The Museum Planning Area is a
planning area located in the
Central Area of the
Central Region of
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. The area plays a "bridging role" between the
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...
area and the
Downtown Core
The Downtown Core is the historical and downtown centre of the city-state of Singapore and the main commercial area in Singapore excluding reclaimed lands with many integrated resorts such as the Marina Bay Sands, one of the most expensive build ...
, which necessitates proper transport networks for vehicles, pedestrians and public transport. Due to the sheer size of green areas in the district, the
Urban Redevelopment Authority
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is the national urban planning authority of Singapore, and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Government of Singapore.
Mission
The authority was established on 1 Apri ...
(URA) has designated it a 'green lung' in the Central Area. However, the Museum Planning Area is also home to cultural and commercial activities. Around 65% of the area is available for future development, making it a hotbed for new infrastructure and buildings.
Museum planning area is bounded by the planning areas of
Newton
Newton most commonly refers to:
* Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist
* Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton
Newton may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film
* Newton ( ...
and
Rochor
Rochor is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area located within the Central Area, Singapore, Central Area of the Central Region, Singapore, Central Region of Singapore. Rochor shares boundaries with the following planning areas – Kallan ...
to the north, the
Downtown Core
The Downtown Core is the historical and downtown centre of the city-state of Singapore and the main commercial area in Singapore excluding reclaimed lands with many integrated resorts such as the Marina Bay Sands, one of the most expensive build ...
to the southeast,
Singapore River
The Singapore River is a river that flows parallel to Alexandra Road and feeds into the Marina Reservoir in the southern part of Singapore. The immediate upper watershed of the Singapore River is known as the Singapore River Planning Area, altho ...
to the south,
River Valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...
to the west and
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...
to the northwest.
History
Ten
national monuments are located within the Museum Planning Area, namely the
Armenian Church
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
, the
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is the oldest Roman Catholic church in Singapore, built in 1847. It is located in the Museum Planning Area within the Civic District.
Bounded by the parallel Queen and Victoria Streets, and Bras Basah Road, t ...
,
Cathay Building
The Cathay Building (; ms, Bangunan Cathay) was opened in 1939 by Dato Loke Wan Tho as the headquarters for the British Malaya Broadcasting Corporation. Located at 2 Handy Road in the Museum Planning Area of Singapore, the building was most know ...
(now
The Cathay
The Cathay is a mixed-use 17-storey cinema, shopping mall and apartment building located at Handy Road and Mount Sophia in the Museum Planning Area of Singapore.
History
Owned and managed by Cathay Organisation, the original building was open ...
), the
Central Fire Station, the
House of Tan Yeok Nee
The House of Tan Yeok Nee ( Chinese: 陈旭年宅第 or 陈旭年大厦) is a mansion building located at the junction of Penang Road and Clemenceau Avenue in the Museum Planning Area in Singapore. After an extensive restoration completed in ...
, the
MacDonald House, the
Old Tao Nan School
The Old Tao Nan School () is a historic building in Singapore, located along Armenian Street in the Museum Planning Area, within the Central Area. The building was originally built for the Tao Nan School to serve the local Hokkien community, ...
(
Peranakan Museum
ms, Muzium Peranakan ta, பெரனாகன் அருங்காட்சியகம்
, logo = peranmuseumlogo.jpg
, logo_upright = 1
, logo_size = 300px
, image = Peranakan Museum.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, ca ...
), the
National Museum of Singapore
ms, Muzium Negara Singapura ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் தேசிய அருங்காட்சியகம்
, native_name_lang =
, logo =
, image = 2016 Singapur, Museum Planning Area, Narodowe Muzeum Singapuru (02) ...
, the
Old Hill Street Police Station
The Old Hill Street Police Station is a historic building and former police station of the Singapore Police Force located at Hill Street within the Downtown Core in the Central Area of Singapore.
Also known as ''Balai Polis Hill Street Lam ...
and the
Singapore Art Museum
The Singapore Art Museum (Abbreviation: SAM) is an art museum is located in the Downtown Core district of Singapore. It is the first fully dedicated contemporary visual arts museum in Singapore with one of the world’s most important public co ...
/
Former Saint Joseph's Institution
The former Saint Joseph's Institution (Chinese: 前圣约瑟书院) is a historic building in Singapore, located at Bras Basah Road in the Museum Planning Area, within the Central Area. The building previously housed the Lasallian school Sa ...
