And there is Mount Sophia, a hill rich with history and an unparalleled legacy. Three historic architectural gems -- MGS Olson Building, Nan Hwa Girls’ School, and Trinity Theological College Chapel sit on the site. Sophia Hills is the largest single development in the city district, situated prominently on the hill.
H I S T O RY OF THE HILL ON THE MAP AND IN SUCH ARCHIVAL RECORDS, MOUNT SOPHIA SHOWS UP AS THE NAME OF A STREET AND OF A HILL IN THE ROCHOR AREA OF SINGAPORE . TOPOGRAPHICALLY, IT IS PART OF A SERIES OF HILLS THAT INCLUDES MOUNT EMILY TO THE NORTH, AS WELL AS FORT CANNING FURTHER DOWN SOUTH. BOUNDING MOUNT SOPHIA ARE SOPHIA ROAD, MOUNT SOPHIA (THE ROAD), AND ADIS ROAD; THE THREE ROADS SKIRT THE FOOTHILLS TO TRACE A TEARDROP LOOP. THE DRIVE IS A GENTLE BEND UPHILL , AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE INCLINED TO GO ON FOOT, A FLIGHT OF STEPS, ACCESSIBLE FROM HANDY ROAD, OFFERS A STEEP, STRAIGHT-UP HIKE . ALTHOUGH THE ORIGINAL STAIRCASE HAS SINCE BEEN REBUILT, IT IS STILL FONDLY CALLED ‘THE HUNDRED STEPS’.
In its earliest documentation , M ount Sophia was known as B ukit Seligi, bearing the name of the local nibong palm — a tall, slender species distinc tive for its rather alarming thorn - covered trunk . It was not until the colonial period that the hill was given its western name: first as Flint ’s Hill — af ter C aptain William Flint, the colony ’s first Master At tendant who lived on the hill; then renamed M ount Sophia by Flint — in honour of Singapore founder Sir Stamford Raf fles’ second wife, L ady Sophia Raf fles , and Flint ’s own daughter, Mar y Sophia Anne. Flint grew spices on the hill for years . The hill was later sold to Charles Rober t Prinsep, who also owned the adjacent B ukit C awa (the present M ount Emily). Prinsep was a nutmeg mogul and cultivated plantations on his hills . His estate ex tends all the way to what is today ’s Istana grounds . M ount Sophia’s elevation above lowland flooding and its proximit y to the genteel neighbourhood of O rchard Road made it an ideal address for the well-heeled . D uring Prinsep’s time, grand mansions were already erec ted on the hill. Theodor August B ehn and Valentin Lorenz M eyer (of B ehn , M eyer & Co, which , in these early days , traded in tropical produce such as coconut oil and pepper) were some of the listed hills residents in 1 8 42 . Through the 1 8 60s , as the colony population grew, Prinsep star ted to parcel the land out for sale. By the early 1 9 0 0s , many more houses had sprung up on the hill, as can be seen in town maps from that time. Likely
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the most elaborate mansion there was the Eu Villa , the family mansion of Eu Tong Sen built in 1 913 . Located half way up the hill, the lavish proper t y was so large it kept five watchmen and a pack of thoroughbred Alsatians , Mastif fs and G reat Danes on guard . The villa boasted of a dining room that could seat over a hundred guests; as well as a ballroom that was as big as Raf fles H otel ’s and that overlooked just two of Eu Villa’s many tennis cour ts . The residence has been described as ‘magical ’ and ‘castle like’ in accounts — its fair y-tale status sealed in popular imagination when the villa was sadly demolished in the 1 9 8 0s . Over the years , the area was also home and social ground for various communities . In par ticular, many Sikh and J ewish families set tled there. Traces of their lives can still be seen in some of the communit y buildings that pepper the hill and its surrounds today. L andmarks featured on heritage and interest tours include Sophia Flats . Standing at the entrance of M ount Sophia , this 1 930s building was where J ewish immigrant Frank B enjamin had lived in and set up his first of fice af ter the war. N ot far away, the David Elias building bearing the six-pointed Star of David basrelief on its façade also reflec ts the heritage of its J ewish owner. M ount Sophia was gazet ted on 1 December 20 03 as M ount Sophia Conser vation Area , ser ving as a physical link between the Civic Distric t and the Lit tle India Historic Distric t.
