SINGAPORE – August sees the annual light-up of civic, cultural and historical landmarks, and for Singapore’s 56th birthday this year, the Bras Basah-Bugis precinct will be bathed in red and white.
Unlike last year’s focus on big hitters such as the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall and The Arts House, less known arts avenues such as the National Design Centre, Objectifs – Centre for Photography and Film and the Stamford Arts Centre have been chosen.
The Cathay, which was the tallest building in Singapore and South-east Asia when it opened in 1939, has also been selected. It was the first air-conditioned cinema and the first cinema to screen American and British films here at the time.
Rounding up the crew of seven put together by the National Heritage Board (NHB) are the Central Fire Station, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd and the National Museum of Singapore.
All seven buildings will be lit every night in August from 7.30pm to 12am, in conjunction with the usual light-ups in the civic district.
This year’s selection of buildings also illuminates interesting but forgotten histories.
Nestled at a busy junction opposite the National Library, the National Design Centre occupies the former premises of the erstwhile St Anthony’s convent, founded by the Portuguese 120 years ago to help the poor and disadvantaged.
Stamford Arts Centre, a flat and squat structure that does not really stand out in Waterloo Street, was first built in 1920 as a Japanese elementary school. It has since served as a recreation centre for the British military and as the schoolgrounds of Gan Eng Seng School and the Stamford Girls’ School.
A slew of programmes will be held online by the NHB to help people get into the mood for National Day amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
These include performances, storytelling sessions, short film screenings and heritage games. The full list of activities can be found on NHB’s website.
