Raffles Place is home to some of Singapore’s most prominent landmark buildings and is the heart of the financial centre. In the daytime, it is a commercial space and business destination where colleagues and friends alike meet during office hours or lunch breaks. At night, Raffles Place transforms into a bold and lively area for everyone to unwind and relax after a taxing day of work.
With an inviting vast green space amongst the skyscrapers for city professionals to relax and unwind, Raffles Place Park features lots of floral and fauna, rows of lawns, monumental sculptures and even structures such as swings, tables and chairs for people to sit back and relax.
In the 1800s, Raffles Place was originally a reclaimed swamp land before it became a commercial emporium. Previously known as Commercial Square, it was renamed Raffles Place on 8 March 1858.
Raffles Place in the past featured many old and iconic buildings, for instance, banks such as Chartered Bank Chambers and the Bank of China building; department stores such as Robinsons and John Little, and even an underground car park located below the garden square we see today.
Within the next 50 years, Raffles Place continued to evolve to fit the changing times, where many modern skyscrapers took over the space in one of the park’s biggest transformations. Enjoy the newest structures and events at the revamped Raffles Place Park alongside dynamic events and activities for the public to enjoy.
With the launch of #RPchairs in July 2022, the revitalised Raffles Place Park became a sanctuary that offers respite from the hustle and bustle. Over the period of one month, this addition to the park comes in four types of chairs with varying colours, placed in the garden each week.
As of now, the armchairs, beanbags and wooden stools made out of upcycled wood have made their appearance. These sources of comfort are portable around the park, so head down to the park, get creative and feel free to arrange them however you like!
Earlier in September 2022, Raffles Place Alliance also kick-started a project, UNWIND @ Raffles Place – a 3-day event with music and performances by OFFTHECLIFF, Ralph Alvern, Kyung Hoon and more!
With many activities held at the park, such as a dating workshop by FLEEK, people were encouraged to meet up with one another and enjoy the live performances and workshops. Free ice cream and beer were also served to the public as they enjoyed the festive atmosphere.
In celebration of World Mental Health Day in October 2022, Raffles Place Alliance had also partnered with several companies such as Cloop! and Books Beyond Border, along with yoga and dance enthusiasts such as FOCUS and KpopX Fitness for their week-long event – RELEASE @ Raffles Place.
Coming together to champion wellness through dance and movement workshops, as well as a wide selection of clothes and books in their thrift markets, families, influencers, and businesspeople were also invited down to make their contributions to upcycle and donate to the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS).
Together with Raffles Place Alliance, the park is expecting many activities lined up for the rest of the year. So do keep a lookout and visit this iconic destination nestled in the CBD!
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