Old postcards often tell stories of how places have changed. Over 12 days, I painted these this 3-month pop-up installation at One Fullerton. There are 4 scenes: 1) Collyer Quay Waterfront 2) Esplanade Park 3) Change Alley 4) General Post Office (GPO).
These scenes were inspired by nostalgic postcards of Singapore’s waterfront. Thanks to Fullerton Heritage for commissioning this project in commemoration of SG60.
Collyer Quay Waterfront
This is the view you would have seen in the 1960s if you had taken a boat out and looked back at Singapore’s waterfront skyline. It is remarkable how much the skyline has changed since then.
Esplanade Park
This is Esplanade Park in the 1980s. Located at the mouth of the Singapore River, it looks out towards Merlion Park, against the horizon of the sea and Benjamin Sheares Bridge.
Esplanade Park was once home to the renowned Satay Club and continues to house the Tan Kim Seng Fountain, the Cenotaph, and Lim Bo Seng Memorial, which are collectively gazetted as a National Monument.
In 1972, the Merlion statue was installed here at the mouth of the Singapore River as a symbol of Singapore’s heritage and tourism. Following the completion of the Esplanade Bridge in 1997, the statue’s view of Marina Bay was obstructed. In 2002, the Merlion was relocated to its present site at Merlion Park, where it once again faces Marina Bay.
Change Alley
This is Change Alley in 1980s — a bustling 100-metre-long passageway connecting Clifford Pier to Raffles Place. Passengers arriving at the Pier could conveniently shop for souvenirs, exchange foreign currency, polish or repair shoes, tailor clothes, or even buy fishing gear for offshore trips.
Change Alley was demolished in 1989 during the redevelopment of its adjoining buildings. In 1993, it was revived as an air-conditioned walkway within a new mall, and extended into a shopping bridge across Collyer Quay, connecting to Clifford Pier.
General Post Office
The Fullerton Building, completed in 1928, once housed the General Post Office, the prestigious Singapore Club, and several key government offices.
When you dropped overseas mail into the mailbox, it was transported via a basement conveyor belt within the building, before being sorted and sent through a subway tunnel under the building to the nearby Post Office Pier for dispatch.
In 1996, the General Post Office relocated from the Fullerton Building. In 2001, the building reopened as the present-day Fullerton Hotel.
