The building with rows of brightly coloured shutters is the Old Hill Street Police Station at 140 Hill Street, Singapore 179369. From Clarke Quay MRT, head towards the river near Clarke Quay Central, then follow the route to Coleman Bridge. The building stands on the north bank side, at the junction of Hill Street and River Valley Road.
You can see the windows from the surrounding public pavements. Treat the stop as an exterior visit unless you are attending an event with its own entry instructions. The walk is easiest to plan around two points, Coleman Bridge for orientation and the Hill Street frontage for the façade.
- Landmark — Old Hill Street Police Station, 140 Hill Street.
- Nearest approach for this walk — Clarke Quay MRT and Coleman Bridge.
- Main sight — Rows of coloured shutters across the historic façade.
- Allow — Around 15 to 25 minutes for a short look and photos, plus your walk.
On this page
Walk from Clarke Quay MRT
Leave the station in the direction of Clarke Quay Central and the Singapore River. The shopping centre is on the south bank. Look for Coleman Bridge near the Hill Street end of this stretch and follow public pavements and crossings towards the north bank. If you are following a map, use 140 Hill Street as the destination. A pin for the Clarke Quay dining complex can take you farther along the river.
If you are already on the north bank around CQ @ Clarke Quay, keep the river as your reference and make for the Coleman Bridge end. Group members starting on opposite banks should agree on which side they will wait. ‘At Clarke Quay’ can refer to the MRT, the mall, the riverside district or the dining complex.
Where to pause for a photograph
Begin with a wide view from a public pavement where you can stand clear of the flow of people. This is a busy junction, so use marked crossings and wait for your group before moving. A position close to the building gives a stronger sense of its height. A little distance makes it easier to see several rows of shutters at once.
Take one wide frame and one close view that isolates a few windows. The wide frame shows how regularly the openings are spaced across the building. The close frame shows how paint and shadows change the look of otherwise similar details. If traffic or construction blocks your view, choose a different public vantage rather than trying to recover the same angle.
Why a former police station has these windows
The former station opened in 1934 and served the police force for decades. It was gazetted as a National Monument in 1998. The National Heritage Board’s Jubilee Walk account describes its renovation and reappearance in 2000 with the colourful windows that now make it easy to recognise.
The shutters tell the story of the building’s later public identity. The scale, symmetry and repeating openings tell another part of the story. Look down the façade and see whether you can pick out the underlying pattern before you focus on the changing colours.
What else is within an easy walk
For a river outing, return to Coleman Bridge and choose the bank you want to follow. If you are moving towards the Civic District, continue with a separate map pin for your next destination. The National Gallery and the historic buildings around the Padang reward a slower stop than a junction photograph.
A short family activity is to have each person pick a shutter colour and find another window in the same row. Then ask someone to explain how they knew they were looking at the same level. It works as a quick observation game while you wait for the rest of the group.
Plan for heat, rain and an evening visit
The building is visible from outside, so an exterior stop is easy to fit around a meal or river walk. Wet weather can make the pavement and junction less comfortable for a group. Use the nearby mall as an agreed meeting point if you need a covered start and check local conditions before the outdoor leg.
Daylight helps if you want to compare the colours across the full frontage. For an evening visit, let the view on the day determine your photograph. For a short outing, one clear façade view and a look back toward the river are enough.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rainbow-window building called?
It is the Old Hill Street Police Station, also described by the National Heritage Board as the Former Hill Street Police Station.
Is there a ticket for the outside view?
The exterior can be seen from surrounding public pavements.
Which bridge is closest for this route?
Use Coleman Bridge as the reference point when approaching from Clarke Quay Central.