CHIJMES Hall

CHIJMES Hall was the former Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel located at the CHIJMES complex in Singapore. The former chapel was designed by Father Charles Benedict Nain, it currently serves as a function hall venue for weddings and corporate events.

CHIJMES Hall
Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel
CHIJMES Hall
Location in Singapore
LocationCHIJMES, Singapore
CountrySingapore
DenominationDeconsecrated
Previous denominationRoman Catholic
TraditionCatholic
Religious instituteConvent of the Holy Infant Jesus (former)
ChurchmanshipCatholic
Websitechijmes.com.sg
History
Former name(s)Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel
Statusformer Chapel
Founded11 June 1904 (1904-06-11)
Founder(s)Mother Mathilde Raclot
DedicationInfant Jesus
Consecrated11 June 1904 (1904-06-11)
Architecture
Functional statusDeconsecrated
Heritage designation26 October 1990
Architect(s)Father Charles Benedict Nain
Architectural typeGothic Revival
Years built1901
Completed1903
Closed3 November 1983
Specifications
Capacity300
Number of floors5
Designated26 October 1990

History

The First Chapel of the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus was built and consecrated in Singapore on 1855 for the Town Convent. As the old dilapidating chapel had become hazardous, the Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus had to celebrate mass at the Caldwell House. They soon started fund-raising by various means for the new chapel to replace the former.

Architecture

In 1898, Father Charles Benedict Nain, an architect and priest of Church of Saints Peter and Paul, designed a new Gothic Revival chapel for the Convent. The architectural firm Swan and Maclaren would oversaw the construction of the chapel. The chapel's stained-glass windows imported from Bruges, Belgium in 1904 were designed by Jules Dobbelaere.

A five-storey spire flanked by flying buttresses marked the entrance to the chapel. The 648 capitals on the columns of the chapel and its corridors each bear a unique impression of tropical flora and birds.

Consecration

The new Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel was completed in 1903 and consecrated on 11 June 1904. The Entrance Gate pillars were later added to the front of the Chapel on the same year.[1]

Deconsecration

In 1983, the Singapore Government had acquired the land from the Convent. The last mass was held at the chapel on 3 November 1983 before it was deconsecrated for non-religious use.[2]

Restoration

The Urban Redevelopment Authority put up the site for sale in March 1990 and gazetted the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel and Caldwell House as national monuments on 26 October 1990, in order to preserve the ambience of the remaining buildings and designated the entire complex as a conservation area, with high restoration standards and strict usage guidelines. The remaining buildings, the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel, Caldwell House, and the remaining former school blocks underwent extensive restoration works in 1991 and reopened as a complex known as CHIJMES in 1996.[3]

The former chapel has since been renamed to CHIJMES Hall. Its function hall is managed by the Watabe Singapore, and currently serves as a venue for wedding and corporate functions.[4]

The wedding scene in Crazy Rich Asians took place in this former chapel.[5][6]

gollark: Er, avoid crimson cultists?
gollark: I definitely do not want to plug 2304 cobble/tick into my main ME network.
gollark: A chest would make sense, I'll add some perhaps.
gollark: I'm not sure, but it SEEMS that way.
gollark: Yes, but it doesn't seem to be fast enough?

References
  1. "Heritage - CHIJMES". 27 January 2014.
  2. "Former Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Chapel and Caldwell House".
  3. Singapore, National Library Board. "CHIJMES - Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  4. "CHIJMES Hall - CHIJMES". 10 December 2013.
  5. "Go Inside the Crazy Rich Asians Wedding". brides. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  6. Booth, Jessica. "These Are The Places From 'Crazy Rich Asians' You Can Actually Visit In Real Life". Bustle. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
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