Ten national monuments are located within the Museum Planning Area , namely the Armenian Church , the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd , Cathay Building ( now The Cathay ) , the Central Fire Station , the House of Tan Yeok Nee , the MacDonald House , the Old Tao Nan School ( Peranakan Museum ) , the National Museum of Singapore , the Old Hill Street Police Station and the Singapore Art Museum/Former Saint Joseph 's Institution . The area is home to significant events such as the Battle of Singapore and MacDonald House bombing . Other historical sites include : The Museum Planning Area is bordered by Rochor to the northeast , the Downtown Core to the southeast , the Singapore River Area to the southwest , River Valley to the west and Newton and Orchard to the northwest . The area is roughly bounded by Hill Street , River Valley Road , Clemenceau Avenue and Bras Basah Road . It is the smallest urban planning area , with an area of 83 hectares . Parks and open spaces take up a third of the area of the Museum Planning Area , and include Fort Canning , Istana Park and Bras Basah Park , which can be used for recreational purposes . Collectively , these places will form the so-called ' green lung ' of the Central Area . Terraces have been proposed to allow for " a more prominent and convenient access " to the Fort Canning area
MacDonald House bombing
MacDonald House bombing
Museum Planning Area