Saint Andrew's Cathedral

And so we begin.

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Alluring repeated arches invite you in.

We begin our tour with the majestic, towering Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, first designed by George Coleman, an architect from Calcutta. The Cathedral is constructed in a Palladial style; this is a style which finds its origins in the temple architecture of Greece and Rome. Some signature features of Palladial architecture include symmetry, a cruciform architecture and porticos. These same features are present in the architecture of St Andrew’s Cathedral. Symmetry is observed from the West End and despite its simplicity, it is culturally important. Its importance arises because symmetry is a symbol of harmony where the line of symmetry – likened to the path a Christian takes towards the Kingdom of God - can be drawn along the east-west axis.


Stepping into the Cathedral’s interior, we now turn our attention to the (relatively newer) interior walls and pillars. The smooth unadorned walls (see below) may seem plain to the eyes but are however rich in cultural meanings. The mixture that is used to cover the interior walls and pillars is known as Madras Chunam—a blend of shell lime, egg white, sugar and water in which coconut husks were soaked. This was a common building material used for other buildings in Singapore during the period that the Cathedral was constructed. Also the Cathedral, like other buildings built in Singapore at that time, was built by Indian convicts. Both the material and labour used to construct St Andrew’s Cathedral demonstrate the church’s historical significance to Singapore. Saint Andrew’s Cathedral was not built in isolation; rather it was and still is firmly situated within a particular socio-political context defined by time and power-holders.

Unadorned walls and repeated arches with stained glass windows.

The Cathedral underwent several transformations since it was first built. In each of these architectural transformations, the centralised municipal authority played an influential role.During the third renovations Ronald Macpherson, an officer in the Municipal Commission, used a Early English Gothic style and incorporated pointed arches and lancets in its architecture. Pointed arches can be found shaping the window, or in the wall, or as a support for the ceiling. The unique engineering qualities of the arches allow for a weight distribution on them, hence they are able to take greater weights. As a result, the arches not only give the structure an aesthetic-ornamented look but also in terms of engineering feats, allowed the building to reach greater heights. Coupled with the use of (stained glass) windows, abundant light flow into the church is permitted. The lancets, which refer to the tall and thin stained glass windows at the East end, were constructed in memory of three historically significant colonial leaders in Singapore – one of them was Sir Stamford Raffles. This work of commemoration bears cultural and historical significance of the Cathedral to Singapore.

The Cathedral had no steeple and spire initially during its first construction. But because religious and political leaders decided that it was important to emphasise the superiority of both Christianity and their class, both a steeple and a spire were added. The spire has a religious meaning as its erect form looks like it is reaching for the skies. Also because of its resemblance to a spear point, it signifies martial power and strength of the colonisers. Moreover, these features are often connoted with wealth and eminence. The lines between secular and religious spheres in Singapore’s colonial history are thus blurred. 

Singapore culture: domination of one. 

Stained glass windows at the East Windows

Till this point, there are minimal elements in the architecture which suggest an influence of local culture. Even after repeated renovations, European cultural influences dominate the Cathedral design and architecture. This retention thus demonstrates the Eurocentric view of its own superiority of culture and religion (Christianity). But this does not mean that the Cathedral is devoid of local cultures and arts. One of the few areas where we see localised elements entering into the sacred compound of the Cathedral is the use of the rattan in the construction of the back and seat of the chairs. The use of rattan – a distinctive Asian material – allows for wind to keep the person-sitter cool especially in Singapore’s humid weather conditions.

In sum, the architecture of the cathedral has aesthetic importance, as it was inspired by different architectural movements (Palladial, Early English Gothic) in history. Moreover, it has historical importance, showing us the beliefs of Eurocentric views of superiority amongst the colonial leaders as exemplified in this architectural structure.