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, Singapore's
central business district. The building has been restored and currently houses the
Singapore Art Museum.
History
Until 2006 the Singapore Art Museum was
Saint Joseph's Institution, one of Singapore's oldest
Catholic boys'
schools. In 1992, the building was gazetted as a
national monument and it was converted into the Singapore Art Museum, which opened on 20 December 1996. Many of the building's original features were sensitively preserved.
Saint Joseph's Institution was set up by Father
Jean-Marie Beurel, who was also responsible for the building of the
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd from 1843 to 1847. Saint Joseph's Institution began life on 1 May 1852 in a
wood and
attap chapel building completed in 1833 at Bras Basah Road. The erection of the adjacent Cathedral of the Good Shepherd had allowed the original chapel to be converted into a school for boys, but a need for a better school building was quickly felt. The
foundation stone for the present central block was laid on 19 March 1855 but funds had run out the year before.
In 1863, Brother Lothaire, now Brother Director, arrived from
Penang and pleaded to the government for financial assistance. He designed and raised funds for the new school building. By August 1867, the new school was ready. This was the year when the...
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