Lush greenery part of winning Founders' Memorial design

Multiple green paths that converge on an amphitheatre will be a distinctive feature of the upcoming Founders' Memorial to honour Singapore's pioneer leaders that is set to reshape the Marina Bay skyline.

A team led by Japanese firm Kengo Kuma & Associates and Singapore firm K2LD Architects was announced yesterday as the winner of an international architectural competition to design the memorial on a 5ha site in Bay East Garden.

The team will be commissioned to develop the design of the memorial with the National Heritage Board and Gardens by the Bay. Construction work should start in 2022, with the memorial ready by 2027.

The linear design, which integrates lush greenery and foliage, was unanimously selected as the winner from five shortlisted designs by a seven-member jury.

The jury panel, led by Founders' Memorial committee chairman Lee Tzu Yang, commended the submission for representing "a bold and imaginative new type of memorial which rises out of the landscape".

"More than a singular building, it is a sustainable, environmentally progressive reflection of the ideals of Singapore," the committee said in a media statement. It also said the design had great potential to provide visitors with multi-layered experiences due to its seamless blending of external and internal spaces.

The memorial will have a viewing gallery, a lake, a forest trail as well as an amphitheatre for gatherings.

Said Mr Lee: "The winning design is sensitive and functional, and embodies the spirit and values of Singapore's founding team of leaders. It is a unique design, incorporating landscape and architecture, that brings visitors on a journey of discovery."

The jury found the design allowed for good accessibility and integration with Bay East Garden, connectivity to various transport nodes, was relatively easy to construct and maintain, and had a thoughtful layout of spaces that can be adapted to future programming and activities. Its organic form is also a welcome counterpoint to the domes of Gardens by the Bay.

Mr Kengo Kuma, design lead of the winning team, said they took inspiration from the idea of a path that traces the legacy of Singapore's founding leaders. "It simultaneously honours the past, and inspires the present and future. The design aims to be a 'living memorial', to be owned by each new generation of Singaporeans," he said.

Mr Ko Shiou Hee from K2LD Architects, the project's architect, said the design's multiple paths, carved out of the architecture and landscape, represent Singapore's multiculturalism. "These paths merge together in the centre of the memorial, celebrating the shared values and ideals that we stand for as a nation," he said.

Kengo Kuma & Associates' works include the Yusuhara Wooden Bridge Museum in Kochi, Japan; the V&A Dundee museum in Scotland; and the National Stadium in Tokyo. K2LD Architects' projects include Christ Methodist Church in East Coast Road and Yong Tai Red Cliff Visitor Centre in Fuzhou, China.

The competition, launched in January last year, drew 193 submissions. Five shortlisted designs were showcased in a roving exhibition late last year. Over 50,000 people picked their favourite design, and the responses were taken into consideration by the jury when picking the winner.

The memorial committee said it will continue to consult Singaporeans for their views on the detailed building design and programmes for the site over the next few years.

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Memorial to mark values, ideals

Envisioned as an integrated gallery and gardens, the Founders' Memorial seeks to commemorate the values and ideals exemplified by the late founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and Singapore's first-generation leaders, and others who played key roles in the nation's early years.

The 5ha site - the size of seven football fields - will have a viewing gallery, a lake, a forest trail and an amphitheatre for large gatherings.

From 2015 to 2017, a 15-member committee consulted the public on what they would like to see in this new landmark, and where it should be. It recommended that the memorial be at Bay East Garden, after a majority of people supported the location.

Last year, the committee launched an international architectural design competition, and five shortlisted designs were showcased islandwide to garner views from the public. People will continue to be consulted in the development of the detailed design as well as on programmes, the panel said. For more information, go to foundersmemorial.sg