Singapore unveils Compact City to the World model

1000 Singapores can house the entire world population using only 0.5% of the Earth’s land area.

Jointly presented by the DesignSingapore Council and the Singapore Institute of Architect, Singapore will showcase “1000 Singapores – A Model of the Compact City” at the 12th International Architectural Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia from 26 August to 21 November 2010. The official opening of the Singapore Pavilion will be officiated by Mr. Lui Tuck Yew, the Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts.

Responding to the Biennale Director Kazuyo Sejima’s exhibition theme, People Meet in Architecture, the Singapore Curatorial and Design team will share the country’s proposal for an effective model of a compact and sustainable city for the future that embraces economic viability, liveability and social equity, according to a MICA report.

“1000 Singapores – A Model of the Compact City is about the thousands of lives, faces, ideas and experiences of a high-density city-state. We recognize the fact that architecture is not just aesthetics, form and function, but also about the experiences of people in architecture. For Singapore, it is the coming together of a multi-racial society bonded in a unique experience by the creation of physical, economic, social and inter-personal infrastructures and systems that give our country its meaning and culture,” said Mr Jeffrey Ho, Commissioner of the Singapore Pavilion and Director of the DesignSingapore Council.

Mr Ashvinkumar, Co-commissioner of the Singapore Pavilion and President of the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) said, “The worldwide concern on sustainable development has ranked high on the agenda of more and more countries. This has led to increased attention that focuses on the relationship between urban form and sustainability, with many cities adopting compact development policies to address and find solutions to sustainability issues.” Media Release

Mr Khoo Peng Beng, Lead Curator and Founder of ARC Studio, added, “Cities all over the world are growing at phenomenal rates and the world is struggling with the impact of this growth. 1000 Singapores – A Model of the Compact City is an invitation to look at how compact cities might reduce our demand for land and consequently how human beings might inhabit this planet of ours with the smallest footprint possible.”

The presentation takes housing beyond architectural typology and demonstrates how housing can be an active act in creating communities. It is a story that recounts the construction of an edifice that integrates architecture with governance, social systems, finance and infrastructure. From the most basic pre-fabricated component to towers, neighbourhoods, new towns, districts, then finally the nation; this evolution and growth embraces both the pragmatic and the sublime.

Mr Erik G L’Heureux, Curator and Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said “The Pavilion is designed as a 35m tube and bringing a slice of Singapore to Venice. Situated between a courtyard and the gallery of the Calle della Pietà, a slice of the physical cross-section of Singapore’s landscape provides a glimpse of its multifaceted land use, providing a plausible model for accommodating the world’s population in 1000 Singapores – A Model of the Compact City.”

“The façade represents Singapore’s tropical architecture with ventilations blocks and gives a sustainable statement of tropicality in a dramatic Renaissance setting. The pavilion is designed to be easily dismantled, recycled and reused,” added Mr Florian Schaetz, Curator and Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS). A 350-page compendium publication composed of essays, photographs, and diagrams elaborate the theme of the presentation and is available during the exhibition.

The Singapore Architecture Forum, which will take place prior to the official opening, will explore the topic “Conversations on 1000 Singapores”. The panellists for the forum are Mrs Cheong-Chua Koon Hean, Deputy Secretary of Ministry of National Development and CEO of Housing & Development Board, Mr Ng Lang, CEO of Urban Redevelopment Authority, Mr Fong Chun Wah, Director (Development and Procurement) of Housing Development Board, Mr Ben van Berkel, Founding Partner of UNStudio from the Netherlands and Mr Khoo Peng Beng, Lead Curator and Founder of ARC Studio. The moderator for the forum will be Mr Ashvinkumar, Co-commissioner of the Singapore Pavilion and President of the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA).