New centre opens on Nov 1 for cultural heritage and archaeology practitioners to share their crafts

SINGAPORE – With about 12 years of experience in providing services for Malay weddings, freelance stylist Jabir Amin has noticed a shift in how closely nuptial traditions are observed, especially among younger couples.

He noted that many younger couples now display only one floral arrangement at their weddings, instead of two, and some are unaware of the distinction between the sirih junjung and sirih dara floral arrangements.

The two arrangements are traditionally exchanged between the couple’s families and displayed on the wedding dais, he said.

Mr Jabir, who also designs wedding floral arrangements, said the sirih junjung, given by the groom’s family to the bride’s, symbolises a husband’s responsibility in marriage and is the larger and heavier of the two arrangements. The smaller sirih dara represents the bride’s chastity, he said, and is gifted to the groom’s family by the bride’s.

Reintroducing the meaning and symbolism of such customs to younger audiences is something that the 31-year-old stylist hopes to do at ArCH Square,

a new archaeology and intangible cultural heritage centre that

opens to the public on Nov 1.

It is managed by HeritageSG, a

subsidiary of the National Heritage Board,

which envisions that the centre will be a home for intangible cultural heritage practitioners to display and teach their craft, and for visitors to learn about archaeology in Singapore.

Intangible cultural heritage refers to traditions or living expressions that are passed down through generations, such as the performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive events.

For a start, Mr Jabir is in talks with the centre to run a one-off workshop where participants can learn how to make their own sirih junjung and sirih dara.

“Even if younger couples have the floral displays at their weddings, they’re usually pre-made in shops. The workshop is a chance for them to make something from scratch, and continue the tradition,” he said.

ArCH Square, located in a two-storey conservation shophouse at 125 Jalan Sultan, features an exhibition space and an archaeology lab on its ground floor, as well as areas for programmes and workshops on its upper floor.

Artisan Andy Yeo, 50, who specialises in restoring effigies, is the first practitioner confirmed to run workshops at the centre in 2026.

Mr Yeo, who said he is the youngest among a handful of local craftsmen practising lacquer threading, noted the centre’s central location is a draw, unlike his studio in an industrial building in Bukit Batok.

Besides participating in workshops, visitors to the centre can also view temporary and permanent displays, including artefacts recovered from archaeological studies conducted in Singapore in areas such as Pulau Ubin, Empress Place and Kampong Gelam.

The centre’s first temporary exhibition, titled Floralscapes, will capture the use of flowers in various cultural practices, as well as archaeology. Curated by ArCH Square assistant centre manager Zinnurain Nasir, it officially opens on Nov 1 and will run until January 2026.

On display are, for instance, two sirih junjung and a sirih dara made by Mr Jabir, while a display by floral design studio Eve Keepers captures various plant species associated with different races.

For example, marigold flowers are commonly used in Indian garlands, while chrysanthemums are often used by the Chinese for decoration, ceremonial rituals and tea brewing.

Mr Zinnurain said that the next temporary exhibition will likely explore the theme of fasting and coincide with Ramadan, which is slated to begin in mid-February 2026.

Ahead of its Nov 1 opening, ArCH Square will host a series of preview programmes over the weekend of Oct 25 and 26, including a curator’s tour of Floralscapes.

The preview also includes an archaeology introductory workshop suitable for those aged 10 and above, a lecture on maritime archaeology, as well as a programme that combines Javanese dance and batik styling.

More information is available on ArCH Square’s Instagram page

@archsquaresg

.