CommercialCIVIC & COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONDistrict 6 · Downtown Core

Asian Civilisations Museum

Reviewed by Nathan TangUpdated 8 November 2026

Quick Summary

Asian Civilisations Museum is a commercial building in District 6 · Downtown Core, on land zoned CIVIC & COMMUNITY INSTITUTION under the URA Master Plan. ACRA records 0 live company registrations at this address.

The facts are here — now get the verdict on Asian Civilisations Museum.

Ask PropKaki

What are the key facts about Asian Civilisations Museum?

Key takeawayAsian Civilisations Museum is a commercial building in District 6 · Downtown Core, zoned CIVIC & COMMUNITY INSTITUTION.

Asset class: Commercial
Land-use zone: CIVIC & COMMUNITY INSTITUTION
Gross plot ratio: Subject to Evaluation
Tenure: Not on record
District / Area: District 6 · Downtown Core
Address: 1 Empress Place
Land area: 18,642 sqm
Completed: Not on record
Storeys: 3 (© OpenStreetMap contributors)
Submarket: City Hall / Bugis
Transactions on record: None recorded
Live listings: None
ACRA registrations: 0

No recorded transactions — this building has never generated a strata caveat (typically single-owner or lease-only stock). That is not missing data, and it says nothing about the building's value, occupancy or availability.

About Asian Civilisations Museum

Asian Civilisations Museum is a building in Downtown Core (District 06). It is located along Empress Place, Singapore 179555.

Under the URA Master Plan it sits on land zoned civic & community institution. It lies inside the Central Area.

It occupies roughly 18,642 sqm of land with about 16,448 sqm of gross floor area.

The nearest MRT is Raffles Place MRT, 366 m away (about a 6-minute walk). The closest bus stop (Supreme Ct) is 244 m away (about a 4-minute walk). One Raffles Place is 348 m away (about a 5-minute walk).

What is Asian Civilisations Museum zoned as?

Key takeawayAsian Civilisations Museum sits on land zoned CIVIC & COMMUNITY INSTITUTION, inside the Central Area.

Land-use zone: CIVIC & COMMUNITY INSTITUTION
Gross plot ratio: Subject to Evaluation
Urban design area: Udga
Central Area: Yes

URA has not published a fixed plot ratio for this site — the Master Plan records "EVA" (Subject to Evaluation), meaning intensity is decided case by case on application. Do not quote a plot ratio, and do not compute buildable GFA from it.

Run the full zoning report for this building →

What does space at Asian Civilisations Museum rent for?

Key takeawayNo street- or building-level rent is published here. Across District 6 retail, retail space rented at a median of $11.11 psf a month in 2026Q3, with the middle half of leases between $8.45 and $14.88. That is not this building's own rent, and never a quote for a particular unit.

Retail space — District 6 retail

Region band · 2026Q3

25th pct

$8.45

$90.91 psm

Median

$11.11

$119.62 psm

75th pct

$14.88

$160.15 psm

S$ per sq ft per month

A REGION BAND — URA's grid for the whole district or location, not this street or building. Say "across <district/location>, …", never that this building rents for it. The middle of URA's retail grid for District 6 across every floor and size band — a ground-floor shop and an upper-floor unit sit at very different points in it.

Source: URA REALIS retail rental analysis (district × floor × size grid).

Market context around Asian Civilisations Museum

Key takeawayBrokers' retail figures for this part of Singapore — a broker's market figure, not this building's rent.

CBRE, 2Q 2026 (island-wide)

Islandwide: Rent S$28.15 psf/mth

Singapore Figures Q2 2026

Cushman & Wakefield, 2Q 2026

Other City Areas: Rent S$21.21 psf/mth · Vacancy 7.4% (1Q 2026) · Planned / under construction 0.73m sq ft

Singapore Retail MarketBeat Q2 2026

Official series (URA, 2026Q3): Retail vacancy rate (Whole Island) 6.5 (-0.4 pp on the year) · Retail rental index (Central Region) 81.2 (+1.4% on the year).

