53 Margaret Drive

Queenstown Public Library

About

This was Singapore's first branch Public Library. Prior to its opening, the only public library was the former National Library at Stamford Road. With a large population of young families and school going children, the provision of a Public Library in Queenstown would encourage reading and learning by making it easy to have access to books. Books were an expensive item in the early years of independent Singapore, and not every child would have the luxury of buying their own books, or having a conducive home environment for reading. As a public building open to all, it was also a place for children and adults from the various communities to come together and build a sense of common civic and national identity.

The History

Queenstown Public Library was officially opened on 30 April 1970 by then Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Over the years, many pioneering social and educational programmes were carried out in this Library. For example, in the mid 1970s, children's theatre programmes were run by the pioneering troupe ACT 3.

The Building

Designed in the Modern style, the Queenstown Public Library is a 2-storey building of a reinforced concrete frame construction, with light-weight infill walls of extensive windows. The building uses a pared-down palette of well-proportioned structural elements and design motifs to create a harmonious blend of form and function.

What could have been a rather austere façade is made ‘light’ by elegant ‘bow-tie’ fascias on its concrete frame structure - reminiscent of some of the sinuous patterns used in Brasilia, the archetypal Tropical Modern city. The extensive windows along each facade reduce the sense of bulk, and also provide good lighting for the readers in the Library.

Breaking the symmetry of the front façade is the last bay at both ends of the building, which is articulated with a 2-storey high secondary screen wall of pre-cast concrete blocks using ‘Q’ as a design. This screen creates a filigree effect when seen from inside, and acts as a sun-shade to minimise heat gain into the building’s interiors.

The building also has an interesting perimeter wall of pre-cast circular and semi-circular concrete blocks that seems to be a reference to the ‘Optical Art’ trends of the 1960s.

The Legacy

Besides being an established identity marker for Queenstown, the building’s unique design makes it a fine showcase of the development of Modern tropical architecture in Singapore.

It is also a Nation-building landmark that showcases how planning in independent Singapore serves to provide institutions that would help build a new post-colonial civic and national identity through modern education.

Being a community touchstone and social hangout, it holds fond memories for many residents, both past and present. The building also serves as a social landmark and provides a sense of identity for the residents in the area.

Gazetted on 6 June 2014.

Guidelines and Procedures

All proposed works will need to comply with the Conservation Guidelines and the Specific Restoration Guidelines (SRG). Conservation Permission is required before all additions & alteration works and operations of new use can begin.

Residential Fronts are characterised by timber casement windows flanking a double-leafed timber door. All buildings with residential front which is existing and/or identified in the 'Specific Restoration Guidelines', regardless of land use zoning, shall be retained and restored.

• Any proposed additions and alterations to this conserved building are subject to evaluation. Please submit your proposal for URA's review.

• Apply for Specific Restoration Guidelines (SRG)

• Submission Process for Works

Gallery

Explore Street View

The building can be found at this street.

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