National Art Gallery, Singapore

1. How will the National Art Gallery contribute to Singapore as a global
arts city?

The National Art Gallery reflects Singapore’s global outlook and distinctive cultural make-up. It will be a new focal point for the enjoyment, entertainment, learning and inspiration of visitors from Singapore and around the world. The Art Gallery will look beyond national and regional Southeast Asian boundaries of art, and introduce Southeast Asian visual arts to global audiences. It would also have sufficient space to host international exhibitions, enabling visitors from Singapore and around the world to view some of the best international art.

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2. How will the National Art Gallery be different from existing museums, such as the National Museum, Asian Civilisatins Museum, Singapore Art Museum etc?

The other museums that we have cover different areas of focus. For example, the National Museum which recently re-opened, focuses on presenting Singapore’s history and culture, whereas the Asian Civilisations Museum focuses on providing a broad yet integrated perspective of pan-Asian cultures and civilizations.

With our collection of visual art pieces increasing over the years, there is a need to provide more space in addition to our current Singapore Art Museum to display these works. The National Art Gallery will meet this need and also serve as a recreational focal point for Singaporeans and a research centre for artists
and curators.

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3. Who is the National Art Gallery for?

The National Art Gallery is for everyone – Singaporeans, residents, friends and visitors. It will offer an open and accessible civic space where Singaporeans can visit and view good art over and over again. The Art Gallery would also play an important role in promoting art appreciation to Singaporeans, who increasingly seek work-life balance, leisure and lifestyle, and more avenues for self-expression and fulfillment as must-haves. It will also put Singaporeans in touch with their artistic roots and cultural heritage in Southeast Asia.

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4. How will the Art Gallery benefit the art community?

The Art Gallery will not only display a comprehensive collection of Southeast Asian art, including Singapore art, it will also contribute to the study and research of Southeast Asian art. It would actively promote Southeast Asian art (including Singapore art) to the world, so that it will bring benefits to anyone involved in its creation, production, presentation, study, teaching, sale and appreciation.

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5. When will the Art Gallery be completed?

The National Art Gallery is slated to open by 2013.

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6. Why hold a competition? What is the objective of this competition?

A design competition will offer a wider breadth of ideas for the master plan and design of the Art Gallery and help find the best architect for the project, who will be committed and possess the necessary capabilities to design and build the National Art Gallery.

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7. Why are there two stages to this competition?

The competition will be conducted in two stages with entries at Stage 1 being kept anonymous to create a level playing field for all participants. Entrants will be shortlisted for the second stage based on their task appreciation, vision and concept in response to the design objectives and considerations.

At Stage 2, architects would then be asked to develop their initial concepts and demonstrate the workability of their proposals against a budget. At the end of the two-stage competition, the jury will select no more than three winners, where one winner may be commissioned by end 2007 to design and build the National
Art Gallery.

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8. Who are eligible to participate in the competition?

The competition is open to all architects and architectural firms – sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. Joint collaborations between firms are also allowed.

The firms, based in Singapore or elsewhere, must be licensed to provide professional services in accordance with laws and requirements in existence in their respective country.

By the close of Stage II, competitors will be required to register with the Singapore Board of Architects. Firms not registered with the Singapore Board of Architects will need to enter into a partnership with an architect or an architectural firm registered with the Board.

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9. How were the winners decided?

The three winners were selected by an international jury panel, chaired by Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore’s Ambassador-At-Large and Chairman of Singapore’s National Heritage Board. The jury took into consideration how the broad concepts from the five finalists could translate into feasible architectural design solutions for the Art Gallery, and also assessed the proposals’ feasibility against budget estimates.

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10. Who will decide on the appointed design of the Art Gallery and when?

The final appointed design will be decided in 2008 by MICA. Apart from the recommendations from the jury panel, MICA will be rigorously studying the technical and financial feasibility of the designs. Feedback from the public will also be taken into account for the realisation of the project.

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11. How did MICA arrive at the decision to appoint Studio Milou Architecture? On what basis did MICA make their selection?

