Singapore, Singapore
Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) in collaboration with Architects 61, Singapore’s New Science Center is composed of five interlocking rectangular volumes housing a variety of exhibition galleries, interactive labs, and event spaces in addition to ancillary facilities for visitors, administrative offices, archives, and service areas.
Singapore’s New Science Centre will provide unique facilities and programs as a destination for all Singaporeans to access science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and experiences.
The new Science Centre will continue the institution’s mission since its founding in 1977 to spark curiosity and innovation in generations of young school children and
plans to leverage the new location and facilities to expand its outreach enabling
Singaporeans of all ages to encounter and appreciate the importance of science and
technology in their lives.
Informed by the natural landscape of Singapore’s Jurong Lake Gardens, the
new Science Centre looks to the future and maximizes opportunities for visitors to
interact with the surrounding gardens and lake.
Incorporating large windows serving as “monocles” offering strategic views of the
lake, each of the new Science Centre’s five volumes are uniquely orientated to enhance the relationships between the center’s indoor and outdoor spaces.
Appearing to float above the surrounding parkland, the design defines a series of courtyards and gardens leading from the adjacent MRT station towards the pagoda within the Chinese Garden.
Together with diverse indoor, outdoor, and rooftop spaces for learning, the new Science Centre will be an exciting destination to encounter science and nature as well as offering many opportunities for community events.
The new Science Centre will feature a Children’s Gallery that is more than twice
the size of the existing gallery and include its own interactive outdoor waterplay
area, discovery trails in the secondary forest as well as a sensory trail on the roof
garden.
Older students can look forward to entering specialized labs and workshops
that encourage hands-on learning of scientific concepts.
For instance, the new Eco-Lab will support students in scientific investigations, where they can retrieve and analyze samples taken directly from the Eco-Garden and continue to monitor the data collected from the samples with Internet of Things (IoT) equipment using their personal learning devices in school or at home, extending their learning experiences beyond their visit.
Through its programs and exhibitions, the center will also educate visitors on sustainability practices such as vertical farming systems.
The new Science Centre will feature a new Observatory for budding astronomers to
learn about the universe, as well as a Digital Fabrication Lab with incubator programs
to nurture entrepreneurial aspirations and a Makerspace for young inventors to bring their imagination to life.
A new outdoor Activity Plaza will be a focal point of the center and offer STEM programs and community activities.
Singapore’s New Science Center is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
Project: Singapore’s New Science Center
Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects
Lead Architect: Patrik Schumacher
Project Associate: Cristina Capanna
Collaborators: Architects 61 Pte
MEP: Beca Carter Holling & Wilke Pte Ltd
Renderings: Negativ
