However, the contractors instead proposed strengthening the soil to allow the boring of tunnels, which was accepted by the MRT Corporation (MRTC).

[10][11] In April 2007, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that Bugis station would be part of the first stage of the Downtown line (DTL).

[13] Construction of the station was expected to begin in the first quarter of 2009, with a set completion date of 2013, and involved the diversion of Rochor Road.

To mitigate noise pollution, an acoustic screen was installed beside a residential area, and a special enclosure was constructed around the excavation site.

[25] On 18 July 2012, the collapse of scaffolding holding up the roof of a linkway at the station site resulted in the death of two workers and eight others injured.

[30] When it opened, it had the station code of E1[31] before being changed to the current alphanumeric style in August 2001 as a part of a system-wide campaign to cater to the expanding MRT System.

[35] The station also serves the ethnic enclave of Kampung Glam and its landmarks such as Sultan Mosque, Arab Street and Haji Lane.

[45] Ephemeral by Patrick Chia is featured at this station as part of the Art-in-Transit programme, a showcase of public artworks on the MRT network.

[46] Displayed along the travellator on the linkway between the DTL and EWL platforms,[47] the interactive work consists of coloured discs hidden behind glass panels and could only be viewed from specific angles before fading away.

[47] Ephemeral was also intended to create "a concept that exploits the constraints and opportunities afforded by the architecture space" and that it was "not meant to be obvious but to engage each commuter at his or her own moment".

Chia crafted many prototypes of the discs and experimented with the sizes, lighting and placement to achieve the "powdery effect" on frosted glass.

Other challenges included the greenish tint of the panels that subdued the colour of the discs and the distinctive black outline that disrupted Chia's intention of a "seamless viewing experience".