. The area is home to significant events such as the
Battle of Singapore
The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore,; ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் வீழ்ச்சி; ja, シンガポールの戦い took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire of ...
and
MacDonald House bombing
The MacDonald House bombing was a sabotage attack on the MacDonald House building in Orchard Road, Singapore, on 10 March 1965, just a few months before Singapore's expulsion from Malaysia. The nitroglycerin bomb was planted by Indonesian sab ...
.
Other historical sites include:
*
YMCA Building
*
National Theatre
*United Chinese Library
Geography
The Museum Planning Area is bordered by
Rochor
Rochor is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area located within the Central Area, Singapore, Central Area of the Central Region, Singapore, Central Region of Singapore. Rochor shares boundaries with the following planning areas – Kallan ...
to the northeast, the
Downtown Core
The Downtown Core is the historical and downtown centre of the city-state of Singapore and the main commercial area in Singapore excluding reclaimed lands with many integrated resorts such as the Marina Bay Sands, one of the most expensive build ...
to the southeast, the
Singapore River Area to the southwest,
River Valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...
to the west and
Newton
Newton most commonly refers to:
* Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist
* Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton
Newton may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film
* Newton ( ...
and
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...
to the northwest. The area is roughly bounded by
Hill Street,
River Valley Road
River Valley is a planning area located within the Central Area of the Central Region of Singapore. The planning area shares boundaries with Orchard in the north, Museum in the east, Tanglin in the west and Singapore River in the south.
Etymol ...
,
Clemenceau Avenue Clemenceau may refer to:
* Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929), French statesman; leader in First World War
* Martine Clémenceau (born 1949), French singer
* ''Clemenceau''-class aircraft carrier, a class of aircraft carriers of the French Navy
** ...
and
Bras Basah Road
Bras Basah Road () is a one-way road in Singapore in the planning areas of Museum and Downtown Core. The road starts at the junction of Orchard Road and Handy Road, at the ERP gantry towards the Central Business District, and ends at the junc ...
. It is the smallest urban planning area, with an area of 83 hectares.
Parks and
open spaces take up a third of the area of the Museum Planning Area, and include
Fort Canning
Fort Canning Hill, formerly Government Hill, Singapore Hill and Bukit Larangan (''Forbidden Hill'' in Malay), is a small hill, about high, in the southeast portion of the island city-state of Singapore, within the Central Area that forms Sin ...
,
Istana Park
The Istana Park is a park in Singapore, located in the Museum Planning Area within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. The park is bounded by Orchard Road, Penang Road, Penang Lane and Buyong Road.
The park is a landmar ...
and
Bras Basah Park, which can be used for
recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...
al purposes. Collectively, these places will form the so-called 'green lung' of the Central Area.
Terraces have been proposed to allow for "a more prominent and convenient access" to the Fort Canning area.
Institutions
The Museum Planning Area is Singapore's "
institution
Institutions are humanly devised structures of rules and norms that shape and constrain individual behavior. All definitions of institutions generally entail that there is a level of persistence and continuity. Laws, rules, social conventions a ...
al hub", with 11% of land set aside for institutional use and reserve sites to be safeguarded for future institutions. The many museums in the area, which give the Museum District its name, include the
National Museum of Singapore
ms, Muzium Negara Singapura ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் தேசிய அருங்காட்சியகம்
, native_name_lang =
, logo =
, image = 2016 Singapur, Museum Planning Area, Narodowe Muzeum Singapuru (02) ...
, the
Singapore Art Museum
The Singapore Art Museum (Abbreviation: SAM) is an art museum is located in the Downtown Core district of Singapore. It is the first fully dedicated contemporary visual arts museum in Singapore with one of the world’s most important public co ...
, the
Asian Civilisations Museum
The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is an institution which forms a part of the four museums in Singapore, the other three being the Peranakan Museum at Old Tao Nan School, the National Museum of Singapore and the Singapore Art Museum.
It is ...
, the
National Archives of Singapore
The National Archives of Singapore (NAS) (Malay: ''Arkib Negara Singapura'', Mandarin: 新加坡国家档案馆, Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் தேசிய காப்பகம்) is the national archives of Singapore. It was for ...
and the
Singapore Philatelic Museum
The Singapore Philatelic Museum ( Chinese: 新加坡集邮博物馆; ta, சிங்கப்பூர் அஞ்சல்தலை அருங்காட்சியகம்) is a museum about the postal history of Singapore and its stamp ...
.
The
arts scene is vibrant in the area, with
The Substation
The Substation (Chinese: 电力站) is Singapore's first independent contemporary arts centre. It was founded in 1990 by Kuo Pao Kun. The Substation is centrally located in the city's civic district and was the first building under the Natio ...
