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Cynical Ape

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    [GPGT] Memory Lane

    in Chit-Chat

    Posted

    The Capitol Theatre was built in 1929 by British architectural firm Keys and Dowdeswell, who also designed the Fullerton Building and Singapore General Hospital. During WWII, it was occupied by the Japanese, who renamed it as Kyo-Ei Gekijo and replaced English films with Japanese ones.

    Capitol Building was built in 1933, four years after Capitol Theatre was completed, expanding on the foundation of the theatre. The building, with its huge billboard and curved corner facade, was the iconic structure at the junction of Stamford Road and North Bridge Road. Capitol was known as Shaw Building before 1989, as Shaw Organisation bought over the building in 1946. Their showbiz lasted a long 40 years, and finally ended in 1987 when Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) took over the building in 1987. The last movie screened, though, was in 1998.

    Both Capitol Theatre and Capitol Building were given conservation status in July 2007.

    Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has tried to convert the colonial buildings into an arts and design center in 2000 but without success. It was not until 2010 that a $250 million bid was accepted to redevelop the area in a 99 year lease. 

    For decades, the theatre was the premier picture house in Singapore, screening countless blockbusters and variety shows.

    [GPGT] Memory Lane

    in Chit-Chat

    Posted · Edited by Cynical Ape

    A pair of Merlions once stand proudly at the carpark entrance for Ang Mo Kio Blk 216-222. Built in 1998 for $30,000 by the Ang Mo Kio Residential Commitee, the iconic pair has been around for 12 years. But a few years back, the merlions were forced to be removed from their locations as they are not authorised by the Singapore Tourism Board, who owns the copyright and all intellectual properties of Merlion. 

    There are 5 “approved” Merlions in Singapore, which are the original Merlion (with a smaller one behind it) at the Singapore River,  the gigantic Merlion in Sentosa, the Merlion of Mount Faber and the one at the Tourism Court.

    The original Merlion, first located at the mouth of Singapore River and then shifted to Merlion Park, was officially unveiled in 1972 by former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.  At 8.6m tall, it was made by famous sculptor Lim Nang Seng. From then, it was officially determined as the symbol of Singapore; the top part represents Singapore as Lion City, while the bottom part refers Singapore as a port city.

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