NHB launches survey as part of stock-take on heritage landscape

SINGAPORE — A nationwide survey of the Republic’s heritage buildings and sites will be launched in the middle of this year, as part of a stock-take on the local heritage landscape.

The National Heritage Board (NHB) survey will cover buildings, structures, sites and landscape features of architectural, historical or cultural interest, including structures or sites completed before 1980. Research will also be carried out on buildings and sites associated with historical events that influenced the development of the nation or local community, as well as those with social, cultural or educational significance.

Apart from carrying out a stocktake on the current state of these buildings and sites, the survey also aims to develop a broad understanding of Singapore’s heritage landscape for the purpose of long-term heritage planning, the NHB said yesterday.

Mrs Rosa Daniel, CEO of the NHB, said: “As Singapore’s population grows, it is important to ensure that in tandem with intensified development, there are increased efforts to preserve our heritage.

“This survey is a step forward to enhance our capabilities in research, documentation and commemoration. The outcomes will also contribute to our land planning and development processes to preserve heritage and mitigate the loss of heritage value”.

The survey, described by the NHB as the most comprehensive to be conducted yet, comprises desktop research and field work.

Those involved in the desktop research will consolidate existing information from sources such as maps, newspaper records, archival materials and publications.

Field work involves capturing information on the current conditions of the buildings, structures, sites and landscapes, through descriptions, photographs and geographic coordinates.

The board will be tapping the expertise of the newly-formed Heritage Advisory Panel (HAP) to help it with the survey methodology and implementation. The panel comprises experts from various fields, such as architecture, geography, sociology, anthropology and history.

Professor Brenda Yeoh, who heads the HAP, said its members will be able to offer different perspectives on heritage issues.

“By combining documentary research with ground-level surveys, the aim is to build a comprehensive database that will stand us in good stead in supporting endeavours to enrich Singapore’s heritage,” said the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the National University of Singapore.