Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Marina Bay’s floating platform to be ‘primary venue’ for future NDPs

SINGAPORE — The Marina Bay Floating Platform will be designated as a permanent space to commemorate National Service (NS), as well as the primary venue for the National Day Parade (NDP).

TODAY file photo.

TODAY file photo.

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

SINGAPORE — The Marina Bay Floating Platform will be designated as a permanent space to commemorate National Service (NS), as well as the primary venue for the National Day Parade (NDP). 

Announcing this on Monday (Oct 30) at a dinner — which was attended by more than 1,500 guests — to celebrate 50 years of NS, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the platform and its seating gallery would be extended to create a larger and more accessible space, and the seating capacity would be increased from the current 30,000 to allow more spectators to attend the NDP. It will be renamed as “NS Square” when works are completed.

In a press release, the Ministry of Defence said the platform would also be the venue for Basic Military Training graduation and Unit Stand Down parades. It would “narrate the NS story from one generation to the next through various exhibits and organised events”, the ministry added.

As part of the platform’s redevelopment, Mr Lee said that there would also be a new purpose-built NS Gallery below the grandstand seats, to feature the history of NS in Singapore and the contributions of NSmen to their country.

Apart from hosting the NDP, it will serve as a venue for the annual River Hongbao fair during the Chinese New Year period, and for regular community events such as arts performances and weekend markets.

This “gesture” to redevelop the outdoor venue is “a tribute to all our NSmen, past and present”, Mr Lee said. “Its permanence, and prominence, in Marina Bay, will reflect the central role National Service plays in our lives,” he added.

The platform was opened in 2007 as a temporary stage for the NDP when the old National Stadium was to be torn down to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub, and it was initially meant to serve this purpose until 2012. After a two-year hiatus, this year’s NDP returned to the platform. Last year’s parade was held in the National Stadium at the Sports Hub, while the 2015 parade — which capped the celebrations of Singapore’s 50th year of independence — was held at the Padang.

The 2016 NDP, which chalked up a hefty bill of S$39.4 million for the organisers partly due to the rental cost of the Sports Hub facility, drew mixed reception from spectators, some of whom missed the traditional crowd-pleasers. Others, however, appreciated the comfort of the National Stadium, and the innovative use of 3D props. Previous NDPs held at the floating platform cost between S$15.7 million and S$17.9 million to stage.

Measuring 120m by 83m, the platform is slightly larger than a football field. Since its opening, the venue has hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, and the closing ceremonies of the Formula One night race, among other events.

It has grown to be a popular spot to hold the NDP because of the waters at the Marina Bay area, which allows Police Coast Guard vessels and the Republic of Singapore Navy’s gun boats, for instance, to be a part of the parade. The skyline of the Central Business District has also been a familiar backdrop for aerial displays by the airforce and the Red Lions parachuters.

Colonel Clifford Keong, of the NS50 executive committee, felt that it was “quite apt” for the platform to be renamed NS Square.

“It’s a recognition of contributions of all past and present servicemen to the national defence of Singapore,” he said, adding that the location in the city centre – against the backdrop of the financial hub – was significant.

He also hoped that the NS Gallery, that will be built below the grandstand, would encapsulate the evolution of NS over the past 50 years and beyond.

Other past and present NSmen shared similar sentiments on the renaming of the platform.

“It’s a very good move to motivate. It makes us proud to serve the country, and I hope in the future, our Singaporeans will come forward to serve the nation,” said Mr P. Silvakumaran, 50.

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.