The Istana
| The Istana | |
|---|---|
The northern facade of The Istana | |
Interactive map of the The Istana area | |
| Former names | Government House of Singapore (1869–1959) Istana Negara Singapura (1959–1965) |
| General information | |
| Type | Mansion |
| Architectural style | Palladian |
| Location | Orchard, Singapore, Orchard Road, Singapore 238823 |
| Coordinates | 1°18′28″N 103°50′35″E / 1.30778°N 103.84306°E |
| Current tenants | |
| Construction started | 1867 |
| Completed | 1869 |
| Owner | Government of Singapore |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Floor area | 106 acres (0.43 km2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John Frederick Adolphus McNair |
| Designated | 14 February 1992 |
| Reference no. | 24 |
The Istana houses the offices of the President and Prime Minister and is a venue for state events and important official functions.
The Istana is also the office of the prime minister of Singapore and contains Sri Temasek, the official residence of the prime minister since Singapore's independence in 1965, though none of the prime ministers have ever lived there.
The 106 acres (0.43 km2) estate was once part of the extensive nutmeg plantation of Mount Sophia. In 1867, the British colonial government acquired the land and built a mansion to be the official home of the British governor. This continued until 1959 when Singapore was granted self-governance, and the governor was replaced by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara, who was in turn replaced by the president of Singapore.