A STUDY IN OLD SCHOOLS
HO WENG HIN & TAN K AR LIN STUDIO LAPIS -
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n G reek , sophia means wisdom . It is a beautif ul coincidence that M ount Sophia should be home to so many notable schools and institutions of learning through its histor y. Three old buildings — two built before the war, one in the 1 9 60s — of three dif ferent institutions stand on ver y the site of Sophia Hills . They are the Olson B uilding of the old campus of the M ethodist Girls’ School, the former Nan Hwa Girls’ School, and the former Trinit y Theological College Chapel. Slated for conser vation by the U R A in August 2011 , all three buildings bear distinc tive historical value. To preser ve the architec tural heritage of these landmarks , conser vation specialists Studio L apis was engaged to provide consultancy ser vice for the study, addition and alteration , and integration of the buildings into the premises of Sophia Hills . Tan Kar Lin , a par tner at Studio L apis , shares that proper conser vation work involves the study of buildings in their entiret y. Restoration should be considered for both within and
without the struc ture. Tan shares , ‘ While the ex terior of a historic building may be its most prominent aspec t, or its “public face”, heritage interiors ef fec tively immerse visitors in the building ’s histor y. Unlike interior décor of today, architec tural interiors of historic buildings were conceived as an integral par t of the building design and charac ter. Impor tant elements include architec tural features such as staircases , columns , beams , and openings , and the various finishes and materials that make up walls , floors and ceilings .’ Tan also points out that the ambience and charac ter of historic architec tural interiors reflec t the fine craf tsmanship by tradesmen of a past era — something worth careful conservation: ‘ These are of ten not replicable as many building materials are out of produc tion , while skill traditions and workmanship have declined . These original features are distinc tive markers of the buildings’ architec tural and historical pedigree. The material palet te of a bygone era impar t colour, tex ture, and pat terns , bringing for th vivid imageries and memories .’
MGS O LSO N B U I LD I N G ESTD. 1928
1928
The oldest of the three conserved buildings is the Olson Building of Methodist Girls’ School, built in 1928 to the design of prominent English architect, Frank Wilmin Brewer. It was originally called Cambridge Building and housed six classrooms catered for students taking the Cambridge examinations. From 2007 to 2012, the two-storey structure was used as of fices of the art enclave ‘Old School’. Characteristic architectural elements to look out for include the building’s French windows, timber shutters, lattice lights and louvered terracotta parapet vents.
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THE SOPHIA CLUBHOUSE
MY LIFE ON THE HILLS
JOY-MARIE TOH ALUMNA , METHODIST GIRLS’ SCHOOL -
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efore me, four generations of women in my family went to the M ethodist Girls’ School. J ust like them , I spent ten years on the M ount Sophia campus . It ’s amazing . A decade in the school, but with a lifetime’s wor th of memories etched into my hear t for eternit y. My primar y three classroom was on the top floor of the Olson B uilding while construc tion of the new primar y school building was ongoing . My most vivid memor y of the early days spent there was the music room where we learnt how to play the recorder — without much success! L ater on , when I was in secondar y school, I continued to at tend classes there although my own classroom was in a dif ferent wing . I enjoyed going to the Olson B uilding because it was the only par t of the school which was air- conditioned . It housed the language laborator y and we would trek there for our Listening Comprehension sessions during selec t English lessons . The building was a welcome haven from the warm af ternoons and an oppor tunit y for us ‘ M onkey Girls’ to while away a good par t of the lesson in cool comfor t. Many of my classmates still recall having to listen to ‘ Eleanor Rigby ’ by The B eatles and transcribing its lyric s in our English class .
