| Former Supreme Court | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Interactive map of the Former Supreme Court area | |
| Former names | Supreme Court |
| Alternative names | Old Supreme Court |
| General information | |
| Status | Occupied |
| Type | Court |
| Architectural style | Baroque Revival,Neoclassical |
| Classification | B |
| Location | Singapore, 1 St Andrew's Road, Singapore 178958,Singapore,Singapore |
| Coordinates | 1°17′23″N103°51′04.5″E / 1.28972°N 103.851250°E /1.28972; 103.851250 |
| Current tenants | National Gallery Singapore |
| Groundbreaking | 1 April 1937 |
| Construction started | April 1937 |
| Completed | 1939 |
| Opened | 3 August 1939 |
| Closed | 2011 |
| Affiliation | National Heritage Board |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | 5,110 m2 (55,000 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Frank Dorrington Ward |
| Architecture firm | Public Works Department |
| Other designers | Rudolfo Nolli Augusto Martelli |
| Main contractor | United Engineers |
| Designated | 14 February 1992; 34 years ago (14 February 1992) |
| Reference no. | 28 |
TheFormer Supreme Court building (Malay:Bangunan Mahkamah Agung Lama,Chinese:最高法院大厦) is the formercourthouse of theSupreme Court of Singapore. Opened in 1939, the building was the last structure built in the style ofclassical architecture inthe former British colony. On 20 June 2005, the Supreme Court moved toits current premises at 1 Supreme Court Lane, located behind the Former Supreme Court.
Since 24 November 2015, the Former Supreme Court, combined with theFormer City Hall, serves as the location of theNational Gallery Singapore.[1]
On 1 April 1937, SirShenton Whitelegge Thomas,Governor of the Straits Settlements[2] laid the originalfoundation stone of the Supreme Court Building. (At the time it was the largest foundation stone in the whole ofMalaya.) Buried beneath the stone is atime capsule containing six Singaporean newspapers dated 31 March 1937, and a handful of coins of theStraits Settlements. The capsule is not due to be retrieved until the year 3000.[2]
The Supreme Court building was declared open on 3 August 1939 by SirShenton Thomas and handed over to theChief Justice, SirPercy McElwaine, on the same day.[2]
In 1946, after World War II, the building was the site of war crime trials of members of theImperial Japanese Army for actions in Singapore during the war.[3]
After the court moved to a new building, the Former Supreme Court Building, together with the adjacentFormer City Hall, was converted into use as theNational Gallery Singapore, which opened in 2015.[1]
The Former Singapore Supreme Court building was designed by Frank Dorrington Ward and built by United Engineers. It was built in front of thePadang grounds between 1937 and 1939.
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