History of Change Alley
Change Alley acquired its current name on 11 November 1890
Change Alley is a lane located in the downtown core of the central region. Stretching from Raffles Place to Collyer Quay, Change Alley was the site of a bazaar that became famed for the diversity of goods available at bargain prices and its numerous money changers. It closed in 1989 and has since reopened at its former site as a multistorey shopping arcade.
History:
- Change Alley acquired its current name on 11 November 1890 – a decision made by the municipal commissioners, who deliberated between “Change Lane” and “Change Alley”. The lane was likely named after the trading hub known as Exchange Alley (also referred to as Change Alley) in London, England, as Singapore’s Change Alley was historically a place where locals conducted barter trade with regional sea merchants and Europeans. Some also believe that its name was derived from the large number of Indian money changers there.
- Although Change Alley had yet to become a famous destination in the 1920s, it was already a recognised meeting place for European buyers and Asian brokers. Since there were only a few stalls located in the alley at the time, it served as a convenient thoroughfare for pedestrians to get from Collyer Quay to Raffles Place.
Description and activities:
- From the early 1930s, the bazaar in the approximately 100-metre-long Change Alley gained a reputation for its hustle and bustle. Besides the presence of money changers, there was also a thriving market where Chinese dealers traded in gambier, pepper, copra, tin and other types of produce, alongside compradors serving the European merchants. Change Alley had become an attraction for tourists who came to Singapore by ship, as well as sailors. They arrived at Clifford Pier along Collyer Quay and made their way from the seafront to Raffles Place through this narrow alley.
- By the mid-20th century, the goods and services sold in Change Alley had diversified dramatically. These ranged from clothes, briefcases, watches, toys, fishing accessories to handicrafts, souvenirs, tailoring, and shoe polish and cobbler services. Besides small shops and makeshift tables, roving salesmen also made their rounds with a wooden box containing their wares such as pens and watches.9 An improvised awning for the alley was created using zinc, plastic or canvas sheets that sometimes could not prevent leaks on rainy days.
- Bargaining for goods and touting by stallholders were key features of shopping at Change Alley. Although the alley was narrow, congested and stuffy, it is fondly remembered by locals as an atmospheric and unique place in modern Singapore.
- Due to the diverse customer base, some shopkeepers picked up phrases in various languages including French, German, Italian and Russian so as to conduct business with the foreigners. The money changers, most of whom were Indians, ran their business within their own shops. There were also illegal money changers stationed at both entrances of the alley, touting their currencies at flexible exchange rates.
- In 1973, following a revamp of Clifford Pier, the Change Alley Aerial Plaza, an air-conditioned shopping arcade, opened on the bridge linking the pier to Change Alley.
Closure and reopening:
- Business at Change Alley, which sat on prime land, saw a dwindling number of customers in the 1980s. This was attributed to a number of reasons such as the decline in sea travel, competition with modern air-conditioned shopping centres, and the withdrawal of foreign troops from Singapore. On 30 April 1989, the shops in Change Alley opened for the last time after a period of bargain sales to clear stocks. Affected stallholders were offered the option of renting sundry and cooked-food stalls at markets and food centres.
- At the Collyer Quay side, the entrance to Change Alley was at the four-storey Winchester House, which had existed since 1905. On the other end of the alley at Raffles Place was Shell House, a 14-storey office block completed in 1960 and renamed Singapore Rubber House after it was sold in 1976. These two buildings were demolished after Change Alley was cleared out. Change Alley returned following the completion of Caltex House (now known as Chevron House) and Hitachi Tower (now 16 Collyer Quay) in 1993 on the sites of Singapore Rubber House and Winchester House respectively – albeit as an air-conditioned shopping arcade flanked by the two skyscrapers.
Change Alley
Change Alley is a lane located in the downtown core of the central region. Stretching from Raffles Place to Collyer Quay, Change Alley was the site of a bazaar that became famed for the diversity of goods available at bargain prices and its numerous money changers. It closed in 1989 and has since reopened at its former site as a multistorey shopping arcade.
History:
- Change Alley acquired its current name on 11 November 1890 – a decision made by the municipal commissioners, who deliberated between “Change Lane” and “Change Alley”. The lane was likely named after the trading hub known as Exchange Alley (also referred to as Change Alley) in London, England, as Singapore’s Change Alley was historically a place where locals conducted barter trade with regional sea merchants and Europeans. Some also believe that its name was derived from the large number of Indian money changers there.