After the competition ended in August 2007, MICA started a due diligence process with each of the winning architects, with the intention to select one as the principal consultant for the National Art Gallery. This involved many discussions with each of the architectural teams, assessments conducted by an independent panel of professionals and experts, and an internal deliberation process with MICA management and certain key stakeholders.

MICA took into consideration the following factors in their decision:

The Competition Jury’s assessment of the top three schemes.
The firm’s ability to meet the technical and cost requirements of the National Art Gallery project.
The firm’s track record and relevant experience.
Public feedback on the schemes. This was conducted during the public exhibition in October 2007, through public and online surveys.

Through this process, MICA arrived at the decision that Studio Milou Architecture would be the best choice for the National Art Gallery project for the following reasons:

Their scheme was placed first by the Jury and the public.
Studio Milou’s proposal best meets the Art Gallery’s technical requirements, and were able to work within MICA’s given budget.
Together with CPG Consultants, they proved to be a strong, professional and extremely competent team, with a lot experience in designing museums in France and Singapore.

12. How was the due diligence process conducted in a fair and transparent manner?

The process of selection was a rigorous one and each firm was assessed fairly and equally.

External professionals and experts were engaged to ensure that the cost and technical assessments conducted were reasonable and complied with industry standards.

Views from the jury and members of the public on each of the winning schemes were also taken into consideration.

In addition, MICA took into consideration each firm’s level of competency to take on this job, and their ability to meet MICA’s requirements and needs.

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13. How much of public feedback was factored into the selection process?

The National Art Gallery aims to be a civic and creative space, for the enrichment, enjoyment and engagement of Singaporeans and visitors alike.

Hence, to build an institution that is truly for all Singaporeans to enjoy, public feedback is an important part of the process of building the National Art Gallery. The views and comments of the public are taken into serious consideration at every significant juncture of this project.

In the architect’s selection process, public feedback was an important consideration. The public’s views were sought through a survey at the public exhibition of the winning schemes at City Hall in October 2007. And through that process, the public agreed with the jury’s ranked choices of the top three.

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14. How would Studio Milou Architecture be working with MICA on the National Art Gallery?

Studio Milou Architecture and CPG Consultants have proposed an integrated consultancy approach in which they will lead, coordinate and supervise the design and construction of the National Art Gallery’s infrastructure works.

In addition, Studio Milou Architecture (SMA) will be setting up an office in Singapore to allow for better control of the project and better coordination with their local partner, CPG Consultants. Responsible for the detailed design as well as the day-to-day running of the project, SMA Singapore will be guided by their Paris headquarters on overall design issues and specialist design services. CPG Consultants will take the lead in contract administration and regulatory submissions. While it was not a requirement from MICA, we do agree that this is a good arrangement for the project, to have the lead architect’s presence in Singapore will provide better control over design and site related issues and facilitate better coordination between various teams and consultancies.

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15. What are the public consultation platforms designed to seek public views on the top three designs? How much say did the public really have?

There were several platforms:

A public survey was conducted during the public exhibition of the schemes from 5-17 October 2007.
The public could also provide feedback online through the National Art Gallery website.
MICA also worked through REACH and the Overseas Singaporean Unit.

16. How about the views of specific interest groups, e.g. the arts community, architects etc? Did MICA seek their views too?

MICA has been engaging specific interest groups that have direct professional association to this project such as the arts community and architects on an ongoing basis, and they have been invited to the public exhibition and also asked to give their views through the survey onsite.

Those who have yet to do so are still welcome to also give views on the NAG website at www.nationalartgallery.sg.

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17. How much and to what extent will public feedback gathered be factored into MICA’s decision making process?

Public feedback is an important part of the process of establishing the National Art Gallery. To build an institution all Singaporeans would enjoy, MICA will continually consult and consider the views of the public. Suitable platforms will be designed for the public to voice their feedback, eg. face-to-face surveys surveys, focus groups, online surveys, etc.

MICA will invite public participation for these feedback platforms when ready. Apart from these, members of the public can also email us their feedback through the NAG website at www.nationalartgallery.sg.

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