This might be the best time to find out more about stamps and Peranakan culture.
The Singapore Philatelic Museum and the Peranakan Museum will be closed for a major redevelopment slated to begin later this year, the National Heritage Board (NHB) said yesterday.
Before the closures, both museums have organised several programmes and activities for visitors.
An NHB statement said the redevelopment will refresh museum infrastructure, content and offerings to enhance visitors' experience.
The Singapore Philatelic Museum will be closed to the public from March 18 and is due to re-open at the end of 2020, while the Peranakan Museum will be closed from April 1 and is slated to be open again in mid-2021.
The NHB said redevelopment works at the Singapore Philatelic Museum will include essential infrastructural upgrades to its building, and a revamp of the pavement and changing galleries. Housed at 23B Coleman Street, the museum was officially opened on Aug 19, 1995. Its building was formerly a part of the Anglo-Chinese School and later, the Methodist Book Room.
-
3
Number of free open houses the Singapore Philatelic Museum will organise before its closure on March 18. It is slated to reopen at end-2020.
15-16
Dates in the month of March that the Peranakan Museum will hold an Armenian Street Party. The museum will be closed from April 1, and reopen in mid-2021.
Set up as a project of the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore, the museum used stamps as a way to introduce Singapore's heritage and culture, as well as its connections to the world.
The NHB has been managing the museum since 2000.
In the lead-up to its closure in March, the museum will be organising three open houses which will be free to the public, the NHB said. The museum will offer special programmes such as Chinese New Year activities on Feb 6. Visitors can catch The Little Prince exhibition and accompanying programmes for the last time on March 10 and 17.
The NHB said the museum will continue its travelling exhibitions and education programmes at pre-schools, as well as at primary and secondary schools.
New displays and content, as well as improved galleries
Redevelopment of the Peranakan Museum at 39 Armenian Street will include a complete revamp of all permanent galleries with new displays and content, said NHB.
The museum was set up in 2008 to explore the art and culture of Peranakan communities in South-east Asia. It possesses one of the most comprehensive public collections of Peranakan objects.
It was housed in the former Tao Nan School, which was built in 1912. The building was first converted into the Asian Civilisations Museum in 1994, before it was redeveloped into the Peranakan Museum.
Ahead of its closure for redevelopment, the Peranakan Museum will be holding an Armenian Street Party on March 15 and 16, as part of the NHB's annual Singapore Heritage Festival.
The Peranakan Gallery at Changi Airport's Terminal 4 will continue its operations, and the NHB said it will feature a new rotation of exhibits later this year. A pop-up exhibition will also be held at the public libraries, in collaboration with the National Library Board.
The public can go to www.peranakanmuseum.org.sg for more information on the museum's programmes during its redevelopment.
More details on the Singapore Philatelic Museum's programmes during its redevelopment can be found at www.spm.org.sg.
