Singapore Architecture Collection (SAC)

About

The Singapore Architecture Collection (SAC) was established in 2023 to document and preserve archival materials on Singapore's modern and contemporary architecture, capturing our architectural and urban design heritage. It is jointly managed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the National Library Board (NLB), and the National Heritage Board (NHB), in partnership with the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA), the National University of Singapore (NUS), and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

Read more from the SAC booklet [PDF, 3.46MB]

Contribute

Architects, planners, urban designers, built environment professionals and individuals are encouraged to contribute archival materials to the Collection that will enrich our architectural and urban design narrative. Donated materials will be made available for research, education, and exhibition — ensuring that the stories behind Singapore's built environment endure for current and future generations.

Care

All contributions will be carefully managed, curated, and conserved. Proper environmental controls and handling practices will be applied to protect materials from deterioration. Digitisation will be carried out in due course, with priority given to fragile or at-risk items.

Browse through key engagement and outreach efforts:

The Collection team regularly engages architects and firms to identify potential materials for the Collection: Rene Tan, Principal Architect, RT+Q Architects, sharing his design sketches done during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contributed materials are well cared for. Image: National Archives of Singapore

Talk by Dr Wong Yunn Chii during the "To Draw an Idea" exhibition in 2023, sharing stories about Singapore's architectural heritage and his personal archival collection.

To Draw An Idea: Retracing the Designs of William Lim Associates & W Architects: First comprehensive showcase of over 500 original materials contributed to the Collection in 2023, featuring William Lim Associates and W Architects’ design processes and creative visions from 1980s to 2010s. Image: NLB

Highlights

From sketches, to drawings, physical models, photographs, oral history recordings, paraphernalia, digital models and more, the Collection has received contributions from architects, architectural firms, photographers and individuals, with over 7,000 items to date.

Check out a selection of the Collection materials:

Ground floor plan of the National Theatre, 1960. Donated by Alfred Wong Partnership, courtesy of NAS. Designed by architect Alfred Wong and opened in 1963, it was Singapore’s first National Theatre.

South-west elevation of Jurong Town Hall, circa 1970. Designed and donated by Datuk Seri Lim Chong Keat, courtesy of NLB. Completed in 1974, Jurong Town Hall served as the headquarters of the Jurong Town Corporation (currently known as JTC Corporation) formed in 1968 to spearhead industrial growth.

Board of Architects annual renewal certificate of the first local-born registered architect in Singapore, Ho Kwong Yew, 1938. Donated by Kelvin Ang Kah Eng, courtesy of NLB.

Northeast elevation drawing of 32 Binjai Park, 1973, courtesy of NLB, Lee Kip Lin Collection. 32 Binjai Park was designed by architect Lee Kip Lin (1925 – 2011), who was an educator, mentor, and a strong advocate for conservation in Singapore.

Exhibitions

Explore current and past exhibitions presented and supported by the Collection at the URA Centre ground floor atrium. It is open Mondays to Saturdays, 9 am to 5 pm and closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.

SCDA30: Beyond Boundaries (Now on until 31 July)

Discover the evolution of SCDA Architects’s design practice and philosophy over three decades — across scales, typologies and geographies.

Shaping Singapore: From the Garden City to our City in Nature (Now on until 31 Aug)

Learn about the vision and people behind Singapore's green landscape — such as landscape designs by Otto Fung, Singapore's first landscape architect, who designed the signature roads from Changi Airport. (Photo credit: SILA)

5 Bold Plans (Past exhibition; 2025-2026)

A feature of the defining ideas and plans that have shaped Singapore over 60 years.

To Draw An Idea (Past exhibition; 2023-2024)

A showcase of the first comprehensive contribution from W Architects to the Collection, featuring over 500 architectural archival materials, featuring creative designs that have shaped Singapore's landscape over 30 years. (Photo credit: NLB)