Singapore’s Unesco bid: Profile of Padang and surrounding buildings could be raised, bringing intangible benefits, say experts

SINGAPORE — The president of the Singapore Recreation Club (SRC) said that with the Padang and its surrounding buildings potentially becoming a Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site, the club could gain greater prominence here and globally.

However, he is wary that possible restrictions placed by Unesco could limit the club's ability to expand its infrastructure and facilities.

Urban planners and heritage experts also told TODAY that the Unesco bid could enhance and protect the heritage value of the Padang area.

On Thursday (March 9), the National Heritage Board (NHB) announced that the Padang, along with the civic architecture surrounding it, has been added to Singapore's tentative list for nomination to be recognised as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Collectively known as the Padang Civic Ensemble, the buildings that may be included in the bid are: The National Gallery Singapore, Saint Andrew's Cathedral, the Arts House, the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, as well as the Singapore Cricket Club and Singapore Recreation Club, among others, NHB said in a statement.

Speaking to TODAY on Thursday, Mr Chang Yeh Hong, the president of SRC, said that the club would be “honoured and proud” to be part of the Unesco site if the nomination went through.

“This year, we are celebrating our 140 years' anniversary and you can see, we have a long history here in the Padang. To count us as part of the Unesco site only goes to show the long tradition we have at this site,” he said.

The SRC was officially established in 1883 and was housed in a building on Waterloo Street in the Bugis area, before it moved to the Padang in 1905.

Mr Chang said that there could be several upsides for the club if the nomination eventually proves successful.

For one thing, SRC would become more prominent here and globally, and it could attract more members to join the club. It may also increase patronage at the restaurants located within the club as well, he added.

However, Mr Chang said that depending on Unesco’s requirements, the club may be limited in its ability to expand or change its infrastructure.

“Under conservation regulations, you cannot change the facade of the building and have to keep everything where it is,” he explained, adding that this could possibly affect the growth of the club.

He noted how buildings that are gazetted as national monuments in Singapore have to abide by strict regulations. These include prohibiting monuments from being demolished, reconstructed or expanded.

That being said, the benefits outweigh the constraints, he told TODAY.

'INTANGIBLE BENEFITS'

Heritage experts and urban planners told TODAY that the potential nomination of the Padang Civic Ensemble as a Unesco World Heritage Site was well-deserved and would enhance and protect its heritage value.

Ms Melody Zaccheus, a former heritage news correspondent who now writes for the heritage sector, said that the average person might not be able to understand the historical value of the Padang, which may come across as just a grass patch.

However, by incorporating the monuments in the area, the authorities would be able to do a better job of illustrating the story of Singapore’s civic district, with the Padang at its centre, she added.

On the potential benefits that a successful nomination would bring, Ms Zaccheus pointed out that at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which was successfully inscribed as Singapore's first Unesco World Heritage Site in 2015, a lot of work has been done to maintain its features, which helped it to secure its inscription.

For example, the Singapore Botanic Gardens is protected through regulations on conservation and permits are required for development works. The Gallop extension was added to the Gardens in 2021, adding to the visitor experience, she noted.

Similarly, heritage blogger Jerome Lim said that the move is “good for branding”.

Mr Lim, who writes for the blog The Long and Winding Road, added: “It shows that Singapore, though ultramodern, is able to protect sites and sensitively use sites significant to its history and, in that sense, has retained some soul even with modernisation.”

Other experts such as Dr Kevin Tan, the former president of Singapore Heritage Society, said that the inscription would also bring intangible benefits, including an improved reputation, prestige and visibility to the site.

Mr Li Yuzhou, the director of Morrow Architects and Planners, said that the potential Unesco nomination would help to strengthen the protection of the Padang and the surrounding buildings, and the civic quality of this district. It would also enhance the overall value of the district.

On whether the nomination would result in a wasted opportunity to fully maximise and develop the area, urban planners said that the potential of the site should not be measured by the economic value of its development alone.

Dr Steven Choo, an urban planner and the chairman of real estate consultancy group VestAsia, said that there is also utility in preserving green spaces in city areas such as the Padang, because it will serve as a place for the community to gather.

Dr Choo, who is an adjunct associate professor at the National University of Singapore Business School’s department of real estate, added that a successful bid would help Singapore anchor “an important part of our collective memory as a nation”.