December_1965 — Page 24

SINGAPORE'S

recently completed

Conference Hall and Trade Union House in Shenton Way, open- ed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, on October 15, is one of the most impressive public buildings to be constructed in the city for many years.

The building fulfils three separate. but inter-related, functions. First, it provides Singapore with a large and well-equipped conference hall with a total capacity (including delegates and spectators) of about 1,000. A full range of facilities for simultaneous multi-channel translation, television. radio and press coverage is provided, making the hall suitable for major in- ternational conferences, as well as local trade union gatherings.

Secondly, the building gives the National Trades Union Congress of Singapore a much-needed headquar- ters and secretariat, complete with offices, committee rooms, library and informal lounges, so that trade union- ists can meet there not only for work but also for study and relaxation.

In addition, the building provides space for exhibitions, as well as smaller-scale conferences, seminars, and lectures open to the general public.

to

The decision to construct an inter- national conference hall and an ade- quate headquarters for the NTUC was taken in 1959 when Singapore's present PAP Government came power. A planning committee, under the chairmanship of the then Minis- ter for Labour and Law, Mr. K. M. Byrne, was appointed in October 1960 to study the suitability of a vacant site in Armenian Street, Sub-

SINGAPORE'S

HOUSE

MALAYAN ARCHITECTS CO-PARTNERSHIP architects

HOU KE-HUA & ASSOCIATES

OVE ARUP & PARTNERS

LANGDON & EVERY (FAR EAST)

BOLT, BERANEK & NEWMAN

LOKE HONG KEE

sequently this was rejected and an alternative 3-acre site in Shenton Way was chosen in May 1961, subject to the results of extensive soil tests. These, in fact, showed the site to be suitable.

The planning committee decided to make the design of the building the subject of an open architectural com- petition the first to be held in Singapore under RIBA conditions since the war. Assessors in the com- petition, for which 16 architects sub-

consulting engineers

structural consultants

quantity surveyors

acoustic consultants

general contractor

mitted designs, were two members of the Singapore Institute of Architects, Mr. Ng Keng Siang, FRIBA. and Mr. Tio Seng Chin, ARIBA.

In the competition results. an- nounced in March 1962, the first pre- mium was awarded to a design sub- mitted by Messrs, Chen Voon Fee, Lim Chong Keat and W. S. W. Lim of Malayan Architects Co-Partner- ship. This design, it was considered. achieved the most satisfactory over- all solution to the main problem

₤1

CARE PERSOALAN SORGAPENA

Building viewed from Shenton Way

60

Far East Architect & Builder

December, 1965