Masonic Lodge Singapore Restaurant

[Karmen Mcarthun]

Thebuilding was built in the English Renaissance style. The building initially only had a single floor, with the second storey being added in 1888. The building's original porch was torn down around 1910 and the building's entire frontage to Coleman Street was rebuilt.[1] The basement houses the administrative offices and the library. The ground floor houses Madison Rooms, a bar. The Main Meeting Room and the West Temple, which is used for ceremonies, are housed on the second floor, along with the Member's Robing Room, the District Officers Robing Room and the Candidates Robing Room.[2] The Masonic Temple features a domed ceiling and a chequered black-and-white floor.[1] The letter 'G' hangs from the domed ceiling, representing the "Supreme Being".[3] The temple features one of only 11 pipe organs in Singapore. The organ was installed in 1970 and replaced an earlier organ, which was installed in 1920. It underwent significant restoration works in 2014. A bronze bust of William Henry Macleod Read, the second Singaporean Freemason to be initiated, can be found on the staircase leading to the second floor.[1][2]

The building features a fluted Doric colonnade and arched stained-glass windows. The stained-glass windows depict the symbols of the English, Irish and Scottish lodges. Stamford Raffles, who was a Freemason, is depicted on one of the stained-glass reliefs.[1]

The building's foundation stone was laid on 14 April 1879. It was consecrated on 27 December. The Masonic Club, which was occupied the ground floor, was inaugurated on 2 July 1888. The building was designed by Thomas A. Cargill, a municipal engineer and a Freemason. A basement was excavated from 1953 to 1956 and housed the Masonic Library. The library was later moved to the Phyllis Rudd Wing, and was renamed The Masonic Archive and Research Centre.[1][2] The building was gazetted for conservation on 21 November 2015. In 2007, the Masonic Club was relocated to the basement. The building underwent a $7.5 million renovation, which was completed in 2012.[4] From 2013 to 2015, the ground floor housed the Bacchanalia restaurant, which was then replaced by Madison Rooms, a private club. In early 2019, another restaurant, The Masons Table, opened in the ground floor.[1]

Many buildings downtown have had different lives, and the Gryphon is no exception. It used to be an apothecary, the Soloman Drug Company. Some of the exceptional decor can be attributed to this early resident. There are drawers that line the walls of the restaurant that used to be storage for alphabetically arranged tablets and different ointments and still complete with the lettering on the surface of the drawers. The Tiffany-inspired lamps and other glassworks are also original to the building.

Originally when SCAD bought the building in 1981, the space was used as the first book and art supplies store for early Bees. Just seven years later it was turned into the Gryphon we know today. Upstairs has a whole different story. The markings over the doorways inform us of the once popular Scottish Rite Temple and Masonic Center. The members are still active but have since proposed a new building after SCAD moved to purchase the entire building in June 2019.

As we know today, the Gryphon is no longer a lodge to the Masons but you can still feel the history as you sip your tea in the old apothecary. Next time you pass by, take a look at the architectural details. They are full of little hints regarding the histories of this interesting building.

The 11 buildings located within the vicinity of Fort Canning Hill, were given conservation status on 21 November 2005. They consist of 3 buildings on Fort Canning Hill - 2 built in the neo-Classical style, and 1 black-and-white bungalow - and 8 buildings along Canning Rise and Armenian Street designed in a variety of architectural styles, including the Art Deco, Transitional and Modern styles. They serve as notable landmarks of the development of the historic area.

Fort Canning was originally known as Bukit Larangan, or "Forbidden Hill". It was later renamed Government Hill by Sir Stamford Raffles, and subsequently named after Viscount Charles John Canning, Governor-General and first Viceroy of India.

Archaeological excavations have yielded evidence supporting the existence of the ancient kingdom of Temasek, later named Singapura ("Lion City" in Sanskrit). Temasek was a regional trading centre in the 14th century until its destruction by the Siamese and Majapahit forces. Fort Canning Park still has a number of relics reflecting the past glory of this hill. Keramat Iskandar Shah, venerated by Muslims and believed to be the ancient tomb of the last Malay King, stood at the foot of the hill.

