Students
Capitol Singapore used to be a place where students from St. Joseph's Institution at Bras Basah Road and CHIJ established at the corner of Bras Basah and Victoria Street, went to by choice. Despite earning the title of being a popular hang out and dating spot in the olden days,
it is now, irrevocably, more of a novelty and a place they go to by chance (or duty).
PAST
Q: Can you tell us about your experience when you watched a movie at Capitol Theatre?
A: We caught the 1.15pm show and it was so empty, there were only 9-10 people including us. But watching Finding Dory in a big theatre like Capitol Theatre's was a movie experience like never before. It made the show come to life as it was shown on a big screen with the most beautiful interior to support it.
-Vanessa Tan, 2018
PRESENT
As an old SJI boy, Capitol Singapore was a popular hangout spot especially when us boys wanted to bring the CHIJ girls out on a date. When I was a student, SJI was still at Bras Basah road, so it made travelling easy and dates even easier.
-Liew KK, 1980
Working Adults
Any adult with a memory of Capitol Singapore would definitely mention watching a movie there and/ or the hawker centres from High Street and Hock Lam Street which eventually moved to Funan Centre and Hill Street Centre in 1985. Recalling the famous Cai Tow Kueh fried with prawn as well as the Indian Rojak, the cinema and hawker centres had played important roles in their time at Capitol Singapore. Now a common lunch spot only because of the free parking, Capitol Singapore no longer possesses the same recognition and memory among adults as it did in the past.
PAST
PRESENT
What we also enjoyed very much was to go eat the Indian rojak at Bras Basah (across the road from the old SJI). The road perpendicular to SJI had one side of the street lined with food stalls.
-Boon, 1969
FREE LUNCH TIME PARKING from 12pm to 2pm daily.
No minimum spend required.
Simply drive through the gantry between the mentioned time to be eligible.
Shoppers
Shoppers of the past frequented Capitol Singapore for MPH, Bata and the stores at Capitol Shopping Centre, which was the first resettlement centre for shops along South Bridge Road. The shoppers back in the day ranged from students - usually old SJI boys and CHIJ girls - to adults. Currently, the shoppers who frequent Capitol Singapore include the higher-income individuals, looking to pamper themselves or pick up a new watch (or two), and tourists.
PAST
PRESENT
I had visited the bookstore on a few occasions as a child - it was at the store (there was a toy department in the store) at the end of the 1960s, that my parents bought a foam Mickey Mouse doll for my younger sister from which she promptly bit the nose off.
CAPITOL PIAZZA is a redevelopment from and on site of the already seasoned Capitol Theatre. Now it doesn't have shops selling international branded items, it has shops selling unique products such as paintings, handicrafts, designer garments, etc.
Couples/ Families
Home to the Magnolia Snack Bar, Capitol Singapore was a popular date spot and family day location for couples and families back in olden-day Singapore. Popular amongst the kids for their milkshakes and amongst couples for the variety of films, Capitol Singapore saw many couples and families populating the area on weekends. Yet, for today's families and couples, it is presently merely a place of memories, or convenience. For parents who want to show their kids a thing or two about Singapore in the 70's, or couples who walk through Capitol to get to Raffles City. The neon Art Deco sign is also a popular background for photos.
PAST
PRESENT
...Then Mum would take me to the Magnolia Snack Bar for vanilla and chocolate ice cream which comes in little stainless steel cups. If I was really good, I get to order an ice cream sundae. My favourite was the Merry Widow which was a really strange name for an ice cream but it made me remember it even more after all these years.
Saw the Capitol Theatre neon light sign and immediately took this as another Instagram opportunity! #neonlights #instagrammoment #maypacrosslegstalaga #retrovibe