St. John’s College since 1912

The Common Room Evolution

St. John’s College opened its newly refurbished Students’ Common Room on April 25, 2019, when Professor Ian Holliday, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching & Learning), officiated the ceremony and unveiled a commemorative plaque. 

The Common Room, located on G/F of the Marden Wing and opened in 1955, was the Dining Hall until 1979, when the Aw Boon Haw Wing for undergraduates and the new Dining Hall were completed.  For the past 64 years, the Common Room has been a place for activities where students laugh, shed tears, and create St. Johnians’ memories.  The five-month refurbishment of the Common Room further facilitates St. Johnians to meet, socialise, and exchange views and ideas. 

A timeline installation, as part of the interior design, presents the unique history of the College and reminds St. Johnians of the ideals of Unity in Diversity, as the College embraces its new identity as an international residence.  Other new facilities include the Band Room and the College Archives Repository, making the Common Room the heart of the College’s communal life.  As part of the effort to revitalise the College’s facilities, the College Library was renovated in 2018.