Construction of the Founders’ Memorial officially began with a Groundbreaking Ceremony at Gardens By The Bay’s Bay East Gardens on Wednesday (5 June).
Senior Minister (SM) Lee Hsien Loong officiated the milestone ceremony, with Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong and Minister for National Development Desmond Lee by his side.
Also present were the co-chairs of the Founders’ Memorial committee — Mr Lee Tzu Yang and Professor Tan Tai Yong — as well as community representatives.
Image courtesy of National Heritage Board
Slated to open in 2028, the Founders’ Memorial will serve as an integrated gallery and gardens experience, commemorating the efforts of Singapore’s pioneers.
Members of the public can look forward to enjoying both indoor and outdoor activities at the Memorial when it opens in four years’ time.
It boasts two buildings — each comprising two levels — with a common basement that stretches out to an amphitheatre at ground level. The amphitheatre will be used to host outdoor events such as live performances and activities.
Image courtesy of National Heritage Board
Visitors can look through various exhibition galleries at the Memorial, take in Singapore’s city skyline at a special viewing gallery, or stroll along its garden spaces at its external compound.
Image courtesy of National Heritage Board
The Founders’ Memorial will also hold workshops and programmes in its multi-purpose rooms.
In addition, paths along the Memorial will connect it to the wider Bay East Garden, creating a seamless experience within Gardens By The Bay.
Image courtesy of Founders’ Memorial, National Heritage Board
The Founders’ Memorial’s design is the result of an architectural design competition which took place back in Jan 2019.
The winning submission was a design specific to the location put together by folks at Kengo Kuma & Associates, in collaboration with K2LD Architects.
It depicts the Memorial as one that “rises” out of the surrounding landscape, forming a “path” symbolising a journey that traces the legacy of Singapore’s founding leaders and generation.
The architecture will thus serve as a living memorial that will “honour the past and inspire the future”.
Speaking at a reception on 5 June, SM Lee highlighted that the nation’s formative journey deserved to be “commemorated and remembered”.
He noted that Singapore has several monuments that remember crucial events in its modern history, such as the Civilian War Memorial, Kranji War Memorial, and the Konfrontasi Memorial. However, it does not have one that commemorates its nation-building journey and brings to life the “ideals, impulses, and spirit that drove our founding leaders”.
“Now, almost 60 years after Separation, and 80 years after World War II, the time has come for us to build one.”
SM Lee recounted how he first brought up the idea of setting up a Founders’ Memorial back in 2015, shortly after the passing of Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew:
It was an emotional period for the nation, and Parliament was debating the best way to honour Mr Lee’s memory.
He elaborated: “I explained to MPs that Mr Lee did not want any monument dedicated to himself. He was always conscious that he did not act alone, but as a member of a multi-racial core team.”
“Therefore, instead of honouring Mr Lee alone, I proposed that we consider a memorial dedicated to the team of people, our founding leaders, who fought together with him and brought us here, and to the ideals, values, hopes, and aspirations that they held dear.”
As such, SM Lee emphasised that the Memorial they decide upon should not only be right for today’s Singaporeans but also for “generations not yet born”.
“The Memorial should reflect and strengthen in all of us our sense of what it means to be a Singaporean, why Singapore is worth striving and fighting for, and how we can continue to build a harmonious and successful Singapore for future generations.”
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Featured image by MS News. Photography by Tan Wan Qian.
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