, the
Singapore Calligraphy Centre, the
YMS Arts Centre and the
Singapore Dance Ensemble all located within its boundaries. Scattered throughout the area are
places of worship
A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...
such as churches, mosques,
Hindu temple
A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...
s and synagogues. The
Registry of Marriages The Registry of Marriages (ROM) is a government agency in Singapore that administers all marriages carried out in the country and solemnises civil marriages.
Overview
Marriage records in Singapore date back to the year 1875. On 15 September 1961, C ...
and the sprawling
Singapore Management University
The Singapore Management University (SMU) is a public autonomous university in Singapore. The university is the only city campus in Singapore. It ranks third in Asia as a specialist university, behind Hong Kong University of Science and Techn ...
campus are also located in the area.
Residential development
Despite its prime location,
residential
A residential area is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas.
Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family residen ...
projects were only allocated 1% of the land area, and the Museum Planning Area was criticised for lacking residential zoning. Due to the lack of residents, there were fears that the area would become a "
ghost town
Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to:
* Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned
Film and television
* Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...
" at night. Furthermore, the concept of living within the Central Area had gained popularity, and up-market skyscraper
condominium
A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
s could be built. The greenery of the Museum Planning Area could provide a peaceful environment for living.
The URA replied that several plots of land had been sold for residential-commercial mixed use, and that more housing developments were to be planned and constructed. The URA emphasised the importance of the area as a transition between the central business district and shopping areas, as well as the green, pedestrian-friendly nature of the URA's plan for the area.
Commercial development
The Museum Planning Area is home to various shopping malls, including
Park Mall,
Plaza Singapura
Plaza Singapura is a contemporary shopping mall located along Orchard Road, Singapore, next to Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. The mall is managed by CapitaLand and owned by CapitaMall Trust. There are retail outlets over seven floors and two basemen ...
,
The Cathay
The Cathay is a mixed-use 17-storey cinema, shopping mall and apartment building located at Handy Road and Mount Sophia in the Museum Planning Area of Singapore.
History
Owned and managed by Cathay Organisation, the original building was open ...
,
Singapore Shopping Centre and
The Atrium @ Orchard. More vacant land will be set aside for commercial uses, especially around
Dhoby Ghaut MRT station and
Bras Basah MRT station
Bras Basah MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the Circle line (CCL) located in the Museum planning area, Singapore. It is underneath Bras Basah Road, bordering Waterloo Street and Queen Street. Located next to ...
. These will be properly integrated and connected with the respective stations.
Hotels in the area include
Bayview Hotel Singapore
Bayview may refer to:
Places Australia
* Bayview, New South Wales
* Bayview, Northern Territory
Canada
* Bayview, Calgary, a neighborhood in Alberta
* Bayview, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Bayview Avenue, a road in Toronto, Ontario
** Bayview ...
and
Hotel Rendezvous. Furthermore, a hotel development at the foot of Fort Canning Hill near the junction of
Clemenceau Avenue Clemenceau may refer to:
* Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929), French statesman; leader in First World War
* Martine Clémenceau (born 1949), French singer
* ''Clemenceau''-class aircraft carrier, a class of aircraft carriers of the French Navy
** ...
and
River Valley Road
River Valley is a planning area located within the Central Area of the Central Region of Singapore. The planning area shares boundaries with Orchard in the north, Museum in the east, Tanglin in the west and Singapore River in the south.
Etymol ...
is in the planning stages, and is meant to be a retreat from urban living "amidst lush greenery". Other developments are planned on reserved sites near Fort Canning, but details have not been released.
Transport
The Museum Planning Area is served by four
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations:
Dhoby Ghaut
Dhoby Ghaut () is a place in Singapore that often refers to the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, a major interchange station on Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit network connecting the North-South Line, North East Line, and the Circle Line. As a place, ...
,
Bras Basah,
Fort Canning
Fort Canning Hill, formerly Government Hill, Singapore Hill and Bukit Larangan (''Forbidden Hill'' in Malay), is a small hill, about high, in the southeast portion of the island city-state of Singapore, within the Central Area that forms Sin ...
and
Bencoolen The
North South Line and the
North East Line
The North East MRT line (NEL) is a high-capacity Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Singapore. Operated by SBS Transit, it is the shortest MRT line at . The line runs from HarbourFront station in southern Singapore to Punggol station in the no ...
can only be accessible from Dhoby Ghaut while the
Circle Line can be accessible from both and the
Downtown Line can be accessible from Fort Canning and Bencoolen. The
Central Expressway's Chin Swee Tunnel
The Central Expressway (CTE) in Singapore is the major highway connecting the city centre of Singapore with the northern residential parts of the island, including Toa Payoh, Bishan and Ang Mo Kio and further onwards to the Seletar Expressway ...
also passes under the area.
