Sunday, November 02, 2008

Old Buildings Quiz No. 9

Recently I was engaged by the Singapore Productivity Association to conduct some training for a group of foreign professionals. I blogged about it here. The training was conducted at a place called the EDB Learning Centre located at Jalan Bukit Merah.

Question – What was the name of this place before, when it was first built?






Answers (03 November 2008)

Anonymous has already given the answer. It’s the Japan-Singapore Institute. Not sure which year it was inaugurated; but I think it must be around the mid-70’s. At that time there were 3 technological institutes that we set up with the aid of the advanced countries. These were:

1) Japan-Singapore Institute of Software Technology
2) German-Singapore Institute of Production Technology, and
3) French-Singapore Institute of Electrotechnology.


The German and French institutes were located in Jurong Town Hall – Science Centre Road (see 1981 map below). I think one of them is now home to the Informatics Group.

But YG also pointed out that in 1989 it was part of the Nanyang Polytechnic campus. So I checked the NYP website and learned that these 3 institutes were in fact the predecessors of NYP.

16 comments:

Unknown said...

is that the old HDB Center?

PChew said...

It was called the NPB building

Lam Chun See said...

Wrong. Both HDB Centre and NPB Building (now called Spring Building) are at Bt Merah Central and are much newer and bigger than this one. By the way, I know the NPB Building quite well having moved in from day 1 in 1986 from Cuppage Centre. Maybe shd blog about it one day.

Anyway, I have just added a map of the exact location. On the map, it is called PSB Academy.

Anonymous said...

My 1975 street directory says it's the Singapore Glass Manufacturers. But I don't think the building is actually that old, or is it? Hmm.

Anonymous said...

Singapore Glass Mfg was on the Henderson Road side; nearer to the Henderson Road entry into the AYE.

Let me try as I not so familiar with Jalan Bukit Merah. Could it be a technical school?

Anonymous said...

VITB?

Lam Chun See said...

Peter is right. It is not Spore Glass Mfrs which was nearer to Henderson Rd side; near to junction with Depot Rd. (BTW, there is no entrance to CTE there)

But he is wrong - it was not VITB.

Lam Chun See said...

BTW, the Google map is incorrect is calling it PSB Academy. PSB Academy main campus is at Jalan Bt Ho Swee further up from this map. PSB Academy only occupies a section of this complex.

Lam Chun See said...

Want some hints? But if I give a hint, the older ones surely will recall this place becos at that time quite a bit of publicity given to it.

Anonymous said...

It was JSTI. I was 6th intake & graduated in 1988.

yg said...

according to my 1989 street directory, it is the nanyang polytechnic (business) bukit merah campus.

Anonymous said...

I thot we were supposed to pump details out of our memory bank and not refer to guide-books. Like that not fair!

yg said...

peter, memory bank got no record of it or it just cannot register, so 'cheat' a bit. nowadays, exams got open book type.
anyway, my answer may not be correct or the answer that chun see is looking for.

Lam Chun See said...

Cheat? For guys of your generation that mean punishment by writing 100 lines :)

Anyway, it's not the answer I was looking for. The answer already given by Anonymous who graduated from this institute.

Icemoon said...

100 lines become 20 lines using Peter's magic pen .. lol

Anonymous said...

5 pens mean that there will be a big difference in the handwriting. usually we try to be consistent, so opt for max= 3 pens.