See & Do

Old Parliament House / The Arts House

The Old Parliament House is the first gazetted government building in Singapore designated as a multi-disciplinary arts centre. A grandiose Victorian house, ringed with white-washed fencing, it was designed and built by Singapore’s pre-eminent colonial architect, the Irishman George Drumgould Coleman in 1827, for Scottish merchant John Maxwell.

Converted into an arts and heritage venue in 2004, the Old Parliament House was renamed and relaunched as The Arts House. Not far from the Asian Civilisations Museum and behind the new Parliament House, you can attend films, art exhibitions, plays and musical concerts here.

You can easily recognise the building by the majestic bronze elephant that stands out in the front, a gift from King Rama V of Thailand in 1871. If you’re interested in the way the building has evolved, you can visit the “Corridors of Time” photo exhibition on the second storey. The pictures in this gallery trace its conversion from a courthouse to a parliament house, and pays tribute to the people who contributed to Singapore’s growth.