Dine With A Slice of History

1890S

As the name implies, Singapore’s original shoreline once ran along the edge of Beach Road. The road was known by a variety of names, all of them alluding to the locale’s shorefront origins – sio poh hai ki (小坡海墘) in the Hokkien dialect meaning “small town seashore”, Jalan Pantai in Bahasa Melayu and Kadal Karaisadakku in Tamil meaning the “seaside road”.

‘Raffles Reclamation Ground’ was the first major reclamation project north of the Singapore River. It involved the increase of 22 acres of land which came to situate the Alhambra Theatre and Marlborough Theatre (now occupied by Shaw Tower), Beach Road Police Station, and the Singapore Volunteer Corps Headquarters and Drill Hall.

1920s

Beach Road Police Station was commissioned as part of the 1920s Police Expansion Programme and completed in 1934.

At its prime, Beach Road Police Station was an institutional edifice of law enforcement and orderliness in the precinct. Officers deployed here played an important role in protecting citizens and properties, and keeping peace in the streets.

1940s

During World War II, the police station was taken by the Japanese and designated as a holding centre during the Japanese Occupation. It was once used as the temporary office for the chief of the Kempeitai unit.

1980S

The phasing out of government living quarters for civil servants and officers was announced – which included the Beach Road Police Station. By May 1988, Beach Road Police Station closed after the completion of Geylang Police Station to replace it.

2000S

In 2002, to celebrate its rich heritage, the Former Beach Road Police Station building was given conservation status by the Urban Renewal Authority. The following year, the Former Beach Road Police Station building was listed as a Historic Site by the National Heritage Board.

2017-Present

Guoco Midtown expands upon a landscape of iconic mixed-use developments located along the historically significant Beach Road. The restoration and redevelopment of the Former Beach Road Police Station into Midtown House in 2019 – 2023 prioritized careful and honest repairs, keeping the historic charm of the building.