Church of the Blessed Sacrament

It’s hard to miss the “origami” roof of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Queenstown.

It mimics “the tent of meetings’’, where Catholics believed God met his followers in the desert. The folded shape drapes downwards to wrap the interior with portions touching the ground, reminiscent of a tent’s anchoring pegs. The building was designed by Y.G. Dowsett and completed in 1965.

Since its establishment as the first catholic church in Queenstown, the Church of the Blessed Sacrament has contributed generously to the neighbourhood. From the beginning, a portion of fundraising for construction costs went towards supporting causes in Queenstown, such as underprivileged children. Its kindergarten serves about 200 children with about 80% of its attendees from other faiths. The church provides daily meals to less fortunate residents in Queenstown, regardless of religion. The various services there include Tagalog masses and Tamil prayer groups, providing an inclusive reach to everyone in need of comfort. Until 2003, the church also played host to a unique attraction in Queenstown: a miniature farm on-site with resident monkeys, goats and dogs!

In 2005, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) accorded the church’s building conservation status. As one of URA’s 7,000 conserved buildings, the Church of the Blessed Sacrament’s building is now protected for its contribution to Singapore’s built heritage. Queenstown’s church with the “origami” roof is an architectural gem that also shines with neighbourly goodwill.