Established in 1887, the National Museum of Singapore is the oldest museum in Singapore. Yet, it tells the history of Singapore in the most advanced and vibrant way, reflecting the nation’s youthful and innovative spirit, and redefining the concept of a traditional museum.
1. Architectural Features
The National Museum of Singapore showcases a rich Neoclassical architectural style, exemplifying a textbook-perfect blend of “old and new elements”! It comprises two buildings: the old one, a colonial-era structure with centuries of history, and the new one, tall and elegant, featuring glass and metal elements that add a modern design touch to the entire building.
2. Understanding Singapore
The National Museum of Singapore embodies the highest standards of modern museums in its facilities, exhibits, and exhibition methods! Whether it’s the historical or lifestyle galleries, they compellingly piece together Singapore’s past and present. Visitors can explore Singapore’s different eras through immersive media and digital technology as they walk through the rotunda.
In addition to showcasing significant historical artifacts, the museum frequently hosts vibrant activities such as festivals, performances, and film screenings.
3. The Story of the Forest
The Story of the Forest is one of the museum’s most captivating immersive art installations. Through grand digital presentations, it allows visitors to experience the museum’s precious collections firsthand.
The immersive exhibition begins in the glass rotunda at the center of the second floor. In this darkened space, lights project vibrant floral patterns onto surrounding screens, creating the sensation of being in a colorful time-space tunnel. At the end of this journey, visitors reach the circular corridor connecting the second and first-floor galleries.
The circular corridor is lined with a 170-meter panoramic dynamic video, created by the Japanese art team teamLab. This video is inspired by 69 paintings from “The William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings”, which are brought to life. In addition to the ever-changing scenes, the surroundings are filled with the sounds of birds chirping and insects buzzing, making you feel as though you are truly immersed in a tranquil forest.
As you spiral down from the second floor to the first, the scene transitions from the bright, colorful daylight to a deep, serene night. At the end of the circular corridor, you enter a larger and even more stunning circular space, where you are immersed in a secret forest under a starry sky. In the center of this “forest” is a ring of sofas where you can lie back and gaze at the ceiling, enjoying the constantly falling flowers, occasional shooting stars streaking across the sky, and the forest that grows and withers around you in 360 degrees. You might also encounter various small animals that pop up to surprise you from time to time.
