National Gallery glass door shatters; man hurt

The shattered glass door (left) on Level 5 of the National Gallery, and workers (above) putting up a screen in the area yesterday. A man suffered minor abrasions on his right hand in the incident.
The shattered glass door (above) on Level 5 of the National Gallery, and workers putting up a screen in the area yesterday. A man suffered minor abrasions on his right hand in the incident. PHOTOS: DENISE CHONG, LIM YAOHUI FOR THE STRAITS TIMES
The shattered glass door (left) on Level 5 of the National Gallery, and workers (above) putting up a screen in the area yesterday. A man suffered minor abrasions on his right hand in the incident.
The shattered glass door on Level 5 of the National Gallery, and workers (above) putting up a screen in the area yesterday. A man suffered minor abrasions on his right hand in the incident. PHOTOS: DENISE CHONG, LIM YAOHUI FOR THE STRAITS TIMES

A man was injured when a glass door at the National Gallery Singapore shattered yesterday afternoon, just a week after the museum opened to the public.

The door led to a rooftop garden on the fifth floor, said Ms Denise Chong, who was visiting the gallery.

She was on the fourth floor when she heard "a popping sound" and some commotion. She went up to check and saw a large pile of glass on the floor. A man was injured, and was being given first aid. There appeared to be blood on his hand, said Ms Chong, 41, a journalist.

A number of people had gathered at the scene, she added.

A spokesman for the National Gallery confirmed that a visitor suffered minor abrasions on his right hand when the glass door broke at about 4.50pm. He was immediately given first aid by the gallery's staff.

Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the incident. In the meantime, the affected area will be cordoned off for repair works "until further notice", the spokesman added.

The Ng Teng Fong roof garden gallery and restaurant Yan, both also on Level 5 of the National Gallery, as well as restaurant Smoke and Mirrors on Level 6, remain accessible to the public.

"We will conduct thorough safety assessments again once repair works are complete," the spokesman said.

The spokesman added that the National Gallery uses tempered glass for all its glass, which are made in Singapore, China and Malaysia. The one that shattered was made in Singapore.

The 64,000 sq m National Gallery is housed in the City Hall and former Supreme Court. The $532 million project took 10 years to complete.

It is Singapore's first large-scale building dedicated to Singaporean and South-east Asian art.

Chew Hui Min

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 02, 2015, with the headline National Gallery glass door shatters; man hurt. Subscribe