- Although Change Alley had yet to become a famous destination in the 1920s, it was already a recognised meeting place for European buyers and Asian brokers. Since there were only a few stalls located in the alley at the time, it served as a convenient thoroughfare for pedestrians to get from Collyer Quay to Raffles Place.
Description and activities:
- From the early 1930s, the bazaar in the approximately 100-metre-long Change Alley gained a reputation for its hustle and bustle. Besides the presence of money changers, there was also a thriving market where Chinese dealers traded in gambier, pepper, copra, tin and other types of produce, alongside compradors serving the European merchants. Change Alley had become an attraction for tourists who came to Singapore by ship, as well as sailors. They arrived at Clifford Pier along Collyer Quay and made their way from the seafront to Raffles Place through this narrow alley.
- By the mid-20th century, the goods and services sold in Change Alley had diversified dramatically. These ranged from clothes, briefcases, watches, toys, fishing accessories to handicrafts, souvenirs, tailoring, and shoe polish and cobbler services. Besides small shops and makeshift tables, roving salesmen also made their rounds with a wooden box containing their wares such as pens and watches. An improvised awning for the alley was created using zinc, plastic or canvas sheets that sometimes could not prevent leaks on rainy days.
- Bargaining for goods and touting by stallholders were key features of shopping at Change Alley. Although the alley was narrow, congested and stuffy, it is fondly remembered by locals as an atmospheric and unique place in modern Singapore.
- Due to the diverse customer base, some shopkeepers picked up phrases in various languages including French, German, Italian and Russian so as to conduct business with the foreigners. The money changers, most of whom were Indians, ran their business within their own shops. There were also illegal money changers stationed at both entrances of the alley, touting their currencies at flexible exchange rates.
- In 1973, following a revamp of Clifford Pier, the Change Alley Aerial Plaza, an air-conditioned shopping arcade, opened on the bridge linking the pier to Change Alley.
Closure and reopening:
- Business at Change Alley, which sat on prime land, saw a dwindling number of customers in the 1980s. This was attributed to a number of reasons such as the decline in sea travel, competition with modern air-conditioned shopping centres, and the withdrawal of foreign troops from Singapore. On 30 April 1989, the shops in Change Alley opened for the last time after a period of bargain sales to clear stocks. Affected stallholders were offered the option of renting sundry and cooked-food stalls at markets and food centres.
- At the Collyer Quay side, the entrance to Change Alley was at the four-storey Winchester House, which had existed since 1905. On the other end of the alley at Raffles Place was Shell House, a 14-storey office block completed in 1960 and renamed Singapore Rubber House after it was sold in 1976. These two buildings were demolished after Change Alley was cleared out. Change Alley returned following the completion of Caltex House (now known as Chevron House) and Hitachi Tower (now 16 Collyer Quay) in 1993 on the sites of Singapore Rubber House and Winchester House respectively – albeit as an air-conditioned shopping arcade flanked by the two skyscrapers.
Change Alley
Change Alley is an air-conditioned shopping arcade in the financial district of Raffles Place in Downtown Core planning area of Singapore. Flanked by the skyscrapers Chevron House and Hitachi Tower, it is an alley that links Raffles Place and Collyer Quay. It was renovated to what it is today in 1989, replacing the old Change Alley whose history dates back as far as 1819.
History:
- 1819: Owing to the poor geographical location of the beach front stretching from Esplanade to Rochor River as the prior trading site, Raffles shifted the commercial centre to the South Bank of Singapore (today's South Boat Quay), nearer to the mouth of the Singapore River, where waters were less shallow and more accessible.
- 1822: Raffles Place was designated as the planned business center of SG in Raffles’ Town Plan. However, at that point of time, the area was unoccupied, swampy land cut through with creeks and covered with jungle and mangrove trees. It had to be reclaimed. A small hill at the end of Tanjong Singapura (today's Raffles Place) was levelled to use the soil to fill up the SouthWest bank of Singapore River.[2] Architect George D. Coleman was involved in the land reclamation.
- 1858: The commercial square was later renamed Raffles Place.
