Following an international competition launched in January 2019, a shortlist of five local and international architecture practices out of 193 entries has been selected for the Founders’ Memorial, which honours Singapore’s pioneer leaders and is expected to open in 2027.
The shortlisted designs will be open to public viewing and voting from next November 4, 2019 as a travelling exhibition which will be showcased in various parts of Singapore until December 29, 2019. The exhibition titled Founders’ Memorial Design Showcase will start at IMM in Jurong East in the western part of Singapore.
architects61 and Cox Architecture
It will feature 3D models of the proposed concepts, accompanied with short explanatory videos for each proposal. Singaporeans can vote for their favourite design on www.foundersmemorial.sg from now till end of December 2019. Two of the designs drew inspiration from the Singapore flag. Australian firm Cox Architecture which designed the Helix bridge in partnership with architects61 has once again teamed up to design an abstract crescent moon shape that is marked by five pathways, representing the five stars of the Singapore national flag.
Johnson Pilton Walker and RDC Architects
Another Australian firm Johnson Pilton Walker, in collaboration with local firm RDC Architects, has proposed a circular design inspired by the crescent moon of the national flag, indicating a view towards the future.
8dge and RSP Architects
Singapore- and Shanghai-based architecture firm 8DGE partnered RSP Architects, a Singapore practice with international presence and one that worked on the Jewel Changi Airport and Funan mall projects. The team has put forward a circular design proposal that rises above a landscaped podium with space for visitors to gather.
Kengo Kuma and K2LD Architects
DP Architects
Japanese firm Kengo Kuma & Associates and Singapore firm K2LD Architects explored a different concept based on a linear design featuring a flowing green terrain that leads to an amphitheatre.
The only solo shortlisted entry is Singapore architecture firm DP Architects, which is behind such buildings as People’s Park Complex in Singapore and counts Dubai Mall among its international projects. It has proposed a cradle-like curved form inspired by the “the hands of Singapore’s founding fathers”.
The memorial, which will be located on a 5-hectare site in Bay East Garden in the Marina Bay area, will highlight the period in Singapore after World War II to its first few decades of independence since 1965, focusing on the country’s key milestones.
It will be served by the upcoming Founders’ Memorial MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast line (TEL).
Once the online voting ceases in December, a seven-member jury will study the designs based on factors such as its functionality, technical feasibility, how well it fulfilled the design brief and how well it responds to its existing surroundings. Public feedback via online votes will also contribute to the jury’s decision.
The winning design will be announced in the first quarter of 2020 and construction is expected to start from 2021.
