SINGAPORE - You see it everywhere now, but the common stackable plastic stool -with a hole in the middle to put a chain through - was actually designed for use in coffeeshops here.
The humble stool is a made-in-Singapore product too, designed in the 1990s by Singaporean Chew Moh-Jin.
A fixture in eateries across the island, the stool is one of the items on display at a new permanent exhibition launched on Thursday night at the National Design Centre (NDC).
The Fifty Years of Singapore Design exhibition is held as a tribute to the nation's jubilee birthday bash. It will be open to the public for free from 9am to 9pm daily, at the NDC at Middle Road.
Organised chronologically, it documents iconic Singaporean designs by the decade - from the national flag to Changi Airport Terminal 1.
The exhibition is one of more than 60 events lined up for Singapore Design Week 2015, launched concurrently on Thursday by Minister for Communications and Information Dr Yaacob Ibrahim.
Taking place from March 10 to 22, the second edition of the event will feature design trails, trade shows and showcases - most of which are open to the public.
The anchor event, SingaPlural 2015, which showcases the work of homegrown creatives, is on until Sunday at 99 Beach Road with no admission fee.
Dr Yaacob said in a media release that design is an important enabler of economic growth.
"Our home-grown design firms are increasingly breaking into international markets, putting Singapore's name in the world stage for design," he added.
More information about the Singapore Design Week is available at the official site, www.designsingapore.org/SDW.
