From A Small Island to the Little Red Dot – A Visit to the Singapore City Gallery
In 21 April 2026, I had the opportunity to visit the Singapore City Gallery. It was right beside the famous Maxwell Food Center. While I have visited Maxwell Food Center before for some meals, I didn’t realize that there is a gallery next to it.
Did I reach Singapore City Gallery?
When I reached the front of the gallery, I was confused whether I had arrived since there is no signage indicating Singapore City Gallery, although there is the Urban Redevelopment Authority sign when I passed by. There was a piano and a unique geometrical artwork. Knowing that this is an interactive gallery instead of a place where you just see things and exit, I felt interested to learn something from this place.
So yes, I did reach Singapore City Gallery.
Technically 23: 20 Under 45 Exhibition for Emerging Architects
After going through the entrance, I noticed that there was a 20 Under 45 Exhibition, which displays the drafts and diorama works of Singaporean architects. I did understand that there were works of 23 architects at that time, as due to the COVID-19, the age threshold was raised. Nevertheless, it was interesting that not only the design and the beauty of the building were the criterion for evaluation, but also the design philosophy and thinking behind it.
Several works that captivated me were the Botanic Gardens Visitor Kiosk and Boardwalk at EcoLake, Gardens By the Bay, and School of the Arts (SOTA) in Singapore. The architect Yeo Hwee Hua Alina also designed other award-winning schools, such as the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Campus Heart, and BRAC University in Dhaka, Bangladesh. According to the descriptions, School of the Arts was conceptualized with a certain design that allowed for cooler, more comfortable learning environment. It felt refreshing to see that in the current age where the usage of Artificial Intelligence is becoming increasingly prevalent, architecture still relies on hand sketches and human touch.
Sustainable in Many Ways: Projects for Singapore’s Future
Opposite the 20 Under 45 Exhibition stands the exhibition that aims to sustain Singapore from prevalent problems such as climate change, mental health and city planning, and so on. There were a lot of projects displayed, such as:
- A framework that can simulate Singapore’s urban climate and calculate the effectiveness of various heat mitigation strategies
- A Machine Learning-assisted analysis on how built environment features affect mental well-being
- An evaluation pipeline of heat stress on outdoor physical activities and mental well-being
- A Deep Learning algorithm-assisted radar scanner to detect and image tree trunk defects
These projects are led by top professors from National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and involved organizations such as Housing Development Board (HDB), Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), and even overseas bodies such as University of Waterloo from Canada.
The Real Exhibition Begins
Singapore City Gallery begins when I go up to the second floor. There is the sign that shows “Singapore City Gallery” with “Start Here” below the illuminated sign. Inside was a cinema-like place with four screens in the middle (only two were working at that time) and a 360-degree screen displaying a looped video about the development of Singapore.
The screens are interactive; it’s possible to learn more about allocation of Singapore’s small land to sectors such as Biotechnology, Finance, and so on. There was even a mini activity where I can pull the bubbles indicating the sectors on parts of the Singapore map. For example, pulling the bubble labelled as “Finance” to the middle part of Singapore, which is the CBD. I also learned more about Singapore’s land size compared to other metropolitan cities like Tokyo, Shanghai, and so on. Lastly, it recommended me locations and activities such as seeing the mural art at Haji Lane, Sembawang Park, Henderson Wave Southern Ridges.
Singapore Master Plan 2025: Beyond SG60
After exiting the cinema and going up to the next part of the exhibition, I saw the Singapore Master Plan 2025, which was made public on 1 December 2025, outlining the Singapore’s plan to develop itself while overcoming challenges such as sustainability and climate change, over the upcoming 10 to 15 years. The plans over creating homes supporting active lifestyle, urban resilience, sustainability and stewarding/maintaining nature and heritage. It is interesting to note that 2025 was SG60, marking Singapore’s 60 years of independence. From here we can see that Singapore’s growth doesn’t stop there, but continues from that point onwards.
Here Comes the Black Sensor
What interested me the most was what comes after that part. There were several booths where you can hover your hand over a black sensor, and then the interactive session will start. I learned about the recycling system in Singapore, and there was an interactive game where you can classify waste into the correct 3 categories, general waste, reuse or recycle. You can grasp the items and put them in the basket at the middle of the booth, and the sensor will recognize your hand’s movement. There is also another interactive learning booth where you get to learn how much water is used in everyday life, such as flushing the toilet.
Enter the Diorama, Maps (And Stephen Wiltshire)
After going down back to level 2, there is a big diorama which represents just 16 km2 city center of Singapore (2% of the whole land of Singapore). Of that area, half of it is reclaimed from the sea. There were also other visitors circling around this diorama.
And behind that is the Panoramic Cityscape of Singapore, which was drawn by the famous British artist Stephen Wiltshire, who draws detailed cityscapes including Shanghai, Tokyo, London and New York from memory after seeing it through a helicopter. The painting was presented in celebration of SG50 (Singapore’s 50th birthday) and Singapore Press Holding Limited’s 30th anniversary, to His Excellency Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, the president of Singapore at that time. The scale was so breathtaking and overwhelming. You can even see the iconic Marina Bay Sands at the left side of the illustration, drawn in detail.
Lastly, I visited the last stop, which is the evolution of Singapore map. It felt like I was transported back in time, seeing the old spellings of Singapore districts.
It was a short one-hour visit on a rainy day, but I felt I learned something new from it. I felt the interactive element worked well, and I hope a lot of people will come to visit the museum (Man, it’s just beside Maxwell Food Center!)
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