Clifford Pier was a former pier located beside Collyer Quay at Marina Bay within the Downtown Core of the Central Area, Singapore. The pier, which opened in 1933, ceased operations in 2006. In 2008 the site was converted into a restaurant, One On The Bund, with Chinese cuisine. This restaurant closed in 2014 and was replaced by another restaurant, The Clifford Pier, which offers a selection of local, Asian, and Western dishes under the operations of the Fullerton Bay Hotel.
Clifford Pier was built between 1927 and 1933, and was named after Sir Hugh Clifford, the former Governor of the Straits Settlements between 1927 and 1929. Its opening on 3 June 1933 was boycotted by merchants as they wanted the old name, Johnston's Pier, reinstated. The ScottishAlexander Laurie Johnston was one of the earliest distinguished European residents who was in Singapore at about the same time as Sir Stamford Raffles. A friend of the latter, Johnston was one of Singapore's first businessmen and the founder of the Chamber of Commerce. He was a popular and well-respected citizen whose business was directly connected in those days with imports and exports to and from Europe, ships' victualling and supplies. This meant that ships' captains called frequently on Johnston, who was well known for his kindness, wisdom and hospitality. Johnston established his company on the site of Whiteaway's Building and in 1848 moved to the present Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank site. In order to facilitate the transportation of import and export goods from boats, a pier was built by the company and named after Johnston. Like its predecessor Johnston's Pier, the Hoklos also called it ang theng beh thow, meaning "red lamp harbour", referring to a red oil lampbeacon which shone over the pier at night as a warning to ships. Sir Hugh Clifford, on the other hand, although a highly regarded man, had no connection with the port of Singapore or its amenities other than the fact that he was the governor. His activities were largely occupied with his visits to the Malay States and in particular Pahang, the scene of much of his earlier service. Clifford Pier was a landing point for immigrants and other sea passengers. The pier was later used as a terminal for tourists and day trippers who boarded small boats and ferries heading for the Southern Islands. During the annual pilgrimage season to Kusu Island, regular ferries departed from Clifford Pier to the island. Clifford Pier ceased operations on 1 April 2006, and was replaced by the Marina South Pier.
Architecture
Clifford Pier was designed by the Public Works Department, where Frank Dorrington Ward was then the Chief Architect in the 1930s. The pier has a simple but unique architecture with a roof structure comprising concrete arched trusses in a riband form. Details, such as brackets and even the fire hosecabinets, were evidently designed with much consideration.
With the construction of the Marina Barrage, a dam across the Marina Channel which will convert the existing Marina Bay into a reservoir, the existing Clifford Pier has ceased operations on 1 April 2006. The Marina South Pier has been constructed at Marina South and was opened in April 2006 to replace the existing Clifford Pier. The existing 26,000 square metre Clifford Pier site including its adjacent former Customs Harbour Branch building has been safeguarded for conservation, and its surrounding land parcels are currently being developed into a retail, leisure, entertainment and hotel centre.
Redevelopment
After 18 months of renovation costing S$6 million, the premises was leased to Calvin Yeung, a famed Hong Kongrestaurateur, his upscale Chinese restaurant One On The Bund was opened on the former pier in 11 December 2008. Yeung's restaurant was closed in early 2014 when its lease ended. , Fullerton Bay Hotel, Singapore On May 2014, a new restaurant was reopened on the former pier under the same namesake The Clifford Pier, as part of the Fullerton Bay Hotel, offering a wide selection of local, Asian, and Western dishes.
