In July 2014, Singapore’s Victoria Concert Hall re-opened. It underwent extensive renovations that took about four years and S$180 million. The focus was to repair, restore, and bring this historically-significant landmark to contemporary and sustainable standards.

As I’m not familiar with the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall prior to the changes, I did a light search. The renovations included:

• an atrium with a glass ceiling now connects the concert hall and the theatre
• removal of “possibly Singapore’s slowest ever lift” (installed in 1980) [reference]
• a spiral staircase replaced the one leading up to the Circle
• the hall now seats 673 people (from 883); the balcony made smaller to allow better acoustics
• new spaces for commercial rental, amenities, changing rooms, the public, performers, staff, a new dance studio (by raising the theatre’s roof), etc
• a new plant room and electrical sub-station were built in new subterranean levels

At the centre of the stage in the concert hall is the Klais organ which was installed in 1987. This organ replaced the St Clair organ that’s been there since 1931 and whose façade was kept. Each of the Klais organ’s 2,012 pipes were removed and repaired, stored while the site was being renovated.

Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall Brief History

Built between 1862 and 1909, this complex comprises of two buildings with a central clock tower joining them. The first building was used as the Town Hall, the first in Singapore built in the architectural style of Victoria Revivalism. The complex was named in memory of Queen Victoria, who died in 1901, when the government decided to add the second hall. The following year, the foundation stone for it was put down in celebration of King Edward VII’s coronation.

Since 1980, Victoria Concert Hall has been the home of Singapore Symphony Orchestra and became a national monument of Singapore in 1992. The Theatre and Concert Hall have quite a history, holding a variety of functions, including government meeting rooms and administrative offices and the Singapore Library.

Reading about Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall’s history is a stark reminder that Singapore was once a British colony not very long ago. Or that it was occupied during the second world war. Victoria Memorial Hall, as it was called, was used as a hospital and public performances continued on there. Cultural events for the Japanese were held at Victoria Threatre. After the war, war crime trials were held there between 1946 and 1947.

Singapore Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall is located at 9 Empress Place, in the historic civic district, which was once where colonial administration was seated. If you’re interested in history and arts, the civic district is one to check out.