Singapore’s National Art Gallery - Architectural Design Exhibition
6 - 17 October 2007
10.30am – 7.30pm
City Hall Chambers
City Hall Building, Level 3
3 Saint Andrew’s Road
Singapore

Singapore’s National Art Gallery -Architectural Design Exhibition

“When Reflections Become Form: Imagining our National Art Gallery”
Exhibition presents transformation possibilities of City Hall and former Supreme Court buildings and invites public to share their views

A public exhibition and a call for impressions and ideas was launched this morning, for the proposed architectural designs of the new National Art Gallery of Singapore (working title), (新加坡国家艺术馆).

The public exhibition will display all 111 entries from 29 countries submitted for the architectural design competition that concluded with three winning designs being picked in late August 2007.

Public feedback will be considered for the realisation of the project, which is for the City Hall and the adjacent former Supreme Court building to be adapted to become the new Gallery by 2012. The two historic monuments form the setting for the exhibition, titled “When Reflections Become Form: Imagining our National Art Gallery”.

Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts and for Foreign Affairs, opened the exhibition at City Hall today. He also presented the awards to the three winners of the architectural design competition. They are:

(1)   Studio Milou Architecture from France;
(2)   Ho + Hou Studio Architects from Taiwan; and
(3)   Chan Sau Yan Associates in collaboration with Lekker Design from Singapore.

The winners were selected by a seven-member international jury panel chaired by Professor Tommy Koh, Chairman of the National Heritage Board.

The National Art Gallery is a new visual arts institution dedicated to the display, appreciation, promotion, research and study of Southeast Asian and Singaporean art. It will also host international art exhibitions, and will contribute to building Singapore as a regional and international hub for the visual arts.

Dr Balaji said: “It is especially significant that this exhibition is being hosted at City Hall. We want to engage the public to experience the past, present and future as they walk through the building. City Hall, along with the former Supreme Court, has captured many historic moments. We hope that the public will be moved by the reflections of our past and be inspired to imagine the future as the buildings undergo a metamorphosis to become the National Art Gallery. This is a project for the people, so definitely it is important that we hear from Singapore residents and visitors what they would like to see at the Gallery.”

Key Highlights of the Exhibition

The exhibition, curated by Dr Erwin Viray, an assistant professor of architecture, seeks to guide visitors through the various planning stages for the National Art Gallery. It will showcase the top five design schemes and models, including the three winning designs from the architectural design competition. All 111 entries submitted in the first stage of the competition will also be featured as well as imaginative pieces by students from the National University of Singapore’s School of Design and Environment.

The public can log on to www.nationalartgallery.sg for more information and to give their views on the National Art Gallery project. Designs showcased at the exhibition represent the preliminary phase and are not the final designs or plans. The appointed architect for the Art Gallery will be announced in early 2008.

Admission is free. After this exhibition, the winning schemes will be displayed once again at the City Hall from 27 November to 8 December 2007 as part of the Singapore Design Festival.

About the National Art Gallery of Singapore

The National Art Gallery of Singapore (working title) is a new visual arts institution which will contribute to building Singapore as a regional and international hub for visual arts.  It will focus on the display, appreciation, promotion, research and study of Southeast Asian and Singaporean art, as well as play host to international art exhibitions.

Situated in the heart of the Civic District, the City Hall and adjacent former Supreme Court building - two important heritage buildings symbolic of Singapore’s nationhood - will be converted to house this exciting new visual arts venue, and is anticipated to be completed by 2012. The National Art Gallery will be a civic and creative space, established for the enrichment, enjoyment and engagement of Singapore residents and visitors from all over the world.

Images Courtesy of National Art Gallery of Singapore. All Rights reserved.