CHIJMES Hall was the former Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel located at the
CHIJMES complex in
Singapore. The former
chapel was designed by Father Charles Benedict Nain, it currently serves as a
function hall venue for weddings and corporate events.
History
The First
Chapel of the
Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus was built and consecrated in Singapore on 1855 for the Town Convent. As the old dilapidating chapel had become hazardous, the
Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus had to celebrate
mass at the
Caldwell House. They soon started
fund-raising by various means for the new chapel to replace the former.
Architecture
In 1898, Father
Charles Benedict Nain
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
, an architect and priest of
Church of Saints Peter and Paul, designed a new
Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
chapel for the Convent. The architectural firm
Swan and Maclaren
Swan & Maclaren Architects is a Singaporean architectural and industrial design firm. One of the oldest architectural firms in the country, it was formerly known as Swan & Maclaren and Swan & Lermit, and was one of the most prominent architect ...
would oversaw the construction of the chapel. The chapel's stained-glass windows imported from
Bruges,
Belgium in 1904 were designed by
Jules Dobbelaere
Jules is the French form of the Latin "Julius" (e.g. Jules César, the French name for Julius Caesar). It is the given name of:
People with the name
*Jules Aarons (1921–2008), American space physicist and photographer
*Jules Abadie (1876–195 ...
.
A five-storey
spire flanked by flying
buttresses marked the entrance to the chapel. The 648
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
s on the
column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
s of the chapel and its corridors each bear a unique impression of tropical
flora and birds.
Consecration
The new Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel was completed in 1903 and consecrated on 11 June 1904. The Entrance Gate pillars were later added to the front of the Chapel on the same year.
Deconsecration
In 1983, the
Singapore Government had acquired the land from the Convent. The last
mass was held at the chapel on 3 November 1983 before it was deconsecrated for non-religious use.
Restoration
The
Urban Redevelopment Authority put up the site for sale in March 1990 and gazetted the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel and
Caldwell House as national monuments on 26 October 1990, in order to preserve the ambience of the remaining buildings and designated the entire complex as a conservation area, with high restoration standards and strict usage guidelines. The remaining buildings, the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel, Caldwell House, and the remaining former school blocks underwent extensive restoration works in 1991 and reopened as a complex known as
CHIJMES in 1996.
The former chapel has since been renamed to CHIJMES Hall. Its
function hall is managed by the Watabe Singapore, and currently serves as a venue for wedding and corporate functions.
Gallery
File:WM_CHIJMES_entrance.jpg
File:CHIJMES 8, Jan 06.JPG
File:CHIJMES 7.JPG
File:CHIJMES 7, Feb 06.JPG
File:CHIJMES, Feb 06.JPG
File:CHIJMES 4, Feb 06.JPG
File:CHIJMES 2, Feb 06.JPG
File:CHIJMES 3.JPG
File:CHIJMES 10, Jan 06.JPG
File:CHIJMES 11, Jan 06.JPG
File:CHIJMES 13.JPG
File:CHIJMES 15, Jan 06.JPG
File:CHIJMES_16,_Jan_06.JPG
File:CHIJMES 17.JPG
File:CHIJMES_22.JPG
File:CHIJMES 6.JPG
File:Chijmes in Singapore.jpg
File:Chijmes night z.JPG
In popular culture
The
wedding scene in
''Crazy Rich Asians'' took place in this former chapel.
External links
CHIJMES website
References
{{Authority control
Tourist attractions in Singapore
Landmarks in Singapore
National monuments of Singapore
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1903
Downtown Core (Singapore)
UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards winners