National monuments of Singapore: St James Power Station

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 shine a light on what used to be Singapore's first coal-powered electricity plant, St James Power Station.

Location

St James Power Station was the 60th building to be gazetted as a National Monument, and is located near other National Monuments such as the Church of St Teresa, and Fort Siloso. The MRT station nearest to it is Harbourfront.

Significant dates

Date built:

• Nov 7, 1927: St James Power Station was officially opened

Milestones

• 2 July 1960: The power station was reopened by then-Finance Minister Goh Keng Swee after improvement works
• 1976: St James Power Station was shut down
• 1980s: It was repurposed as a warehouse
• 2006-2018: It was revamped into a sprawling entertainment and nightlife complex
• 2022: Dyson global headquarters moved in
• 2022: A heritage trail and gallery were added to the compound

Date gazetted: Nov 11, 2009

History

At the start of the 20th century, the only sources of electricity in Singapore were from the Singapore Tramway Company's Power Station and the Singapore Harbour Board.

As electricity demand increased, these sources proved insufficient. To address this, the British Administration proposed the construction of a new coal-fired power station to supply electricity for both industrial and residential needs and to accommodate future growth.

The site at Cape Saint James — a headland (a narrow piece of land that projects from a coastline into the sea) in what used to be Telok Blangah Bay — was chosen for the power station. This area had once belonged to the Temenggong, the leader with whom Sir Stamford Raffles had negotiated to establish the British trading post in Singapore. The location was ideal because access to seawater was necessary for the station's cooling system.

Before construction could begin, the area, mostly tidal swampland, needed to be reclaimed and levelled. Work began in 1924, and the first unit of the power station was commissioned on Sept 30, 1926.

The entire system became operational by June 1, 1927. To anticipate the rising demand for electricity, an additional generating unit was approved, and St James Power Station was officially opened by Governor Sir Hugh Charles Clifford on Nov 7, 1927.

At full capacity, the station generated 22,000 kilowatts of electricity (enough to power 275,000 ceiling fans for an hour), significantly more than earlier facilities, which had only produced 3,200 kilowatts.

The completed power station initially included a boiler house, turbine room, switchgear, pumps, and coal storage. Its location was advantageous as it was close to the sea for coal deliveries and also near the Federated Malay States Railway, enabling coal transportation by train. However, the station faced operational problems in its early years, leading to frequent power outages and blackouts.

By the mid-1950s, the plant was considered inefficient and underwent upgrading works, reopening on July 2, 1960 with new equipment that increased its power output by 18,000 kilowatts. The reopening was officiated by then-Finance Minister of Singapore, Goh Keng Swee.

Over the years, newer stations, such as the Pasir Panjang and Jurong Power Stations, were built to meet rising electricity demands, and by the 1970s, Saint James Power Station was gradually phased out, with the final gas turbines being decommissioned in 1976.

Currently, St James Power Station houses the global headquarters of Dyson. There is also a heritage gallery located inside its west chimney, and an outdoor heritage trail that starts from the overhead bridge linking Vivocity and the power station.

Milestones

It became a warehouse

In the 1980s, the increasing volume of shipping container traffic at the nearby port on Pulau Brani pushed the capacity of the staff and resources to their limits, creating significant strain on the operations of a globally focused port.

To address this challenge, the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) purchased St James Power Station from PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, and transformed it into a high-bay semi-automated warehouse.

Entering its 'sprawling entertainment and nightlife complex' era

From 2006 to 2018, St James Power Station was the place to be for a lit night out. Local entrepreneur and nightlife veteran, Dennis Foo, turned it into a vibrant hub for entertainment and nightlife, offering a platform for musicians and artists from around the world. 

The place saw the likes of K-pop sensation Jay Park, American singer Richard Marx, and Mandopop idol Aaron Yan. Singapore's very own Stefanie Sun and JJ Lin also graced its stage, adding to the venue's rich musical legacy.

Housing the global headquarters of Dyson

ICYDK, Dyson's global headquarters has been located at St James Power Station since 2022. Inside its office, there are state-of-the-art research laboratories, specialising in fancy-schmancy tech such as robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and more.

Featuring a heritage gallery...

Pre-book your visit to the heritage gallery, officially opened in April 2022, at St James Power Station. Here, you can learn about the history and key events of this storied place.

Fun fact: Look up! The heritage gallery is housed within the power station's west chimney. Rising to a height of 32m, the chimney was one of two chimneys added in the late 1950s, when the power station switched from steam to gas turbines to meet the growing demand for electricity during the post-war era.

...and heritage trail

Littered around the outside area of St James Power Station are several markers of its heritage trail. Visit each site to learn more about the various significant checkpoints of this historied place.

Design and architecture

The building was designed by Municipal Architect Alexander Gordon, based on recommendations from London-based consulting engineers Preece, Cardew & Rider. It features a distinctive red-brick façade and rows of large windows fitted with tinted glass panels that allowed natural light into the spacious interiors.

A prominent chimney on the front façade serves as a reminder of the building's original function.

Opening hours

Regular visiting hours to the heritage gallery located at the site are 10am to 6pm daily, and closed on Mondays. Book your visiting slot before heading down, as you need a QR code to enter the gallery.

Admission

Entry is free.

This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.