Prior to the construction of Orchard MRT station, it was named Scotts from 1967 to 1982, and then renamed to Orchard Boulevard. The station was subsequently renamed to Orchard in 1985. On 1 October 1983, the MRTC awarded the contract for the MRT tunnel from Newton to Somerset as well as Somerset MRT station to Borie SAE and Ong Chwee Kou Building Contractors Limited. On 10 May 1984, Orchard Turn, the existing slip road from Orchard Boulevard to Orchard Road, was realigned to facilitate MRT construction works. On 27 April 1985, there was a MRT construction accident at Orchard MRT station which caused 15 workers to be treated for shock. The construction of the lifts began in 19 June 2002 and completed on 20 August 2004. The lifts from the concourse to the street level existed for a short while before it was replaced by another lift in October 2007 due to ION Orchard's construction. Additionally, on 29 October 2006, the bus stop on the right side of Orchard Boulevard was shifted to Orchard Turn. On 15 January 2008, Exits C and E that connects to Wisma Atria and ION Orchard were closed, and reopened on 21 July 2009 due to the building works of ION Orchard. The western concourse, linked to Exit E and ION Orchard, opened on 20 July 2009 as part of the ION Orchard development.
On 15 August 2014, LTA announced that Orchard station would be part of the proposed Thomson East-Coast line. The station will be constructed as part of Phase 3, consisting of 13 stations between Mount Pleasant and Gardens by the Bay, and is expected to be completed in 2021. The Contract T219 for the design and construction of Orchard Station and associated tunnels was awarded to Penta-Ocean Construction Co Ltd – Bachy Soletanche Singapore Pte Ltd Joint Venture at a sum of S$498 million on July 2014. Construction started in 2014, with completion expected in 2021. The linkway between the TEL and NSL platforms was constructed using the pipe-roofing method, while the mining and underpinning method was adopted to construct the new box structure underneath the existing NSL station. Special drilling machines from Europe are being used, capable of drilling in all directions in a low headroom confined space. To minimise disruptions to the current NSL operations, mining works must be carried out strictly according to the approved design, sequence and method in a safe manner without compromising the stability and serviceability of existing surrounding structures.
Station details
Due to the station's location in the Orchard Road shopping belt, the station was intended to be the MRT system's showpiece, with S$24 million spent on aesthetic elements. The station's circular concourse has a dome in diameter and an atrium design, and its floor consists of alternating granite tiles laid out in a radial arrangement. To contrast with the concourse floor, burgundy red vitreous panels were installed on parts of the concourse wall, while other walls in the station concourse and at platform level were clad in polished blue granite tiles.
