SINGAPORE – Two national monuments – the National Museum of Singapore and the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall – will be restored in the coming years.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong told the House on Monday that the two are scheduled for restoration, along with the former Istana Kampong Glam and the Istana – works for these two monuments were announced in 2021.
Responding to Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir) on plans to safeguard national monuments, Mr Tong said the monuments are regularly restored to preserve the buildings for future generations.
In a statement, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said works on the National Museum will include restoring its facade and upgrading the building’s facilities.
The restoration will take place in phases from late 2023 to 2025, and the museum will remain open to the public while works are carried out, said the ministry.
It added that the museum will be reviewing and refreshing the content of its permanent galleries, as well as the glass rotunda.
More details on the revamp will be announced later in 2023, said MCCY.
As for Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, located in Tai Gin Road, restoration will begin in 2024 and is slated to be completed in 2025.
Works will include infrastructural upgrades such as mechanical and electrical replacement works to ensure that the building will be energy efficient.
The institution will be closed during restoration works.
On October 30, 2022, the Istana Kampong Glam – which houses the Malay Heritage Centre – was closed to the public for restoration and enhancement works that are expected to be completed in 2025.
The centre will reopen with refreshed galleries and a refurbished auditorium.
Meanwhile, works on the Istana – built between 1867 and 1869 – will be starting in early 2024 and take about three years.
The building has featured prominently in Singapore’s transition from colony to sovereign state, noted Mr Tong, who added that upcoming restoration works will ensure that it is well-preserved and remains functional for its historical importance and as a venue for important state events and community functions.
MCCY said that restoration works will address deterioration due to age and environmental conditions, and added that existing mechanical and electrical systems will be updated.
