Mr Xiong Shangfu, an overseas Chinese philanthropist, established the Nan Hwa Girls' School (NHGS) on 14 June 1917. His aim was to provide girls in Singapore with the opportunity of an education.
The NHGS had very humble beginnings in a makeshift school in Coleman Street. As the student population grew, in 1921, it moved to larger premises at Bencoolen Street. In 1941, a new school building was constructed at Adis Road. The Adis Road building (ie the Main School) conducted training classes for teachers and primary classes. The Bencoolen Street building (ie the Branch School) was retained and catered for primary classes only.
In that same year, the Japanese invaded Singapore. As a result, the school was forced to close. In October 1945, the school re-opened after the return of the Allied forces. With the overwhelming financial support of many parents, secondary classes were also set up and the enrolment rose. The school's name was officially changed to Nan Hwa Girls' High School in 1956.
A third move took place on 12 December 1982 when the school moved from Adis Road to Clementi Avenue 1.
Designed in the Art Deco style, the main building at Adis Road is a key identity marker for the area, owing to its visual prominence as one drives up the hill. It is a 3-storey building, characterized by formal symmetry and functional design. The front façade comprises a solid central bay with 2 wings extended gracefully on both sides.
The layout is adapted to the tropical climate, with double corridors lining both sides of the classrooms to aid the movement of air. Thin concrete ledges which act as sunshading devices, provide a delicate counterfoil to the solid concrete walls. Detail features such as the geometry of the balustrades is echoed in the design of the transom panels. The result is a harmonious and well-balanced composition of visual elements across the façade of the building.