clifford Pier was designed by thePublic Works Department, where Frank Dorrington Ward was then the Chief Architect in the 1930s. The pier has a simple but unique architecture with a roof structure comprising concretearchedtrusses in a riband form. Details, such asbrackets and even thefire hosecabinets, were evidently designed with much consideration.
After 18 months of renovation costing S$6 million, the premises was leased to Calvin Yeung, a famed Hong Kong restaurateur,[6] his upscale Chinese restaurantOne On The Bund was opened on the former pier on 11 December 2008. Yeung's restaurant was closed in early 2014 when its lease ended.[7]
In May 2014, a new restaurant was reopened on the former pier under the same namesakeThe Clifford Pier, as part of the Fullerton Bay Hotel, offering a wide selection of local, Asian, and Western dishes.[2]