Singapore is known for its futuristic and picturesque buildings. It’s not the ideal place for nature lovers, but for people who like architecture and the city like me, it is heaven. The view of the skyscrapers from Marina Bay is a common photo in Singapore as well the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel.
There is this building that I keep seeing on Instagram. It is a white colonial building but the window frames are rainbow colored. It is Singapore’s Old Hill Street Police Station.
I decided to visit this place during my trip. For my first day itinerary, I was due to go to the Battlebox tour at 9:45 AM, then the ArtScience Museum at 1, and the Red Dot Museum afterwards. From my Googling, my hotel was apparently located near Chijmes (the church were they got married in Crazy Rich Asians) and the Old Hill Street Police Station is near Fort Canning.
On my itinerary, I was supposed to start the day by walking to the Old Hill Street Police Station. Since I’m just going to take a picture of the building, surely it will not take me more than an hour to stay there right? But plans changed. I didn’t get to sleep until 2 in the morning and I woke up past 6:30 AM. I looked at my hotel view and it seemed a bit dreary. It was hard to tell if it was just the tint of the window or the actual weather outside.
Since it was my first day and I was a little bit out of it, I didn’t get ready until about 8:00, which only gives me about an hour and a half until I have to be in the Battlebox tour. I got so used to Manila time wherein I need to be ready to leave the house one hour plus for places that are normally just 20 minutes away. I was already a little bit panicky at that time because I didn’t want to be late for my tour (it’s bound to change my whole itinerary). As soon as I step out of the hotel, the weather does look a little gray. I decided to skip the Old Hill Street Police Station and just go directly to Fort Canning Park.
As I got out of the MRT in Fort Canning. It started pouring. Not too bad, but strong enough for me to need to open my umbrella and use it. That’s when I realize it was a good decision not to go to Old Hill Street yet.
I went through my day, and I was done by around 4:30. I had dinner plans in Newton, but I was so exhausted from my walking that I decided to go back to my hotel first. I had an internal debate with myself if I should still stop by this colorful building because it’s a bit of a walk from Fort Canning. I decided, you know what, let’s go. It’s sunny and my itinerary for the other days makes this out of the way. I decided to power through the long walk to get here.
It was a sight to behold! Taking the perfect picture is also a bit of a challenge because cars are passing by every now and then. I can really imagine Instagrammers going ham and staying here for hours for the perfect shot.
The problem with being alone is that there’s no one to take pictures of you. I’m not the type to do any poses, but taking a selfie of myself with the building as the background does not give it any justice. I’m not shy to ask people to take a picture of me, but it was cool that the only people taking pictures that time were Filipino. They took so many pictures of me and in return, I took some of them.
They help me get my way back around the MRT. Jaywalking is a strict no-no in Singapore so I went around for me to to get to the front of the building. Apparently it was accessible to the underpass near Clarke Quay. I saw it on my way there and saw a lot of people passing by but opted not to go that route because Google Maps showed something different and I didn’t want to be far from where I already am.
I highly recommend passing by the Old Hill Street Police Station. It’s a wonderful Accidentally Wes Anderson building that stands by itself in the area.
In my next trip here, I will definitely keep my eye out for other accidentally Wes Anderson places. Singapore is not just straightforward with its buildings, but they also try to make it look aesthetically pleasing and unique. Going on a walk around Singapore is definitely worth it. Weather is just as humid as back in Manila, but it lacks the pollution component that we have at home so walking here has really been a pleasurable experience.
Old Hill Street Police Station
140 Hill St., Singapore
Easily accessible via Fort Canning MRT station (just 600 metres of walking, passing by Clark Quay)
Hedda Damasco 