Architecture
The Old Hill Street Police Station was built in Neo-Classical style which was still fashionable for public buildings in England in the 1930s. The building was designed by the Public Works Department when F. Dorrington Ward was the Government Architect.
The six-storey building has a thoroughly Italianate air with its corbelled loggias and balconies, arcades, stuccoed, rusticated surfaces and central courtyards, one large and one small. Because of the building's height, the proportions of these internal spaces are somewhat overwhelming but, as a solution to the problems of the Singapore climate, this is a sensible idea.
The building was considered amongst the finest in the world. Modern for its time, it had electric lifts by 1933. Upon its completion in 1934, it was the largest pre-war government building in Singapore and regarded as a modern skyscraper. The building has a total of 911 windows with colourful shutters.
The main courtyard, the former police parade grounds, has been converted into an air-conditioned atrium, called The ARTrium for art activities. The spacious ARTrium, with its vibrant colours and ample space, regularly features artistic performances and also houses art galleries.
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