library @ orchard revamp will be completed by second half of 2026
After more than 10 years in Orchard Gateway, library@orchard will undergo a revamp from 28 Oct.
The National Library Board (NLB) announced the upcoming closure in a media release on Friday (6 Sept).
Source: Google Maps
The revamp will take more than 1.5 years, with its full reopening expected only in the second half of 2026.
library@orchard revamp will add interactive & immersive spaces
In the process, library@orchard will be “reimagined and recreated to enable new ways for everyone to read, learn and discover”, NLB said.
This is part of the board’s “ongoing efforts to rejuvenate its libraries and offer fresh services, spaces and experiences for patrons”.
Among the new features that library-goers can look forward to are new “tech-enabled interactive and immersive spaces” to aid learning and discovery.
There will also be a new children’s section, NLB added.
The new elements will be introduced progressively, with more information to be shared in due course.
Design & applied arts collection will be moved to Central Arts Library
Something that will be gone after library@orchard’s revamp is the design and applied arts-focused collection, NLB said.
Source: Google Maps
Arts lovers need not despair, though — the collection will be moving to the upcoming Central Arts Library on Level 5 of the National Library Building in Bras Basah, which will open by the end of the year.
Part of the collection will also be housed at the National Design Centre from early 2025, NLB added, saying:
This move is part of NLB’s efforts to centralise its arts resources, better serving patrons, including students, researchers and practitioners from institutions and communities in the arts and heritage district.
Other libraries in Singapore to be revamped
NLB Chief Executive Officer Ng Cher Pong said it was “timely” to reimagine what more could be done with the library@orchard space after 10 years at the same premises.
This includes how it “can be made more interactive and immersive” to enhance our patrons’ experience, he added, saying:
The revamp will bring an exciting next chapter for the library here in the heart of Orchard Road for everyone.
Other libraries across Singapore are also planned for revamp, including those in Ang Mo Kio, Queenstown and Toa Payoh, he revealed.
Last event to held at library @ orchard before revamp
Before closing, a final event named “Design Is For Everyone: A decade of design, arts and community” will be held at library@orchard from 8 to 27 Oct.
It will have an exhibition and community wall for visitors to share their memories of the place, as well as activity booths that will run from 26 to 27 Oct.
More details about this programme can be found in the LearnX Arts Facebook group and library@orchard’s Eventbrite Collection.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Google Maps.
