| CHIJMES Hall | |
|---|---|
| Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel | |
 | |
.svg)  CHIJMES Hall Location in Singapore | |
| 1°17′42.5″N103°51′06.5″E / 1.295139°N 103.851806°E /1.295139; 103.851806 | |
| Location | CHIJMES,Singapore |
| Country | Singapore |
| Denomination | Deconsecrated |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Tradition | Catholic |
| Religious institute | Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (former) |
| Churchmanship | Catholic |
| Website | chijmes |
| History | |
| Former name | Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel |
| Status | formerChapel |
| Founded | 11 June 1904 (1904-06-11) |
| Founder | MotherMathilde Raclot |
| Dedication | Infant Jesus |
| Consecrated | 11 June 1904 (1904-06-11) |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Deconsecrated |
| Heritage designation | 26 October 1990 |
| Architect | FatherCharles Benedict Nain |
| Architectural type | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1901 |
| Completed | 1903 |
| Closed | 3 November 1983 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 300 |
| Number of floors | 5 |
| Designated | 26 October 1990; 35 years ago (26 October 1990) |
| Reference no. | 23 |
CHIJMES Hall was the formerConvent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel located at theCHIJMES complex inSingapore. The formerchapel was designed by Father Charles Benedict Nain, it currently serves as afunction hall venue for weddings and corporate events.
The FirstChapel of theConvent of the Holy Infant Jesus was built and consecrated in Singapore on 1855 for the Town Convent. As the old dilapidating chapel had become hazardous, theSisters of the Holy Infant Jesus had to celebratemass at theCaldwell House. They soon startedfund-raising by various means for the new chapel to replace the former.
In 1898, FatherCharles Benedict Nain, an architect and priest ofChurch of Saints Peter and Paul, designed a newGothic Revival chapel for the Convent. The architectural firmSwan and Maclaren would oversaw the construction of the chapel. The chapel's stained-glass windows imported fromBruges,Belgium in 1904 were designed byJules Dobbelaere.
A five-storeyspire flanked by flyingbuttresses marked the entrance to the chapel. The 648capitals on thecolumns of the chapel and its corridors each bear a unique impression of tropicalflora and birds.
The newConvent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel was completed in 1903 and consecrated on 11 June 1904. The Entrance Gate pillars were later added to the front of the Chapel on the same year.[1]
In 1983, theSingapore Government had acquired the land from the Convent. The lastmass was held at the chapel on 3 November 1983 before it was deconsecrated for non-religious use.[2]
TheUrban Redevelopment Authority put up the site for sale in March 1990 and gazetted the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel andCaldwell House as national monuments on 26 October 1990, in order to preserve the ambience of the remaining buildings and designated the entire complex as a conservation area, with high restoration standards and strict usage guidelines. The remaining buildings, the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel, Caldwell House, and the remaining former school blocks underwent extensive restoration works in 1991 and reopened as a complex known asCHIJMES in 1996.[3]
The work was undertaken by Ong & Ong Architects with the help of Didier Repellin, Chief Architect for France’s Monuments Historiques[4] who oversaw the meticulous restoration of the stained glass windows. New buildings were designed to complement the national monument, and the existing buildings were sensitively and tastefully restored. A new basement level was introduced, to increase the retail space and add underground car parking. New elements included tasteful fountains and new period-appropriate cast iron standard lamps. The centrepiece of the new additions is the sunken 'fountain court' which surrounds the liturgical east end of the chapel and featured a fountain with metal sculptures of foliage emitting water. This work won an Architectural Heritage Award in 1997 from the Urban Redvelopment Authority of Singapore[5]
The former convent has since undergone several more renovations, in 2014[6] which involved the introduction of additional structures in a contrasting modernist style and temoporary-looking awnings, and the removal of many of the decorative features of the previous restoration such as the fountains, and filling in many of the former courtyard spaces with additional awnings and seating for restaurants.
The former chapel has since been renamed toCHIJMES Hall. Itsfunction hall is managed by the Watabe Singapore, and currently serves as a venue for wedding and corporate functions.[7]
Thewedding scene inCrazy Rich Asians took place in this former chapel.[8][9]
(Legend:† demolished) | |||||||||||||||
| Gazetted in 1970s |
| ||||||||||||||
| Gazetted in 1980s |
| ||||||||||||||
| Gazetted in 1990s |
| ||||||||||||||
| Gazetted in 2000s |
| ||||||||||||||
| Gazetted in 2010s |
| ||||||||||||||
| Gazetted in 2020s |
| ||||||||||||||
