CHIJMES (pronounced “chimes”) is a historic building complex located right in the centre of downtown Singapore. It began life as a Catholic convent known as the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) and convent quarters known as Cadwell House. The construction of the Anglo-French Gothic-style CHIJ chapel was started in 1901 by Father Charles Benedict Nain, and it was completed and consecrated in 1904.

Much of the knowledge of the history and life of the convent comes from seven volumes of diaries that were meticulously kept by convent scribes. These diaries cover over a hundred years from 1851 to 1971; they are handwritten in French and entitled “Annales de Singapour”.

The last religious service in the chapel was held on 3 Nov 1983, after which the chapel was deconsecrated and the convent was closed. The complex was restored with great attention to detail and converted into a dining, shopping and entertainment centre. In a nod to history, the doorway where abandoned babies were once left was commemorated as the Gate of Good Hope. Both the chapel (now renamed as CHIJMES Hall and used as a multi-purpose function hall) and Cadwell House (now an art gallery) were gazetted as national monuments of Singapore in Oct 1990. In 2002, UNESCO awarded the Asia-Pacific Heritage Award (Merit) for Cultural Heritage Conservation to the CHIJMES restoration project.