No statues, please: International design competition launched for Founders' Memorial
The Founders’ Memorial Committee on Thursday (10 January) launched an international architectural competition seeking design proposals for the eventual memorial at the Bay East Garden.
“We are not looking for statues; we are not looking for depictions of iconographic people,” the committee’s chairman Lee Tze Yang told The Straits Times.
Interested architects are invited to submit design proposals for the competition, which is open for registration until 15 February.
The deadline for submission for the competition’s first stage is 5 April, and a jury panel will shortlist up to six designs for the second stage, which will involve the further development of these designs.
Singaporeans will have opportunities to take part in engagement workshops in May to hear more about, and offer views, on the designs shortlisted in the second stage of the competition.
Winning design to be announced in early 2020
The eventual winning design will be announced between January and February 2020, and will be showcased through a public exhibition. Expected to open in 2027, in tandem with the new Founders’ Memorial MRT station, which was announced on Monday.
Lee said in his foreword to the competition, “Through the competition, we hope to seek out the best design – one that would honour the founding values of this country and make excellent use of the site.
“We envision that it will be a space which everyone of all ages can enjoy and relate to, and an icon that Singaporeans can be proud of and share with our future generations.
“We look forward to seeing how Singaporeans’ hopes and wishes for the Founders’ Memorial could come to life.”
The proposed concept of an integrated gallery and garden experience at Bay East Garden was established after the Founders’ Memorial Committee sought ideas and feedback from the public.
The Founders’ Memorial will feature components and spaces such as permanent and temporary galleries, a visitors’ centre, multi-purpose rooms, a volunteers’ room and a family room that will cater to visitors with different needs. Upon its completion, the approximately 13,700 sq m memorial looks to attract a million visitors yearly.
Design should bring out site’s significance
The design proposal should be able to bring out the significance of the Bay East Garden site. There are also plans for a viewing gallery, with the site serving as a great vantage point to enjoy a panoramic view of the Singapore skyline.
Design proposals would also need to take into account the connectivity and accessibility of the site. These include public road access, a new pedestrian bridge, a water taxi stop and the Founders’ Memorial MRT station.
For more information on the Founders’ Memorial architectural design competition, please visit foundersmemorialcompetition.sg
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