Tanjong Pagar Railway Station

The Tanjong Pagar Railway Station is an important historical landmark in Singapore.

Considered one of the National Monuments, it was completed back in 1932 to foster economic activity for the British.

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, Old Train, History, Restoration, Singapore

Most of the station was designed in Art Deco, a style that was popularised in France following the First World War. Art Deco was also adopted in many other Singaporean building designs established within the same period; such as the former Ford Factory and the Cathay Building.

The station also housed large marble sculptures by the famous Italian artist, Angiolo Vannetti, which are found on the front facade. These sculptures were meant to represent the four primary sectors of Malay economy: commerce, agriculture, industry, and transport.

Meanwhile, the roofs of the facade are covered with circular “wa dang” and triangular “di shui” tiles, which feature stylised Chinese words. The centre hall of the train station is 22 meters high and feels spacious thanks to the absence of any supporting columns. It’s also furnished with thousands of ceramic tiles and murals.

In March 2018, the station underwent a project which involved cutting up the platform canopies into 63 pieces and moved them to a yard five minutes away. The move allowed them to begin work on the underground Circle Line Extension, particularly the Cantonment MRT Station, which is part of a bigger preservation project for the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. It is expected to be completed by 2025 and has been closed to the public since 2016.