Old Supreme Court Building
St Andrew's Road, Singapore 178957
This site is gazetted as a National Monument of Singapore on 14 February 1992.
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The Old Supreme Court Building is one of the most handsome buildings in Singapore. It is located along Saint Andrew's Road, just beside the equally historic City Hall building. I am documenting it for AsiaExplorers as one of the major landmarks of Singapore. It was built between 1937 and 1939 on the site of the former Grand Hotel de L'Europe which comprised three 1830's bungalows designed by George Drumgoole Coleman. The old Supreme Court building was designed by Frank Dorrington Ward, the chief crchitect of the Public Works Department. Ward produced no fewer than eight versions of the design before deciding on this one. The Supreme Court was Ward's last and greatest work, and most critics acknowledged that it was indeed his most significant creation.
Front façade of the Old Supreme Court Building with its grand staircase and elegant corinthian colonnade of composite columns.
The foundation stone was laid by Sir Shenton Whitelegge Thomas, Governor of the Straits Settlements, on 1 April 1937. (Sir Shenton Thomas, after whom Shenton Way was named, was the last governor of the Straits Settlements, and was the governor before and after the Japanese Occupation.) It was, up to then, the biggest foundation stone laid in the whole of Malaya. A time capsule containing six Singapore newspaper and a handful of Straits Settlement coins were buried beneath the foundation stone, only to be retrieved in the year 3000.
The old Supreme Court building was completed in 1939 and declared open on 3 August by Sir Shenton, who then handed it over to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Courts, Sir Percy McElwaine.
The most imposing characteristic of the old Supreme Court building are its Corinthian and Ionic columns, as well as the tympanum sculpture on the pediment. These were the work of Cavalieri Rudolfo Nolli, a Milanese sculptor. The centre figure in the tympanum, holding a sword in the left hand and scales in the right, is Justice. The figure immediately to its left represents the lost soul begging for protection from it. Next to this figure are two legislators with books in hand, representing the Law. To the left of Justice is a figure who bows in gratitude. Then we see a man holding a bull, representing Prosperity. Finally, two young children holding a sheaf of wheat represent Abundance from law and justice.
The big copper dome (oxidized to green) is one of the most distinctive features of the old Supreme Court building. However, there is in fact another, smaller dome, which is hardly visible from street level. This smaller dome used to house the library.
Now, before I end, let me add a little bit about why this building is called the old Supreme Court building. Because, right behind it, there's now a new Supreme Court building which (as I am writing this) has just been completed. In fact, the new building was opened by Singapore President S.R. Nathan, on 7 January, 2006. The new Supreme Court building sits on the site of the former Colombo Court, and it is attracting quite a lot of attention among Singaporeans, not all of which are flattering. Many are questioning the reason for selecting a design from "yet another" foreign architect, in this case (Lord) Norman Foster. Another grievance aired was that the Singapore public had no opportunity to voice their opinion about the design until after it was already approved for construction. It is perhaps a bliss that the new Supreme Court building is hiding behind the more handsome structures such as the old Supreme Court and City Hall.
View of the Old Supreme Court Building from the Padang.
Close-up of the pediment with the tympanum sculpture, and the dome.
Explanation of the figures on the tympanum.
The flying-saucer shape of the New Supreme Court building.
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