17 ARCHITECTURE IN SINGAPORE
Singapore American · April 2018
Preserving the Past Differently – The US Ambassador’s Residence By Richard Hartung
S
ingapore’s approach to preserving the past often seems to be one of taking an old building and turning it into something new, a different approach than in many cities.
The nearly-200-year-old building that was Singapore’s first Parliament House was turned into The Arts House, for instance, and is now a venue for arts programs and festivals. The Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) in the center of the city has been converted into an entertainment and dining hub. And the former military barracks on Beach Road is now part of the South Beach residential and commercial complex. One of the most poignant changes for the American community, though, is perhaps the transformation of the formerly elegant American ambassador’s residence at Spring Grove into the clubhouse for a condo. As recently as the late 1980s, guests visiting the American ambassador drove up a long stately driveway past frangipani and palm trees to his home at Spring Grove, on Grange Road. The Victorian colonial bungalow, surrounded by nearly six acres of lawns and gardens, was the site of glamorous dinners and many a fine party. The bungalow at Spring Grove was built in the late 1800s and first occupied by Hans Brecker, the managing director of German corporation Benh Meyer. It was sold to The Straits Trading Company in 1919, which leased it to the American Consul General in 1936. After a hiatus during the Second World War, the American Consul General moved back into the house in 1946. The American government finally purchased the property in 1950 for US$83,438. When Francis Galbraith came to Singapore as the first ambassador in 1966, shortly after Singapore became independent in 1965, he was determined to spruce up the rapidly deteriorating bungalow. Ambassador Galbraith and his wife commissioned an architect and interior designer from the US, and the American government spent about US$60,000 returning the bungalow to its former elegance. In the late 1980s the US government started disposing of its properties overseas, and Singapore wasn’t spared. Homes for US embassy staff that the US government owned in the Leedon Park area were sold off to bring money into US coffers, well before the dramatic rise in property price in the 1990s. Spring Grove, too, was put up for sale. Rather than being sold, though, Spring Grove was turned into a 99-year leasehold property in January 1991. The condominium that now stands on the property was completed in 1996. The residence was spared and was given conservation area status in February 1991 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
Today, the house at Spring Grove remains part of a 99-year-leasehold condominium. What was formerly the stately US ambassador’s residence, however, now holds function rooms, vending machines and a small restaurant. Regardless of the merits of turning a classic bungalow into a clubhouse or the nostalgia returning Americans may have for the former residence, the change fits with what has happened to other buildings here in Singapore. The good news, of course, is that the building has been preserved rather than being torn down entirely. The author attended events at the residence when he worked at the US Embassy. Spring Grove, The American Ambassador’s Residence – Singapore, produced by the US Embassy, is a source of historical information for this article.
Photo courtesy of Junia Baker