Siglap Post Office

location

10 Palm Avenue, Singapore 456532
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Few would cast a second glance at this humble post office, which was once a source of civic pride to a newly-independent nation.

This is part of the cluster of buildings astride the Upper East Coast Road — comprising the neighbourhood police post, community centre and post office — that serves the quiet residential estate of Siglap.

Like several other post offices dotted all over Singapore, the two-storey building features a clear delineation between the upper and lower floors, fringed by a continuous ledge that surround the perimeter of the building. The upper floor is shrouded behind a wall of ventilating blocks, which once provided the resident postmaster with privacy for his living quarters.

In contrast, the lower floor has an air of invitation: generous glass-fronted showcase windows flank a huge front entrance — asymmetrically positioned for architectural modernity.

Few passers-by would realise that this small building was formerly a symbol of progress and modernity. Completed in 1965, it once stood in stark contrast to its earlier neighbours — mostly village houses constructed of attap and wood.

Held just months after Singapore’s independence, the opening ceremony of the post office was graced by then-Minister of State for Education, Rahim Ishak. Attendees included Singaporean men and women of all races, dressed to the nines in formal attire — ranging from the Western suit to Peranakan kebaya.

With its squarish structure and austere simplicity, the building’s design was inspired by the appearance of industrial machinery — a deliberate move to proclaim a new era of local governance.

Over the years, the post office continued to serve the local community. Today, the first storey houses the post office while a kindergarten operates on the second storey.