Founders' Memorial
Singapore
2019
As the response to the main feature of the site and also the history of Singapore, we try to apply the performance of water and its stream. The concept was inspired by the sketches of water by Leonardo Da Vinci. The sketches showed how stream of water flows, negotiating and adapting to new “agents”-obstacle, how it creates “events”-turbulence and spiral-where different streams colliding. The sketches also showed how different strands interact each other, creating an overall effect. This smooth “event”-collision of various stream and its interaction reflects the very nature of the harmony that planted by the founders of Singapore.
A simulation of vortex of flow is used to create an abstract machine to generate matrix of flows. The stacking of this transformation in time creates a space in it that extracted to generate the design of this Founders’ Memorial. This record of “flows” resembles the trace of time captured in space and material, such as the sendimentation stone. The trace as space frozen in time reflected in the spatial flow of the memorial.
The nested space of the spiral of the flows in space unifies many elements like the water and ground, artificial and nature, building and landscape, building and people, figure and ground, permanent and temporary events. The greatest highlight of this concept is the collision of idea and experience, the idea of harmony as the nature of Singapore to the experience of the achievement and also the future of this country. Each visitor will have unique experience of the preview of the exhibitions colliding with their own reflection of achievement and proud set by the space of the memorial. The framed view by the arch of the elevated building of the marina bay become the background of the preview.
The experience evoking the pride of achievement grow from the lower ground-excavating the “root” planted by the founders-to the top viewing gallery at the peak of the “horn” facing the development of marina bay area, reflecting the still coming soar of the country.
The articulated ground floor blends the plaza of the memorial seamlessly to the waterfront landscape, creating maximum openness by which the visitors and the locals interact and explore, enjoying equal chance of experience the memorial. This fluid ground also present chances for the visitors to explore and map his/her own visiting route. Open activity zones at the ground level and the waterfront promenade is potential to host various events, social interaction, education event, performances and entertainments.
The building as it “grows” from the landscape also reflects Singapore as the “city in a garden.”