The chance to visit Eden Hall – home to the British High Commissioner was a privilege we could not decline. In celebration of the King’s Birthday, which fell on 15 June, the British High Commission Singapore held an Eden Hall Open House for the public on 22 June 2024.
Eden Hall is not only a beautiful colonial building that has years of heritage, it is also the official residence of the British High Commissioner to Singapore.
History of Eden Hall
The mansion sits at 28 Nassim Road and comprises 14,000 square feet of residential estate. It was owned by Iraqi-Jewish merchant Ezekiel Saleh Manesseh and designed by R.A.J. Bidwell – the same man behind Raffles Hotel and Goodwood Park Hotel.
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The name “Eden Hall” was taken from a small glass beaker known as The Luck of Edenhall which dates from the 14th century. The 600-year-old beaker was believed to belong to fairies; a picture of it can be found hanging at the entrance of Eden Hall.
The grand mansion has distinguishing Wedgwood Jasperware-like sprig relief type patterns on its façade. The grey and white exteriors are reflective of the Regency style, with a wraparound veranda, and a central entrance hall flanked by reception rooms and double-leafed doors.
The mansion has inspired nicknames such as “The Wedding Cake” and “Wedgwood House”.
It was originally used as a boarding house, before becoming the family home of the Manasseh clan.
Tour of the Eden Hall
We were very honoured to be guided on a tour by none other than Kara Owen, the British High Commissioner of Singapore. We started at the main entrance where the British Coat of arms can be seen.
As we entered the entrance hall, we could see different kinds of artwork displayed, from Singaporean artist Kim Lim’s Waterpiece to British artists’ works in the form of art pieces, tapestries and even curtains and other furnishings.
There is also information available about the history of the house, the architecture and the Manesseh family .
The floor plans of Eden Hall have been largely unchanged since 120 years ago.
Next, we visited the drawing room, which had Leslie Cole’s painting of Singapore in 1945 was displayed. This was also where Her Excellency holds meetings, or when emptied, used as part of the space for parties. What was interesting was that the curtain designs were inspired by the Luck of Eden Hall with its bright multi-coloured shapes.
We then entered the dining room – which was probably the room which drew the loudest “oohs and ahhs”.
This is where banquets are held for the heads of states and dignitaries from both Britain and Singapore.
In the past, Eden Hall was used for the Manesseh family’s entertaining as well as wedding receptions, galas, parties and other high-brow family functions. We could see this on the second floor of Eden Hall. The space was used for dancing and it was designed to accommodate more space for parties.
The verdant grounds of the surrounding estate could also be seen from the second floor.
One can also see the unique wrought-iron spindles in the shape of “M” for Manesseh. The owners of the mansion were concerned that these would be removed during the Japanese Occupation hence were boarded up for protection.
Thankfully, Eden Hall was well taken care of by a Japanese admiral during the war, resulting in the retention of the ornate touches.
The sunroom also has its original tiles – octagonal-shaped with patterns of brown, beige and maroon clay.
Eden Hall at Nassim Road
We were thrilled to visit a slice of Britain in Singapore and was very honoured to experience the hospitality of the British High Commissioner Owen.
During the Eden Hall Open House, visitors could also purchase food and drinks from vendors and indulge in British pies, fish and chips, tea, cookies, craft beer and even meet Percy Pig.
For future opportunities to visit Eden Hall, do look out for event updates on the British High Commission Singapore’s website.
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