Roads
Improvements
Several changes to the road network in the area will be implemented, including the construction of
Fort Canning Tunnel
Fort Canning Tunnel (), abbreviated as FCT, is a vehicular tunnel in the Central Area of Singapore.
Besides the utilisation of relatively new engineering techniques, special care was taken to minimise impact on the environment of the surrou ...
and the realignment of
Stamford Road
Stamford Road (Chinese: 史丹福路; ms, Jalan Stamford) is a one-way road in Singapore within the planning areas of Downtown Core and Museum. The road continues after the traffic light junction of Nicoll Highway, Esplanade Drive and Raffles ...
and
Handy Road. The rationale for the improvements is increased traffic from
Marina Centre
Marina Central or Marina Centre (Chinese: 滨海中心; ms, Marina Pusat) is a zone of reclaimed land within the Downtown Core in the southern part of Singapore. Together with the Marina South area, it encloses the sheltered Marina Bay.
Suntec ...
and relieving the
traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s. When traffic de ...
along
Orchard Road
Orchard Road, often known colloquially as simply Orchard, is a major –long road in the Central Area of Singapore. Known as a famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with numerous internationally renowned depa ...
. Furthermore, a new road network has been put in place to ensure smooth traffic flow after the full development of land around the MRT Stations.
Major roads
*
Armenian Street
*
Bras Basah Road
Bras Basah Road () is a one-way road in Singapore in the planning areas of Museum and Downtown Core. The road starts at the junction of Orchard Road and Handy Road, at the ERP gantry towards the Central Business District, and ends at the junc ...
*
Central Expressway
*
Clemenceau Avenue Clemenceau may refer to:
* Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929), French statesman; leader in First World War
* Martine Clémenceau (born 1949), French singer
* ''Clemenceau''-class aircraft carrier, a class of aircraft carriers of the French Navy
** ...
*
Fort Canning Tunnel
Fort Canning Tunnel (), abbreviated as FCT, is a vehicular tunnel in the Central Area of Singapore.
Besides the utilisation of relatively new engineering techniques, special care was taken to minimise impact on the environment of the surrou ...
*
Hill Street
*
Orchard Road
Orchard Road, often known colloquially as simply Orchard, is a major –long road in the Central Area of Singapore. Known as a famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with numerous internationally renowned depa ...
*
Queen Street
*
River Valley Road
River Valley is a planning area located within the Central Area of the Central Region of Singapore. The planning area shares boundaries with Orchard in the north, Museum in the east, Tanglin in the west and Singapore River in the south.
Etymol ...
*
Stamford Road
Stamford Road (Chinese: 史丹福路; ms, Jalan Stamford) is a one-way road in Singapore within the planning areas of Downtown Core and Museum. The road continues after the traffic light junction of Nicoll Highway, Esplanade Drive and Raffles ...
*
Victoria Street
Pedestrian linkages
The
Development Guide Plan
Urban planning in Singapore is the direction of infrastructure development in Singapore. It is done through a three-tiered planning framework, consisting of a long-term plan to plot out Singapore's development over at least 50 years, a Master Pla ...
for the Museum Planning Area envisages "a comprehensive pedestrian network linking developments, parks and open spaces". New
promenade
An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...
s and
pedestrian malls
Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town reserved for pedestrian-only use and in whi ...
are planned for the area to enhance and connect existing
sidewalk
A sidewalk (North American English), pavement (British English), footpath in Australia, India, New Zealand and Ireland, or footway, is a path along the side of a street, street, highway, terminals. Usually constructed of concrete, pavers, brick ...
s. A web of
underpasses and covered walkways will link
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...
, the
Singapore River
The Singapore River is a river that flows parallel to Alexandra Road and feeds into the Marina Reservoir in the southern part of Singapore. The immediate upper watershed of the Singapore River is known as the Singapore River Planning Area, altho ...
,
Raffles City and
Marina Centre
Marina Central or Marina Centre (Chinese: 滨海中心; ms, Marina Pusat) is a zone of reclaimed land within the Downtown Core in the southern part of Singapore. Together with the Marina South area, it encloses the sheltered Marina Bay.
Suntec ...
.
References
#
#
#
External links
Planning Area Map (Central Area)
{{Places in Singapore
Places in Singapore
Museum districts
Art gallery districts