An immersive guide to the President's official residence
Before the Istana was the Istana, it was known as the Government House. And 150 years ago, plans were being made to construct it at its current site, which used to be a nutmeg plantation.
It was not far from Fort Canning, where the first Government House was built, then torn down.
Public Works Department chief engineer John McNair was tasked with designing the new Government House. His plans went through two rounds of changes before a third set of blueprints was finally approved when it featured a big enough building.
