Capitol Building, Singapore
The Capitol Building is a cinema at the junction of North Bridge Road and Stamford Road in the Downtown Core of Singapore.
History
The building was completed in 1933 by the architectural firm Keys & Dowdeswell, and built on the existing structure of the Capitol Theatre, built earlier in 1929.[1]
The style of the building is eclectic neo-Classical, characterised by somewhat ponderous detailing. It was one of the very few air-conditioned theatres when it was built by the Namazies, a prominent Persian family to host live shows. By the mid-1930s, there were 10 cinemas, of which the Capitol was the largest and the newest. It opened in 1930 and was followed by the Alhambra, Marlborough, Pavilion, Roxy, Wembley, Tivoli, Empire, Jubilee and Gaiety.
During the Japanese Occupation, the Capitol operated under the name Kyo-Ei Gekijo until 1944, when a bomb planted by the anti-Japanese resistance damaged it. The theatre's English-language movies were later forbidden by the Japanese who replaced them with their own films.
After 1946, the Capitol was purchased by Shaw and rebuilt. It became the organisation's flagship theatre (1,686 seats), and renamed as Shaw Building. The patrons had "the choice of gallery, stalls and circle seats which were priced at S$1, S$2 and S$3 respectively from the early post-World War II years until the 1970s.
In August 1983, it was listed for preservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and acquired by it in 1983-1984 so that it would be preserved as part of a future development.
On December 1998, its use as a movie theatre ended with its last movie screening, when Shaw Organisation, its tenant since 1984, returned it to the Urban Redevelopment Board (URA) in 1987. In 2000, the Singapore Tourism Board took over the building to explore alternative uses for it, but plans to turn it into a home for an arts group did not bear fruit.[1]
On April 3, 2008, it was reported by The Strait's Times, that the Capitol building will be redeveloped along with its stretch of adjoining buildings - Stamford House, Capitol Building and Capitol Centre - in 2009. It is said the area between Hill Street and North Bridge Road along Stamford Road, has not 'fully maximised its development potential'. The Capitol and the 3 adjoining buildings currently rest on an area of about 1.45 hectares with a total of 250 tenants, including offices and retail outlets. Tenancy with retailers along the Capitol stretch will end by May 2009, and to have their businesses relocated elsewhere. A spokesman for the Singapore Land Authority said the Authority will finalise the eviction notice once the timing and details for the development of the site are finalised. While development plans are being made, three of these buildings have been gazetted for conservation, meaning that the buildings' facades and other architectural features must be maintained to ensure the buildings' historical integrity. It is believed by property analysts that the development area will attract major property developers to bid and develop the site.[1]
In November 2011, Shimizu Corporation [2]was awarded the redevelopment project to develop into a large scale mixed use complex called "Capitol Development". This project consist of Singapore's largest cinema cum theatre complex, 6 stars luxury hotel & retail shops, with a total size of 21,000 m2. There is also a residential component, named Eden Residences Capitol. In April 2013, 12 residential units were sold at average price of S$3000 psf.[3]
Current development
Capitol Building was opened in April 2015 although it housed several SG50 films such as 7 Letters.
References
- 1 2 3 Xinyi, Honcg (3 April 2008). "Capitol Theatre slated for redevelopment". Singapore: Straits Times.
- ↑ http://www.shimz.co.jp/english/news_release/2011/878.html
- ↑ http://sg.news.yahoo.com/12-residential-units-sold-capitol-project-051537376.html
External links
Coordinates: 1°17′37″N 103°51′06″E / 1.2935571°N 103.851547°E