Nation-wide survey of Singapore’s heritage sites to kick off in coming months

SINGAPORE — The National Heritage Board (NHB) will be launching its most comprehensive survey to date on Singapore’s tangible heritage in the middle of this year, said the statutory board today (May 6).

The survey — first announced by Minister for Community Culture and Youth, Lawrence Wong at the Ministry’s Committee of Supply budget debate in March — will cover buildings, structures, sites and landscape features of architectural, historical or cultural interest, including structures or sites completed before 1980. Sites and structures associated with historical events, as well as those that carry social, cultural or educational significance, will also be examined.

The NHB says it hopes to gain a more complete understanding of Singapore’s tangible heritage and their value through this process. The research and data garnered will be made available to other public agencies so that heritage considerations can be incorporated during decision-making and planning phases.

An eight-member Heritage Advisory Panel (HAP), comprising experts from fields such as anthropology and sociology, will be guiding the NHB on the survey’s methodology and implementation.

There will be two components to the survey: desktop research and field work. Desktop research involves consolidating existing information on the heritage sites through sources such as maps, newspaper records, archival materials and publications. Field work, on the other hand, captures information on the current conditions of the buildings, structures, sites and landscapes through descriptions, photographs and geographic coordinates.

“As Singapore’s population grows, it is important to ensure that in tandem with intensified development, there are increased efforts to preserve our heritage,” says NHB CEO Rosa Daniel. “This survey is a step forward to enhance our capabilities in research, documentation and commemoration.