Empress Place Building, National monument in Downtown Core, Singapore
Empress Place Building is a neoclassical structure on the north bank of the Singapore River, in the Downtown Core district. It features tall ceilings, Doric columns along its facade, and several wings added at different times that all follow the same original style.
The structure was designed in 1864 by colonial engineer John Frederick McNair and built using Indian convict labor, with the first phase completed by 1867. It served as a colonial government office for many decades before being repurposed after Singapore's independence.
The building now houses the Asian Civilisations Museum, showing objects from China, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Asia. Walking through the galleries, you can see how trade once connected these regions through shared objects and crafts.
The building sits right on the Singapore River waterfront and is easy to reach on foot from the nearby MRT stations. Starting from the riverside entrance gives you a good sense of the layout before heading inside.
Although the building looks like a single construction, three separate additions were made over about 40 years, each blending so carefully into the original that the joins are nearly invisible from outside. Looking closely at parts of the facade, you can sometimes spot slight differences in the stonework that give away where one phase ends and another begins.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