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Built in the 1920s , the Olson Building has weathered the storms of Singapore’s turbulent beginnings , watched the nation and school struggle and grow, and celebrated successes that only perseverance and hard work can produce. Through our school histor y, the building has been an MGS landmark, and, like a second home, it has sheltered generations of us . To me, the Olson Building is like a typical MGS girl — empowered and resilient, yet nur turing and warm . I have been blessed with the oppor tunit y to ser ve M GS as both the H ead Prefec t and the President of the Literar y, Drama and Debating Societ y and spent many hours af ter school on campus . The clock tower was always f un for us to spook one another with stories of the ‘under world ’. The backstage of the school hall was my favourite. All the props from school produc tions were kept there. The dressing mirrors were ideal for budding ac tresses to preen in front of, and for ambitious debaters to prac tise their arguments with their reflec tions .
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The corridors behind the secondar y school block were also the best places to just hide from the rest of the world and to enjoy the af ter-school breeze. The back side of the Olson B uilding had a rather steep slope which was the delight of any self-respec ting M GS girl. Long before school traf fic rules were enforced , many of us spent happy moments running up and down the slope risking life and limb while waiting for our af terschool transpor t. So yes , ver y fond memories filled with much laughter. M GS to me is not just a school. It ’s my family. My maternal great, great grandmother, Siauw Mah Li, was the first Chinese girl to at tend M GS . H er daughter, Darling Kim N eo and her sisters , Susie Gin N eo and Edna G ek N eo, all at tended the school too. Darling ’s daughter, Happy, is my maternal grandmother. At ninet y- one years old , she is among some of the oldest living M GS alumnae. My mother recently celebrated her fif tieth year M GS reunion with many of her friends she has known since Primar y O ne. My aunts are all proud M GS alumnae and af ter all these years , we still call ourselves ‘ M GS girls’ …
There are many favourite stories we love to tell in the family. The most significant one, for me, is the one my grandmother Happy tells of how she was named by Miss Sophia B lackmore, the founder of M GS . H er mother, Darling , who was a former Nind H ome resident and M GS alumna , had returned to Mt Sophia to visit Miss B lackmore. She was expec tant and asked Miss B lackmore for advice on naming the baby. Miss B lackmore said , ‘ B oy or Girl, name him or her “ Happy ” ’. And so she did . I feel ex tremely for tunate to be par t of a family that takes great pride in our M GS heritage. My daughter will be the six th generation of us to at tend M GS when she enters Primar y O ne in 2015 and I cannot wait to see her in the iconic ‘sailor- girl ’ uniform . Although she will at tend M GS on a dif ferent campus , the ‘ M GSpirit ’ will live on in her and our M GS stor y will come f ull- circle once more. May she too, learn To Master, To G row and To Ser ve’.
N A N H WA G I R LS' S C H O O L ESTD. 1941
1941
Nan Hwa Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; School was designed by architectural practice Chung & Wong and was completed in 1941. As a modern Chinese school, the three storey building displayed aesthetic inf luences from Art Deco. It was finished in textured cement render, with two symmetrical pitched-roof wings for classrooms, and a projecting portico in the centre. Notable architectural features include the precast wall vents and toplight lattice used in various combinations with windows, as well as the sleek cantilevered horizontal sunshading fins that go around the perimeter of the building on the 2 nd & 3 rd storey.
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T R I N I T Y T H E O LO G I C A L CO LLEGE CHAPEL ESTD. 1969
1969
Trinity Theological College Chapel was designed by Edwin Chan Kui Chuan. Completed in 1969, the building had been an exemplar of mature tropical church design. The chapel boasts a modern tropical design replete with religious symbolism in its form, layout, and ornamentation. The sculptural roof form was derived from the Chinese character ‘人’ , stand for ‘ man’. The column free space beneath the sweeping roof planes used to accommodate a 150-strong congregation. Look out for the chapel’s stained glass’ features, which are in fact not made of traditional stained glass with lead beadings, but plexiglass panels. This was a progressive and experimental material choice at the time; unfortunately the material does not age well and the feature has to be replicated in more permanent materials.