Brokers draw submarkets and grades differently; each figure is the broker's own, for its own area, cited to its report. Rents are per square foot per month.

What's been approved at Asian Civilisations Museum?

Key takeawayURA has approved 2 changes of use at Asian Civilisations Museum since 2000, most recently in 2016. This is the building's planning history, not today's approved use of any unit: confirm a unit's approved use with URA before signing.

25 Jan 2024Renewed
Continued use as outdoor refreshment area
Continued use of part of the 1st storey walkway as outdoor refreshment area (ora)
25 Jan 2022Renewed
Continued use as outdoor refreshment area
Continued use of part of the 1st storey walkway as outdoor refreshment area (ora)
31 Jan 2020Renewed
Continued use as outdoor refreshment area
Continued use of part of the 1st storey walkway as outdoor refreshment area (ora)
12 Feb 2018Renewed
Continued use as outdoor refreshment area
Continued use of part of the 1st storey walkway as outdoor refreshment area (ora) at 1 empress place - asian civilisations museum (monument)
23 Sept 2016Approved
Additions & alterations
Proposed addition & alteration works to asian civilisations museum on lots 00367t pt, 00368a pt and 00373n pt ts10 at 1 empress place singapore 179555 (downtown core planning area)
17 Feb 2016Approved
Change of use to outdoor refreshment area
Proposed change of use of part of the 1st storey open walkway to outdoor refreshment area (ora) at 1 empress place - asian civilisations museum (monument)
1 Apr 2015Approved
Additions & alterations
Proposed addition & alteration works to asian civilisations museum on lots 00367t pt, 00368a pt and 00373n pt ts10 at 1 empress place singapore 179555 (downtown core planning area)
9 Jan 2015Approved
Additions & alterations
Proposed addition & alteration works to asian civilisation museum on lot 00277p ts10 at 1 empress place singapore 179555 (downtown core planning area)
26 Dec 2013Approved
Additions & alterations
Proposed amendment to approved a/a and new bin centre to existing asian civilisation museum on lot 00277p, ts10 at no. 1 empress place
22 May 2013Approved
Additions & alterations
Proposed addition and alteration involving a new bin centre to existing asian civilisation museum
9 Jan 2013Approved
Additions & alterations
Proposed addition & alteration works to asian civilisation museum
26 Nov 2008Approved
Additions & alterations
Proposed amednment to approved additions/alterations to existing asian civilisation museum

6 earlier change-of-use and A&A decisions are on record since 2000.

Source: URA planning decisions (URA Data Service), matched to this building by address or land lot. A past approval can lapse (a temporary permission) and belongs to the unit it names. The authoritative approved use of a unit comes from URA's Enquiry on Approved Use of Premises (S$54.50 per unit).

What do commercial rents run near Asian Civilisations Museum?

Key takeawayURA publishes contracted-rent percentile grids quarterly (latest: 2026Q3) — the benchmark evidence an asking rent should be weighed against.

Indicative area yield — District 6 retail

Gross yield (area)

5.5%

5.0% net of property tax

Rent side (median of bands)

$119.62 psm/mo

2026Q3

Price side (strata, 5y)

$2,413 psf

100 sales

An INDICATIVE AREA yield for District 6 retail — NOT this building's yield, and not any unit's. Commercial rents are published as a district percentile grid, so both halves describe the district.

Priced on STRATA sales only: rent is quoted per unit of lettable area, and commercial land PSF runs far above strata — mixing them would shift the ratio sharply.

Net deducts the 10% non-residential property tax ONLY — not vacancy, maintenance, agent fees, financing, or the 9% GST on purchase.

