The SCH was initially constructed to house the various trade unions in Singapore as part of a 1959 election promise by the People's Action Party.

Completed in October 1965, the SCH hosted various conferences and exhibitions in addition to being the headquarters of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC).

The SCH continues to host other events, including the state funeral for former deputy prime minister Goh Keng Swee in 2010.

[4][8] The SCH is five stories tall and air-conditioned,[9] with a natural ventilation system integrated into the building design due to Singapore's tropical climate.

[16] Most of the facilities, excluding the libraries, are available for rent by the public, allowing the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) to generate income for its operations.

Wee called the building as a "showpiece" for the people to be proud of and a "fitting monument" for the trade unions with its dedication to socialist ideals.

[26] Sean Lim wrote in a 2017 commentary that the SCH "represented the hospitable face of the nation" as it hosted various foreign dignitaries such as Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Lim also commented that the building "evokes a wave of nostalgia" for many Singaporeans as plenty had attended various ceremonies or events held at the SCH.

[29] In May 1961, Labour and Law Minister K. M. Byrne announced that the Trade Union House would be built on Shenton Way instead, with the plans already in the "well advanced stage".

In addition to facilities for the trade unions, Byrne envisioned that the building would also host civic activities and international conferences.

[30] In June, the government held a design competition with leading architects Ng Keng Siang and Tio Seng Chi as the judges.

Byrne asserted that Singapore would remain a significant international hub in Southeast Asia, justifying the facility's necessity.

The ceremony was attended by Byrne, NTUC secretary Devan Nair, home affairs minister Ong Pang Boon and the president of the Industrial Arbitration Court Charles Gamba among other government leaders and trade unionists.

However, due to the building's "complicated nature", the Ministry of National Development later announced that the conference hall would only be completed by February of the following year.

[34] The Trade Union House opened on 15 October 1965,[14] with an inauguration ceremony by prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Also in attendance were Nair, who was called by his supporters to remain in Singapore, NTUC members, trade unionists from other nations in Africa and Asia, and other government leaders.

[35] The Trade Union House and Singapore Conference Hall has hosted significant events,[4][10] including state banquets for visiting Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1968[36] and U.S. vice-president Spiro T. Agnew in 1970.

At that point, new and taller office buildings had surrounded the Trade Union House, which Goh considered to have "dwarfed" NTUC's national importance and contribution to Singapore's growth.

[59] A subsequent concert on 22 September marked the official reopening of the SCH and the SCO's fifth anniversary, and was attended by Lee as its guest-of-honour.

Lai Chee Kien, an assistant professor of architecture at the National University of Singapore, pointed out that the 1999 renovation "greatly changed" the SCH, especially with air conditioning installed and some of the mosaic tiles dismantled.

[65][66] Some public performances of the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) were held at the SCH,[10] especially for the band, guzheng and Chinese orchestra segments.

[69] For the SCH's 50th anniversary in 2015, the SCO organised events including a picture exhibition, a community concert, a building tour and a talk by Lim Chong Keat.