Botanic Gardens plans gallery and museum

They will showcase its heritage as part of bid for World Heritage status
Grace Chua Straits Times 11 May 13;

THE Singapore Botanic Gardens has unveiled plans for a heritage museum and separate gallery on its grounds, as part of its bid to become a Unesco World Heritage site.

Director Nigel Taylor called the installations "the single most important thing" the 154- year-old gardens is likely to do over the next few years as it applies to the global body - known in full as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

"It's a very obvious commitment to educating visitors about the heritage of the site," he said.

The museum, to be housed at Holttum Hall near the Tanglin entrance, will have a permanent exhibition of artifacts such as centuries-old specimens and botanical artworks, or their digital versions if they are especially fragile or rare.

For instance, the oldest book in the gardens' library - about medicinal plants - dates back to the 16th century and is in Latin.

The museum will also show off the site's history of breeding rubber, coffee, oil palm and other crops, its place in colonial and post-colonial culture, and scientific research carried out there.

Built in 1921, the 240 sq m hall was the office and laboratory of gardens director Eric Holttum, who pioneered test-tube techniques for breeding orchids in the 1930s.

A 314 sq m solar-powered gallery - the size of three to four HDB flats - will also be sited on the lawn of Holttum Hall, next to the Botany Centre.

It will be built by City Developments Limited (CDL), using concrete made from the hemp plant.

The gallery will begin by showcasing half a century of "greening" Singapore, with exhibits changed once or twice a year.

Both buildings will have controlled low-temperature, low-humidity environments to help preserve delicate items such as botanical watercolour paintings.

Together, the new additions will cost about $2 million in cash and kind from CDL, and are expected to be open to the public by the end of November.

Last December, Singapore put the Botanic Gardens on its tentative list, a precursor to submitting a formal application for the coveted World Heritage status.

Earlier this year, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong said in Parliament that the historic site was picked for its economic and cultural significance from a shortlist of several spots including the Civic District, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Haw Par Villa.

Singapore will submit a formal nomination to Unesco next February.

If successful, the gardens may receive World Heritage status as early as June 2015.

Botanic Gardens to have heritage museum, "green" gallery
Alvina Soh Channel NewsAsia 10 May 13;

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Botanic Gardens announced plans on Friday for a heritage museum and a gallery for green exhibits. The new attractions, which cost about S$2 million in cash and kind from City Developments Limited, will open their doors from end-November 2013.

The 240 square metre (sqm) heritage museum will house interactive and multimedia exhibits showcasing the Gardens' rich heritage. These will include rare historical finds, such as books and paintings that date back to as early as the 19th century.

Dr Nigel Taylor, director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, said: "The museum is needed to tell the visitors of the Gardens about the rich history the Gardens has developed over 150 years.

"We would (especially) like to engage school groups so they understand more about history... the Gardens' history rather mirrors the history of Singapore as an island."

The museum will be located at Holttum Hall, near the Gardens' Tanglin entrance. Visitors will also be able to join in guided tours of the heritage museum when it opens.

Members of the public can also look forward to a Green Gallery featuring more botanical exhibits. The 314 sqm gallery, which is an extension of the museum, will also be Singapore's first zero energy gallery.

The gallery will run on solar power and be built with eco-friendly materials.

It will showcase Singapore's "greening" journey as its first exhibition when it opens.

Dr Taylor said that the additions will be a "great help" in supporting the Gardens' nomination bid as Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

He said: "It is very important that we demonstrate that we are serious about understanding our heritage, and that is the kind of thing that UNESCO wants to see."

The Gardens also aims to foster a greater sense of pride and ownership among visitors.

- CNA/ac/ms