The present day MICA used to be a police station built in 1934 and was considered as the latest government building at that time. It was known as the Old Hill Street Police Station (OHSPS). It was gazetted as a national monument in 1998 and transformed into comfortable and lively premises for MICA. MICA moved from PSA Building to MICA Building in 2000. The building also houses National Arts Council, National Heritage Board, Media Development Authority and Singapore Kindness Movement. Here are some interesting facts about MICA.
- Between 1845 and 1856, the Assembly Rooms - a space for public functions and a building that housed a theatre and a school - occupied this site.
- Upon its completion in 1934, it was the largest government building and regarded as a modern skyscraper.
- To provide vehicular access behind the building, the steep slopes of Fort Canning had to be cut back and shored up.
- There are 911 windows of various colours like yellow, red, green and blue. 911 coincide with the emergency number in the US.
Source: Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts homepage
At the Heritage Gallery, we saw a mini exhibit displaying paints, art works and even a painter servicing the public with his on site portrait. It was the first visit to the MICA building for all members of our group and it was quite a unique experience. It was a monument bearing so much of our History, yet modern architecture concealed its age.
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