Drawn by its significant location and panoramic view, Stamford Raffles built his bungalow and established the first botanical gardens there in 1822. The bungalow, named Government House, remained the residence of the British governor until 1857, when the British Army began using the hill as a fort for its strategic location overlooking Singapore town. The top of the hill was leveled off to create a flat area of three hectares for the construction of a military fortress.

The fort was completed in 1861 and renamed Fort Canning, with the hill known as Fort Canning Hill. Also built within the fort were barracks for the European and Indian soldiers, as well as a hospital and gunpowder magazines. Most of the fortress was demolished in 1926 when the service reservoir was constructed.

Fort Canning remained the headquarters of the British military operations until the outbreak of Second World War in 1941. During the Japanese invasion of Singapore in Feb 1942, the hill also housed Singapore's largest underground military operations complex.

The decision to surrender Singapore to the Japanese was made on the hill by General Arthur Percival in one of the underground bunkers. Thereafter, the Japanese military took over the hill and used the buildings as their headquarters. After the war, the hill reverted to British use until 1963. Between 1963-1965, it housed the 4th Malaysian Infantry Brigade Headquarters. In December 1966, Fort Canning was handed over to the Singapore Armed Forces for its use until the 1970s.

The early development around the foot of Fort Canning Hill commenced in the late 1880s by various users and has since developed into pleasant streetscapes with notable buildings fondly remembered by many. The establishment of buildings serving the public such as the Central Fire Station [ _id=242] and old Hill Street Police Station [ _id=238] (now the MICA HQ) has also contributed to the evolution of the area to a civic and institutional node.

The Former Singapore Command Staff College and Fort Canning Centre were built as military buildings between 1923-1927. The former Singapore Command Staff College was used to train local officers from the Army, Navy and Air Forces.

These buildings were designed in the Neo-Classical style, with streamlined classical motifs. A clearly defined central bay marks the main entrance of both buildings which is flanked by long wide open corridors on either wings to create a symmetrical layout. A pitched roof with wide overhanging eaves, prevalent in British military buildings, provide protection from the heat of the tropical weather.

The buildings have a dignified appearance. Resting on a base with rusticated horizontal bands, they exude a sense of stability. Pilasters spanning the upper two storeys help to accentuate the height of the building and create visual interest. Located at strategic positions within Fort Canning Hill, both 3-storey buildings have commanding views over the city.

Since 1997, the Former Singapore Command Staff College building has been used as a country club. It is now known as the Legends Country Club. The Fort Canning Centre (facing Canning Rise) is home to Singapore Dance Theatre and a culinary school (Sun-rice).

The bungalow at 21 Lewin Terrace was once residence of the Fire Chief, and is located at Lewin Terrace just above the Central Fire Station. Built in 1908, this single-storey Black and White bungalow is built into the slope and has a raised timber floor supported by sleeper walls and piers. It is well-designed with a high hipped roof supported on timber columns to accommodate a large open verandah under the wide eaves to provide a comfortable respite from the tropical weather. It is one of the few remaining bungalows left within the city centre. It is now used as a restaurant called Flutes at the Fort.

The original single-storey Masonic Lodge was designed by D. M. Craik in 1879 and a second storey was added in 1887. Each member contributed $25 towards the construction costs. The present building at Coleman Street has been altered and extended three times, with the most recent alterations carried out in the 1970s.

It is a symmetrical building with the front and interior designed in the English Renaissance style which was used widely at the beginning of the 20th century for government and public buildings. The front faade consists of a fluted Doric colonnade with arched stained-glass windows above displaying the symbols of the English, Irish and Scottish lodges.

The central bay is flanked by large archways with rustication on the first storey, while the second storey features twin Ionic columns and is topped by triangulated pediments and a decorative balustrade. Together with the plaster mouldings adorning the front and sides of the main entrance, these architectural elements give the building a sense of grandeur and dignity.

The buildings of the Singapore Philatelic Museum and National Archives formerly housed the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS). ACS was one of the earliest institutions established by British Methodist missionaries in Singapore, combining Christian doctrines into the teaching curriculum. ACS, founded in March 1886 in Amoy Street, was relocated in 1892 to the Fort Canning site, next to the first Methodist church which was later demolished. This campus was used by the school until November 1993 when ACS Primary moved to Barker Road.

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