Singapore puts up Padang and surrounding buildings for potential Unesco World Heritage Site nomination, following Botanic Gardens status
SINGAPORE — The Padang, along with the civic architecture surrounding it, has been added to Singapore's tentative list for Unesco World Heritage sites, the National Heritage Board (NHB) said on Thursday (March 9).
- The Padang and surrounding buildings have been added to Singapore's tentative list for Unesco World Heritage sites
- The Padang Civic Ensemble is an "outstanding example" of a British colonial civic square in the tropics and has national and historical significance, says the National Heritage Board (NHB)
- Being inscribed as a World Heritage Site will provide greater recognition of Singapore's heritage on the global stage, said NHB
WHY THE PADANG?
To become a World Heritage Site, the site must be of "outstanding universal value" and meet at least one out of 10 selection criteria. NHB said the Padang Civic Ensemble is "most likely" to fulfil the criteria of being "an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history". The Padang Civic Ensemble is "an outstanding example of a British colonial civic square in the tropics", said the statutory board. "The coalescence of colonial-era and post-independence civic institutions within a single municipal area bears testament to the historically widespread phenomenon of decolonisation and the globally significant transition of long-held British territories to newly independent nations in the decades following World War II."NHB added that other than its high potential to meet the World Heritage criteria, the Padang Civic Ensemble also bears national and historical significance.
For example, it has a "high level of preservation", having been gazetted as a national monument on Aug 9 last year.
The Padang Civic Ensemble comprises:
- The former City Hall and former Supreme Court buildings — the current National Gallery Singapore
- Saint Andrew's Cathedral
- Old Parliament House — now the Arts House
- Former Town Hall and Victoria Memorial Hall — the current Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall respectively
- The former Empress Place building — now the Asian Civilisations Museum
- Two sporting clubs — the Singapore Recreation Club and the Singapore Cricket Club
The site has also borne witness to key milestones in Singapore's history, such as the installation of Yusof Ishak as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara, a title for the head of state, as well as Singapore's first National Day Parade.
The Singapore Botanic Gardens had also been listed as a potential site in that study and was eventually chosen as the country's first nomination.
Ms Wee said that the bid to nominate the Padang Civic Ensemble as a Unesco World Heritage Site was still at an "exploratory stage".
"At this point, we want to make sure that we can fully illustrate and justify the outstanding universal values of the site," she said.
She added that while the Padang is associated with Singapore’s post-colonial journey, the site will have to be seen as part of the broader British imperial expansion to have global significance and fulfil Unesco's criteria.
This is why the bid considers the Padang Civic Ensemble as being an example of a British colonial civic square in the tropics, she said.
On potential criticism that the board could be glorifying colonialism by putting up the Padang and its surrounding architecture for a Unesco bid, Ms Wee said that this was a historical fact that cannot be changed.
"But it’s also important to recognise that it’s from that point that we transitioned as a colony to a sovereign state. So I think we need to be quite upfront in recognising that that is our history. Let’s raise awareness of the full timeline of wealth of history (in Singapore) as well."
WHY BEING ON THE LIST MATTERS
NHB said that the successful nomination of the Padang Civic Ensemble will provide greater recognition of Singapore's heritage on the global stage.
It will also raise awareness of heritage preservation in Singapore and enhance the preservation of the property.
It serves to foster a "stronger sense of pride for Singaporeans and ensure the site's preservation for future generations", said NHB.
In addition, it will also increase international visibility to Singapore as a tourist destination and improve relations with other international heritage organisations.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
After its addition to the tentative list, the site will go through a "preliminary assessment" — a new mechanism in the World Heritage Site nomination process.
Set to begin this year, this preliminary assessment process will take about two years.
Under this assessment, NHB said that Singapore will be given an opportunity to receive "guidance" from the Unesco World Heritage Centre and other stakeholders, prior to full nomination.
The board will also have a longer runway to address redevelopment concerns with government agencies and other stakeholders.
NHB will be carrying out research this year to determine the potential implications of the site and surrounding developments, and the outcome of the research will help guide the statutory board on whether it will formally pursue the nomination.
Should NHB choose to pursue the nomination after the preliminary assessment, it will take another two years after that for the site to be submitted for nomination, which will be examined by the World Heritage Committee.
The committee meets once a year and consists of representatives from 21 state parties.
On how confident she is on the success of the bid, Ms Wee said: "At this stage, I think the fact that we have considered putting the site on our tentative list (means) we see that it has got good potential."
