SINGAPORE – The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) will remain at Tanjong Pagar Distripark “in the near future”, with alternative plans being considered for its former home at the old St Joseph’s Institution building in Bras Basah Road.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, in a written reply to arts Nominated Member of Parliament Usha Chandradas on May 8, said that his ministry is evaluating possible uses for the heritage building and will share more details when it is ready.
Prior to this, SAM had been expected to reoccupy the space when redevelopment is completed in 2026.
The national monument building of the old St Joseph’s Institution and a second SAM site – the former Catholic High School building in Queen Street – have been closed since 2019 for a $90 million revamp, and have had their opening dates pushed back from 2021 to 2023 to 2026.
Mr Tong said SAM’s current temporary location at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, a container space along Keppel Harbour, has received positive feedback from visitors.
“The contiguous space and high ceilings in Tanjong Pagar Distripark are well-suited for showcasing contemporary arts. Because of the space afforded, SAM was able to display large-scale contemporary artworks such as Ong Kian Peng’s The Viscous Sea and Ho Tzu Nyen’s Hotel Aporia, giving visitors an opportunity to immerse fully in the artworks and experience them as the artists intended.”
He did not make any reference to the former Catholic High School building in Queen Street, which is still unoccupied, in his reply.
The multiple delays and scant evidence of construction activity at the old St Joseph’s Institution building in the city centre have fuelled speculation, with some positing that it could be taken over by the Asian Civilisations Museum, the Peranakan Museum or the new University of the Arts Singapore, or even be the site for a new museum – the most outlandish suggestion so far being a museum for artificial intelligence.
In recent months, the University of the Arts Singapore has taken over the National Design Centre space opposite the National Library building in Middle Road, though the centre said the building’s name and function will be retained.
Though eminently suited for contemporary art purposes, Tanjong Pagar Distripark’s certainty as a more permanent home for SAM is not guaranteed, with the sector earmarked for the Greater Southern Waterfront project, including 9,000 public and private housing units.
Port operator PSA is in the process of moving operations at its Tanjong Pagar, Keppel and Brani ports to Tuas by 2027, which is when the fate of Tanjong Pagar Distripark should become clearer.
For now, SAM is pushing ahead with its plans to open a new gallery at the space in the third quarter, taking its total number of galleries there to four.
Private galleries like Gajah Gallery, 39+ Art Space and ArtSpace @ Helutrans all have spaces at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, and the area has, since SAM’s participation, become one of the most vibrant arts spaces in Singapore, especially during the annual Singapore Art Week.
