[4] In June 1950, the Gandhi Memorial Committee purchased 680.5 m2 (7,325 sq ft) of land on Race Course Lane for $32,000 with the aim of constructing two buildings.
The first was to have a free library on the first floor and a stage and two office rooms on the second, while the second building would be rented out, with the income generated being donated to local charities.
[3] The Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru laid the memorial's foundation stone while visiting Singapore in the same month.
[6] The building, which was made of brick and built in the modern style with Art Deco influences, features a wall relief of Gandhi.
[8] The Singapore Indian Development Association, a charity organisation established in September 1990, was initially headquartered on the building's ground floor.
However, both the association and its Family Service Centre were relocated to Beatty Road in April 1998, after which the memorial was left vacant.