National monuments of Singapore: Former Ford Factory

What is a National Monument? Who gazettes them? How many national monuments are there in Singapore? To date, the Preservation of Sites and Monuments, a division of National Heritage Board, has identified and gazetted 75 buildings, structures and sites of national significance as an integral part of Singapore's built heritage.

In this edition, we bring into focus the site where the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese in 1942, the Former Ford Factory.

Location

The Former Ford Factory was the 55th building to be gazetted as a National Monument. The MRT station nearest to it is Hillview.

Significant dates

Dates built:

• October 1941: Ford Factory was built along Bukit Timah Rd
• 2016: A permanent exhibition opened at the Former Ford Factory

Milestones:

• Feb 15, 1942: The British surrendered to the Japanese in the board room of the Former Ford Factory
• 1980: Ford ceased operations in Singapore
• 2005: The National Archives of Singapore took over ownership of the building

Date gazetted: Feb 15, 2006

History

Established in 1926 as a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company of Canada, the Ford Motor Company of Malaya acted as the regional hub for Southeast Asia, managing the supply of Ford vehicles across Malaya, the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), Thailand, and Borneo. Initially operating from Dunlop House on Robinson Road, the company later relocated its assembly operations to Enggor Street and then Prince Edward Road before settling into its purpose-built factory in Bukit Timah in October 1941.

The factory's location was carefully chosen, positioned along Bukit Timah Road for easy access to Singapore's town centre and the north, as well as being close to the railway, facilitating exports across the region.

By 1940, the Ford Factory was producing military vehicles in support of British war efforts, like other Ford plants in the British Empire. During the Malayan Campaign of 1941, the Royal Air Force also used the factory to assemble fighter aircraft. However, as Singapore's fall became inevitable in early 1942, many of these planes were flown out of the region. General Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Japanese 25th Army seized the factory before Singapore's capture, establishing it as the Japanese military's headquarters.

Singapore's surrender was formalised on 15 Feb 1942. Lieutenant-General Arthur E. Percival, the British Commander in Malaya, met with General Yamashita at the Ford Factory to negotiate the terms. That evening, Percival signed the surrender document, marking the start of the Japanese Occupation. During this period, the factory was taken over by Nissan and used to assemble military trucks and vehicles for the Japanese forces.

After World War II ended, the British Army repurposed the factory for engine repairs and precision tasks until it was returned to Ford Motor Company of Malaya in 1947. The plant resumed assembling Ford vehicles until its closure in 1980, after which Ford ceased operations in Singapore

Acquired by the National Archives of Singapore (NAS) in 2005, the site was transformed into a repository for archival collections. Initially called Memories at Old Ford Factory, the site closed for renovations in 2016. Upon reopening, it was renamed Syonan Gallery: War and its Legacies, but this name was changed following public backlash over the use of "Syonan," the term the Japanese used for Singapore during the Japanese Occupation.

On 15 Feb 2017, then-Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim officially renamed it Surviving the Japanese Occupation: War and Its Legacies.

Design and architecture

The Former Ford Factory was designed in the Art Deco (short for the French Arts decoratifs) style, a popular design style of the 1920s and 30s. French engineer-architect Emile Brizay was responsible for the building's design (fun fact: he also designed the Church of Saint Teresa). The Former Ford Factory features key Art Deco elements such as bevelled doorways, a striking flagpole, and three towering green-glazed windows on its entrance façade.

The contrasting textures of roughcast surfaces and smooth plaster panels enhance its visual appeal. Art Deco architecture was a popular choice for public buildings in Singapore during the 1930s, as seen in landmarks like the Former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and the Former Cathay Building. At the time of its completion, the factory was celebrated as a modern industrial marvel.

Opening hours

Regular visiting hours are daily from 9am to 5.30pm. The building is closed on Mondays. 

Admission

Entry is free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents, and certain groups. 

This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.