The first market built in Singapore, a fish market, was located on the south bank of the Singapore River near the north end of the Market Street.
 On 4 November 1822, as part of his general plan to remodel the town, Stamford Raffles issued an instruction to relocate the fish market to Telok Ayer.

The construction of the Telok Ayer Market started in 1823 under the supervision of police officer Francis James Bernard at a site on the southern end of Market Street on Telok Ayer Bay.
The market, a timber-and-atap structure, opened in 1824.
It was built on the shore with part of its structure extended out to the sea, so waste from the market may be washed away by the tides and produce can be loaded or unloaded directly from boats via jetties.
However, the building was not well-constructed – the timber piles on which the building rest on was not sturdy enough, and needed to be replaced soon after completion.
Its atap roof also did not comply with building regulations and was therefore replaced with tiles.
However, the structure was not strong enough to support a tile roof and was in danger of collapse, it had to be replaced with atap again in 1827 regardless of fire regulation.
The building was repeatedly repaired but by 1830, the structure was judged to be in an "extremely unsafe state" and needed to be rebuilt.
 A temporary market was erected in 1832 while a newer building awaited construction.

The construction of a new market, designed by architect George Drumgoole Coleman, commenced on the same site in 1836 and it was completed in 1838.
Coleman produced an octagonal building with ornamental columns at the entrance.
The building had twice the area of the older market, and was formed of an outer and inner drum, with the colonnade of the outer drum letting in light but also providing shelter from the sun and rain.
This building was built on two octagonal rings of brick piers, which supported a structure 125 feet in diameter, and an inner drum 40 feet in diameter.
As with the previous structure, it suffered from its exposure to the monsoons and the sea, and soon after its construction, concerns over its safety were voiced, and the market needed to be repaired.
In 1841, the market was extended on one side of the main building under the supervision of contractor Denis McSwiney with the erection of a new fish market.
This new structure was a long open shed, and it was later further extended to run roughly parallel to two sides of the octagonal market.
The extension would help protect the main market by serving as a breakwater to reduce the force of the swells and surf from the east.
Despite concerns over its safety for many years, it stood for over 40 years until it was demolished when land was reclaimed on Telok Ayer Bay.
The prominence of the market on the waterfront made the building a landmark of early Singapore.
The first market built in Singapore, a fish market, was located on the south bank of the Singapore River near the north end of the Market Street.  On 4 November 1822, as part of his general plan to remodel the town, Stamford Raffles issued an instruction to relocate the fish market to Telok Ayer. 
The construction of the Telok Ayer Market started in 1823 under the supervision of police officer Francis James Bernard at a site on the southern end of Market Street on Telok Ayer Bay. The market, a timber-and-atap structure, opened in 1824. It was built on the shore with part of its structure extended out to the sea, so waste from the market may be washed away by the tides and produce can be loaded or unloaded directly from boats via jetties. However, the building was not well-constructed – the timber piles on which the building rest on was not sturdy enough, and needed to be replaced soon after completion. Its atap roof also did not comply with building regulations and was therefore replaced with tiles. However, the structure was not strong enough to support a tile roof and was in danger of collapse, it had to be replaced with atap again in 1827 regardless of fire regulation. The building was repeatedly repaired but by 1830, the structure was judged to be in an "extremely unsafe state" and needed to be rebuilt.  A temporary market was erected in 1832 while a newer building awaited construction.
The construction of a new market, designed by architect George Drumgoole Coleman, commenced on the same site in 1836 and it was completed in 1838. Coleman produced an octagonal building with ornamental columns at the entrance. The building had twice the area of the older market, and was formed of an outer and inner drum, with the colonnade of the outer drum letting in light but also providing shelter from the sun and rain. This building was built on two octagonal rings of brick piers, which supported a structure 125 feet in diameter, and an inner drum 40 feet in diameter. As with the previous structure, it suffered from its exposure to the monsoons and the sea, and soon after its construction, concerns over its safety were voiced, and the market needed to be repaired. In 1841, the market was extended on one side of the main building under the supervision of contractor Denis McSwiney with the erection of a new fish market. This new structure was a long open shed, and it was later further extended to run roughly parallel to two sides of the octagonal market. The extension would help protect the main market by serving as a breakwater to reduce the force of the swells and surf from the east. Despite concerns over its safety for many years, it stood for over 40 years until it was demolished when land was reclaimed on Telok Ayer Bay. The prominence of the market on the waterfront made the building a landmark of early Singapore.
Lau Pa Sat