Fullerton Hotel gazetted as Singapore's 71st national monument

THE former Fullerton Building, now known as The Fullerton Hotel, was gazetted on Monday by the National Heritage Board (NHB), marking Singapore's 71st national monument and concluding a series of gazettes in celebration of Singapore's Golden Jubilee.

This grand Neoclassical building prominently located at the mouth of the Singapore River has been a defining landmark for the Singapore skyline since the 1920s.

It was once Singapore's General Post Office, and housed several government departments, where some of the nation's pioneer leaders began their careers. The building also had a lighthouse for two decades from 1958 that guided ships into the Singapore harbour.

The gazette of the former Fullerton Building joins Jurong Town Hall and the Istana Kampong Gelam as NHB's list of gazetted national monuments in 2015. Together, they commemorate some of Singapore's key milestones.

Hong Kong-based developer Sino Group, among a group of private companies including Far East Organization that is owned by the Ng family, currently owns the Fullerton Hotel.

When a building is gazetted under the Preservation of Monuments Act, it is preserved with the highest form of recognition for its national significance, with tailored set of preservation guidelines to guide monument owners on the preservation requirements.

The evaluation of potential gazettes is based on a building or site's historical, architectural and social importance in Singapore's built heritage landscape.