Empress Place
South, Singapore
July 2014
The existing interior of the 673-seater concert hall retained much of its original Old World charm and classic ornamentation. During the refurbishment, the balcony overhang was reduced to free up column and improve acoustics. The new balcony made the space more acoustically transparent with a woven stainless steel mesh front rail. The existing vaulted ceiling was replaced by a coffered ceiling to better the Hall's acoustic capabilities.
Queuing before entering the Concert Hall - When the 3-column queue on both sides entered the Hall was only half-full. Ushers were disciplined to retain queue order and ran after queue breakers. Good job!
On both sides of the staircases at the Concert Hall the busts of two famous men stand high:
Queuing before entering the Concert Hall - When the 3-column queue on both sides entered the Hall was only half-full. Ushers were disciplined to retain queue order and ran after queue breakers. Good job!
Although replaced with brand new seats, the chairs were still the hard-backed type with the same nostalgic feel from the old Concert Hall...
On both sides of the staircases at the Concert Hall the busts of two famous men stand high:
- Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlements from 1887 to 1893, and an accomplished scholar of Chinese culture who played a major role in containing the secret societies. Clementi New Town (See "Clementi - A Step Back In Time") was named after him...
- Sir Andrew Clarke, the second Governor of the Straits Settlements, known for signing the famous Pangkor Treaty in 1874, which established British indirect rule over the Malayan States. He had also successfully enforced a check on the abuse of coolies with the support of the Chinese and European merchants. Clarke Quay was named after him...
Nothing much seemed to have change in the Concert Hall with the same panelled pipe organ, exposed ceiling lights and microphones hanging from the ceiling...
The view of the seats - Stall & Circle...
The classy side entrance with its marble-top bar counter...
The original raised platform to the back entrance with stairs at each corner that had resulted in inconvenience for many a concert-goer with long flowing dresses or high heels was still here...
The spacious and classy balcony well-lit with natural daylight.
The spiral staircase...
A clear view of the cityscape from the Concert Hall...
The spiral staircase...
A clear view of the cityscape from the Concert Hall...
Capturing the nostalgia with a selfie!
