Explore a different destination This site is a National Monument of Singapore   Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
National Monument of Singapore since 14 February 1992.

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Singapore Hotels


Your base for exploring this destination is the city of Singapore. For travel information about Singapore, go to Singapore Travel Guide. If planning a trip to Singapore, view the Singapore Budget Accommodation Map to find a suitable place to spend the night.

Singapore Art Museum is housed in the building that was formerly the St Joseph's Institution. Its address is 71 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189555. At the time I photographed it, the museum was undergoing renovation, and so it was a challenge trying to get a good shot of the building without shooting piles of sand and cement. It is gazetted one of the National Monuments of Singapore.



Front façade of the Singapore Art Museum, formerly St Joseph's Institution.


The St Joseph's Institution is the first missionary establishment of the La Salle Brothers in the Far East, which also includes the St Xavier's Institution in Penang. It is a boys' school. The person credited for initiating it was Father Jean-Marie Beurel, the same French missionary who was instrumental in helping to set up the girls' school at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (better known today as CHIJMES).

St Joseph's Institution was founded in 1852, the same year Convent Light Street of Penang was founded. Originally, it was known as St John's, but as the cornerstone of the new school building was laid on the Day of the Feast of St Joseph, on 19 March 1855, from then onwards it was known as St Joseph's Institution.

During World War II, the St Joseph's Institution was used as the Red Cross Hospital and also housed a unit of the Civil Defence Force. St Joseph's Institution is considered one of the top secondary schools in Singapore, and is renowned for its academic excellence.

Since 1988, St Joseph's Institution has moved from its original premises to a new campus at Malcom Road. The original campus is now occupied by the Singapore Art Museum, or SAM for short. SAM specialises in Singapore and Southeast Asian artworks. The old St Joseph's Institution building is gazetted by the Singapore National Heritage Board as a National Monument on 14 February and 3 July 1992.

Photos of the former St Joseph's Institution building


Side entrance, with the Singapore Art Museum signage.



The circular corridors of the structure adds charm to the old campus building


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Find Local Tours in Singapore

In a pricey destination such as Singapore, it is often more worthwhile to use a tour operator. Here are some local tours of Singapore which you may want to consider. They will save you time and expense having to go there yourself. As an independent traveler, you should select the tours you need to fit your own schedule. The tours are arranged by Viator, a big and reputable tour organisation, so you can peace of mind when placing your booking.

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AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. Reasonable care is taken to check and verify the accuracy of the content. AsiaExplorers disclaims responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the tips and advice provided directly or indirectly by this website. All pages may be printed out for your own personal, non-commercial use. Photographs not credited to a third party belong to Timothy Tye and may not be reused in any form unless you are first given permission. Write in to inquire if interested. Third party photographs are governed by their respective licenses. The author is a Christian. Click here if you are interested to know more about his Christian beliefs. To contact AsiaExplorers, use the following email address: