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New York has its renowned Chelsea area for developing the arts scene, and Singapore will have the Marina Bay area.
Housed at the City Hall and adjacent former Supreme Court building will be a new institution, the National Art Gallery, which will dedicate itself to the display, promotion, research and study of Southeast Asian and Singaporean Art, come 2012.
The new art gallery is within walking distance to the Arts House and Asian Civilisations Museum, forming a link that would elevate Singapore’s position as a global city for the arts.
It is a project which has those both in art and architecture eagerly looking towards the day the National Art Gallery opens its doors.
Vera Ong owns Art-2 Gallery, currently located a street away from the upcoming National Arts Gallery. She is one of the many gallery owners who is looking forward to hopping on to the new site. “Being together in a centre, I think it is super and convenient for everyone. It works well for the galleries and the people coming. When tourists come, many would want to see the art gallery of our country. And with all these sites situated within close proximity, visitors can take a look at our works without having to travel much”.
The National Art Gallery will host international art exhibitions, a move which the local art gallery owner is also excited about as she feels the presence of works from international galleries would complement what local galleries have to offer.
With higher human traffic flow anticipated at the City Hall area, Vera also hopes that more Singaporeans would be drawn to visit local art galleries. “Singaporeans are still learning and we are here to educate. We still have to try to reach out especially to the heartlanders. They still feel it is a very niche market meant for the well-heeled who earn bug bucks”.
But Jasmine Tham is one of the converted. The 23-year-old loves visiting local art galleries and believes it’ll be much easier to indulge in her past-time in the days to come.
“I feel that the location for The National Art Gallery at the City Hall vicinity is great. Currently, for most of us who visit the art gallery at Hill Street, we face the problem of parking and this can be quite a turn-off for those who drive. So, I’m positive that with the new location, it would ease the travel for most visitors”.
The site of the National Art Gallery however is a concern for digital media design lecturer Ellya Hafsah. “I think it is interesting that we are going to reuse old structures retaining the history and heritage of the place adding a modern touch to them. But what we must bear in mind is that the essence of those old buildings should not be changed into something we do not recognise completely” says the lecturer at the Bedok Institute of Technical Education. “Those buildings have come a long way and I feel it is only right that we keep those elements so that the younger generation can appreciate it and be able to get a feel of Singapore’s past.”
When the architectural competition was launched to identify the most suitable design for the National Art Gallery by MICA and the Singapore Institute of Architects, one of its pre-requisites was to retain the historical significance of the building while creating a new identity.
And each of the winning entries, by Studio Milou Architecture, Ho+Hou Studio Architects and ChanSauYanAssociates, try to give a breath of new within the old.
Ho+Hou Studio Architects chose to focus on Singapore’s indigenous past which is contrasted by the use of steel to give it a touch of modernity in its interpretation of the ‘kelong’ and padi field.
According to jury member Professor Tommy Koh, the design was “placed in a dynamic way with the imaginative use of spaces.”
Sonny S. Y Chan of ChanSauYanAssociates ensured that his design provides the visitor with a special journey right from the start with its emphasis on its entrance portal. The design by the Singapore firm emphasized spatial distribution with the extensive use of three types of glass- translucent, opaque and clear, which the jury found “pragmatic approach with minimal intervention”.
Jean Francois Milon from Studio Milou Architecture said that in coming up with his design, it was a major challenge for him not to interfere with the old structure proved.
However he managed to overcome this with the use of a linear draped canopy, supported by tree-like columns, while respecting the fabric of the existing monuments.
The public can have a say on the three projects which will be showcased during a public exhibition held this October which will be a criterion for the eventual winning design, besides the jury’s feedback and the design’s feasibility./ vm
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