Retail rents — District 6 ($ psm/month, 2026Q3)

Floor level · size band	25th pct	Median	75th pct
B1 & Below · 30 & Below	$90.91	$119.62	$286.43
Level 1 · 30 & Below	$81.61	$93.33	$107.01
Level 4 & Above · 30 & Below	$80.57	$83.33	$94.29
Level 2 & 3 · 30 & Below	$76.01	$92.73	$109.89
Level 4 & Above · >30 - 100	$67.39	$75.36	$96.63
B1 & Below · >30 - 100	$144.93	$225.01	$270.37
Level 2 & 3 · >30 - 100	$66.18	$87.34	$123.84
Level 1 · >30 - 100	$128.26	$130.89	$160.15

Office rents — Central Area ($ psm/month, 2026Q3)

Building class · size band	25th pct	Median	75th pct
Category 2 · 100 & Below	$54.65	$69.39	$88.80
Category 1 · 100 & Below	$103.62	$122.24	$132.43
Category 1 · >100 - 200	$116.28	$126.99	$148.35
Category 2 · >100 - 200	$65.57	$82.87	$97.63
Category 1 · >200 - 500	$114.67	$128.09	$145.77
Category 2 · >200 - 500	$64.83	$82.57	$94.73
Category 1 · >500 - 1000	$106.56	$137.78	$148.23
Category 2 · >500 - 1000	$85.04	$89.34	$109.80

URA REALIS rental-contract percentiles for the district/location — an area benchmark, not this building's own rents. Office and retail are dimensioned differently and are never mixed.

What is near Asian Civilisations Museum?

Key takeawayThe nearest MRT/LRT is Raffles Place MRT, about 366 m away.

Getting around

Raffles Place MRT366 m · ~6 min

Amenities nearby

Empress Place · 68 mHotel · 149 mRaffles Place MRT Exit H · 239 mSupreme Ct · 244 mRafflesMedical (Singapore Land Tower) · 297 mOne Raffles Place · 348 mPlace Of Worship · 394 mMarket Street Hawker Centre · 434 mCold Storage Singapore (1983) Pte Ltd · 461 mEducational Institution · 820 m

Straight-line distances. Source: PropKaki amenities data.

Getting there and parking at Asian Civilisations Museum

Key takeawayThe nearest station is Raffles Place (EW14 / NS26), 239 m away — one of the busiest stations, with about 133,000 taps in and out on an average weekday. 15 public car parks are within 500 m.

Foot traffic: busier than 71% of retail buildings

nearest MRT/LRT Raffles Place (EW14/NS26) 239 m, about 133,000 taps a weekday; 8 more stations within 1 km; bus stops within 400 m: 5, about 13,000 taps a weekday; Downtown Core: 284,004 resident workers (Census 2020, by workplace); about 5,572 residents within 1 km (June 2026); 12 other malls within 1 km. Ranked against 12,856 retail buildings by PropKaki's model: a relative score, not a footfall count.

A relative score from PropKaki's model (station and bus taps nearby, workers and residents around, and competing malls), not a count of people.

Stations within 1 km

Raffles Place (EW14 / NS26)239 m · about 133,000 weekday taps
Clarke Quay (NE5)551 m · about 31,000 weekday taps
City Hall (NS25 / EW13)622 m · about 91,000 weekday taps
Telok Ayer (DT18)637 m · about 37,000 weekday taps
Esplanade (CC3)739 m · about 15,000 weekday taps

Taps are fare-card taps in and out at the station's gates on an average weekday (Jul 2026 to Sep 2026) — people passing through, not visitors to Asian Civilisations Museum. Transfers between lines don't tap, so interchanges read low.

Bus

5 bus stops within 400 m, with about 13,000 boardings and alightings on an average weekday.

Public car parks within 500 m

Circular Rd (URA)308 m
S$1.20 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 34 car lots
National Gallery (development car park)318 m
rates not published as open data
Backlane (Lor Telok - Circular Rd) (URA)325 m
Lor Telok (URA)352 m
S$1.20 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 21 car lots
North Canal Rd (URA)380 m
S$1.20 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 24 car lots

Nearest URA season parking: Mohd Sultan-River Vall Ey Road Area, 1.4 km away, S$80/month.

Public car parks only, by straight-line distance, with the operator's published rates. Asian Civilisations Museum's own car park, if it has one, and its charges are not in the open data.