- 1890: Change Alley acquired its name after a trading hub known as Exchange Alley in London and maybe from the large number of Indian money changers there. It became a place where locals conducted barter trade with regional sea merchants and Europeans.
- 1905: 4-storey Winchester House was built at the entrance to Change Alley at the Collyer Quay side.
- 1920s: 5-storey Shell House was built at the start of this decade at the entrance to Change Alley at the Raffles Place, it was later completed in 1960 as a 14-storey office block and renamed Singapore Rubber House. Change Alley was not famous yet but recognized as a meeting place for European buyers and Asian brokers. There were only a few stalls then so it served as a convenient thoroughfare for pedestrians to get from Collyer Quay to Raffles Place.
- 1930s: The 100-metre long informal space gained reputation for its increasing hustle and bustle. There was the presence of money changers, a thriving market where Chinese dealers traded in gambier, pepper, copra, tin and other types of produce alongside compradors serving the European merchants. It soon became a tourist attraction during this period, for both tourists and sailors who came to Singapore by ship, arriving at Clifford Pier and making their way from the seafront to Raffles Place through this narrow alley.
- 1950s: Owing to the growing number of patrons and sellers, goods and services diversified dramatically. It began to include clothes, briefcases, watches, toys, fishing accessories, handicrafts, souvenirs, tailoring, and shoe polish and cobbler services. Infrastructure-wise, Change Alley was made up of small shops and makeshift tables, roving salesmen with their wooden boxes containing wares such as pens and watches. Improvised awning for the alley was created using zinc, plastic or canvas sheets that sometimes failed to prevent leaks on rainy days. Change Alley grew even narrower, congested and stuffy. Shopkeepers could speak phrases in various languages such as French, German, Italian and even Russian to conduct business.[4] Money changes, most of whom were Indians, ran their businesses within their own shops. Bargaining and touting were key features of the alley. This created an atmospheric and unique place modern Singapore that continued to be fondly remembered by locals.
- 1973: Following a revamp of Clifford Pier, Change Alley Aerial Plaza opened on the bridge linking the pier to Change Alley.
- 1980s: Change Alley saw a dwindling of customers due to a few reasons: Decline in sea travel, competition with modern air-conditioned shopping centers, and withdrawal of foreign troops from Singapore.
- April 1989: After a period of bargain sales to clear stocks in April, shops in Change Alley opened for the last time. Affected stallholders were offered the option of renting sundry and cooked-food stalls at markets and food centers. Winchester House and Shell House (also known as Singapore Rubber House) were both demolished after Change Alley cleared out.
- 1993: Change Alley returned following the completion of Caltex/Chevron House (replaced Singapore Rubber House) in this year and Hitachi Tower (replaced Winchester House) the year before this.[1] The newly revamped Change Alley, which is an air-conditioned shopping arcade flanked by 2 skyscrapers, was established.
As of 2017, Change Alley sits in the second floor of Hitachi Tower at 16 Collyer Quay. The short stretch of shops along the lanes in the shape of an 'F' are flanked by salons, tailors, boutique shops that sells shoes and clothes, and a florist. It serves mostly the expatriate workforce and the higher-earning white collar workers in the Central Business District. To locals' knowledge, the area of Change Alley stretches into the overhead bridge, which is known as OUE Link presently. Change Alley has undergone many changes, from a bustling, hot and stuffy narrow lane filled with diverse tenants seeking to earn a buck to a posh and clean shopping lane with a vastly different demographic of tenants and patrons.
Change Alley
Change Alley, a narrow lane between the Winchester House and Singapore Rubber House, was once famous for its money-changers, both legal and illegal, and rows of little retail stores. It had existed for a century as a hotspot of trading activities that involved everything from clothes and bags to toys and souvenirs. During its heydays, visitors had to squeeze their ways through the congested walkways for their bargain-hunting.
The Singapore Rubber House was a 15-storey landmark that faced the Collyer Quay. It was previously known as the Shell House, which started as a five-storey building since 1920. The Winchester House, on the other hand, was built in 1906.
By the late eighties, the businesses at Change Alley had dwindled rapidly due to the decreasing number of foreign sailors and military personnel visiting Singapore. In 1989, the buildings of the Winchester House and Singapore Rubber House were demolished, bringing along with them the permanent closure of the old Change Alley.
