The National Museum of Singapore combines a symmetrical nineteenth-century façade with a modern glass extension. Its architecture makes the museum’s own history visible: a civic institution that has repeatedly adapted how it presents Singapore’s past.
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A symmetrical nineteenth-century façade meets a modern glass extension at the National Museum of Singapore. The National Museum’s original building was designed in the nineteenth century and opened in 1887 as the Raffles Library and Museum. Its Neo-Palladian front uses ordered columns and a central rotunda, giving the institution a formal civic presence.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The museum opened in 1887 as the Raffles Library and Museum.
- The original building was designed by colonial engineer Henry McCallum.
- A modern extension was developed from 2003 to 2006.
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