Who's registered at Asian Civilisations Museum?

Key takeaway0 live companies (and LLPs and branches; sole proprietors are not counted) list Asian Civilisations Museum as their registered address. These are registered businesses, not who occupies the space.

Arts, entertainment and recreation
0

Registered businesses, not who occupies the space: companies, LLPs and branches whose REGISTERED address is this building (ACRA), by industry. Sole proprietors are not counted; no business is named. ACRA, as of 2026-09-16.

Frequently asked questions about Asian Civilisations Museum

Where is Asian Civilisations Museum?⌄

Asian Civilisations Museum is at 1 Empress Place, Singapore 179555, in the Downtown Core planning area.

What is Asian Civilisations Museum zoned as?⌄

Asian Civilisations Museum sits on land zoned civic & community institution under the URA Master Plan.

Have there been any recorded transactions at Asian Civilisations Museum?⌄

No caveats have been lodged for Asian Civilisations Museum in the URA records we track. That is common for buildings held by a single owner, which never generate strata transactions.

What is the nearest MRT station to Asian Civilisations Museum?⌄

Raffles Place MRT is the closest, 366 m away (about a 6-minute walk).

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Read the figures right

Year of completion is not on record for this building. Building age cannot be stated.

Submarket: PropKaki's own map from URA's planning subzones (CBD core, City Hall / Bugis, Orchard, city fringe, regional centres, suburban). Brokers draw these lines differently.

Changes of use: URA planning approvals recorded at this building since 2000 (any unit; renewals of a temporary permission not counted). History only — Past approvals are not today's approved use; check with URA's approved-use enquiry before signing. Never say a use is allowed, permitted or approved for a unit, and never say a use would be approved.

Station taps: average weekday fare-card taps in and out at the nearest MRT/LRT station (LTA DataMall). People passing the station's gates, not people visiting this building.

Foot-traffic score: PropKaki's relative score from nearby MRT and bus taps, workers and residents around (and, for retail, competing malls), ranked against buildings of the same kind. A percentile, not a count of people.

Company REGISTRATIONS at this address (ACRA), not a tenancy schedule. Registration does not mean the company physically occupies space here, and a low count does not mean the building is empty. Do not describe this as occupancy or vacancy.

Unbuilt GFA cannot be computed here — it needs BCA built-GFA, which covers about 5% of commercial buildings and no industrial ones. Zoning and plot ratio are on record; headroom is not.

Tenure is not recorded for this building. Commercial tenure coverage is roughly 40% (industrial is far better at ~90%).

Storeys: from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), volunteer-mapped, not an official record. Shown only because no official or listed floor count is held for this building.

Reviewed by Nathan Tang

Nathan Tang has over 10 years of property experience across condominiums, HDB flats and commercial property, specialising in property research and finance.

Figures draw on URA and JTC records, URA Master Plan zoning, ACRA registrations and live commercial-portal listings; building facts from PropKaki's submarket map, URA planning decisions, URA car park data (URA Data Service), LTA DataMall passenger volumes, PropKaki's foot-traffic model, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) — see our methodology. Last updated 8 November 2026. For general information, not financial advice.

Getting there and parking: LTA DataMall passenger volumes and car parks, URA Data Service car park rates, HDB and JTC car park information (data.gov.sg) and HDB's published parking charges, Census of Population 2020 and the Singapore Department of Statistics' June 2026 resident population (Singapore Open Data Licence). The foot-traffic score is PropKaki's own relative model, not a count.

Market context: figures cited from CBRE Research (Singapore Figures) and Cushman & Wakefield (Singapore MarketBeat), each with its quarter and report; flexible-workspace centres from the operators' public location lists; collective sales from marketing agents' announcements and news reports, each linked.

Rents: URA rental statistics for office and retail space by street (IRAS-stamped contracts), JTC J-SPACE rentals by building and by street, JTC price tenders, and URA REALIS rental grids. SLA tender results and JTC posted land rents are held for state and JTC land.