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RESTAURANT-TO-BE
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W W W. S O P H I A H I L L S . S G DEVELOPER: HOI HUP SUNWAY MOUNT SOPHIA PTE LTD CO REG NO.: 201325153D DEVELOPER â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LICENSE NO. C 1140 TENURE OF L AND: 99 YEARS FROM 10 DEC 2013 LOT & MUKIM NO: LOT 759N & 760A TS19 LEGAL TOP/LEGAL COMPLETION: 31 AUG 2018 / 31 AUG 2021 BP APPROVAL NO. : A07 12- 01131-2013-BP01 DATED 09/ 10/2014
W h ils t re a so n a b l e c a re h a s b e e n t a ke n in th e p re p a ratio n of th is b ro ch u re a n d th e co n s tr u c tio n of th e sc a l e m o d e l a n d sh ow f lat , th e d eve lo p e r d o e s n ot wa rra nt th e ir a ccu ra c y a n d c a n n ot b e h e ld re sp o n sib l e fo r a ny in a ccu ra cie s o r o m is sio n s . Th e s t ate m e nt s , info rm atio n a n d d e pic tio n s m ay n ot b e re g a rd e d o r re lie d u p o n a s s t ate m e nt s o r re p re se nt atio n s of f a c t , a n d th ey a re n ot inte n d e d to fo rm a ny p a r t of th e co ntra c t fo r th e s a l e of th e h o u sin g u n it s . V isu a l re p re se nt atio n s , m o d e ls , sh ow f lat , ill u s tratio n s , p h oto g ra p h s , pic tu re s , d rawin g s , disp lays a n d a r t re n d e rin g s a re a r tis t s' im p re s sio n s of th e d eve lo p m e nt o n ly, a n d a re n ot to b e re lie d u p o n a s re p re se nt atio n s of f a c t . Th e b ra n d , co lo u r a n d m o d e l of a ll m ate ria ls , f it tin g s , e q uip m e nt , f in ish e s , in s t a llatio n s a n d a p p lia n ce s su p p lie d /p rovid e d a re su bje c t to th e D eve lo p e r 's/ it s a rch ite c t 's se l e c tio n , m a rket ava ila bilit y a n d th e so l e discretio n of th e D eve lo p e r. A ll info rm atio n , in cl u din g e q uip m e nt , m ate ria ls , f it tin g s , f in ish e s , in s t a llatio n s a n d a p p lia n ce s , d e scriptio n , p la n s a n d sp e cif ic atio n s , a re cu rre nt at th e tim e of p rintin g , a n d a re su bje c t to su ch ch a n g e s a s m ay b e re q uire d by th e D eve lo p e r o r th e re l eva nt a uth o ritie s , a n d c a n n ot fo rm p a r t of a n of fe r o r co ntra c t . A ll p la n s a n d layo ut s a re n ot to sc a l e a n d a re su bje c t to ch a n g e/a m e n d m e nt s a s m ay b e dire c te d o r a p p rove d by th e re l eva nt a uth o ritie s . Th e f lo o r a re a s in dic ate d in th e b ro ch u re a re a p p roxim ate m e a su re m e nt s o n ly a n d a re su bje c t to f in a l su r vey. Th e D eve lo p e r re se r ve s th e rig ht to m o dif y a ny u n it , p la n s , layo ut s , th e b uildin g , th e d eve lo p m e nt o r a ny p a r t th e re of p rio r to co m p l etio n in it s a bso l ute discretio n o r a s dire c te d o r a p p rove d by th e a rch ite c t o r re l eva nt a uth o ritie s .