The design of the performing art centre was unveiled at an exhibition called “Taking Shape” on 21 July 1994. Minister Yeo opened the exhibition where he unveiled the name for the centre “The Esplanade: Theatres on the Bay”.
We invited Ambassador and Mrs David Marshall who had hosted us on our Paris tour, to the exhibition and they journeyed through the centre virtually through 3D goggles using a virtually reality programme developed by the Institute of System Sciences for us. Robert was Director of the Institute and scientists like Peter Kellock worked with us on the presentation.
Media folder for “Taking Shape” the exhibition to unveil the art centre design
Michael Wilford briefing Minister for Information & the Arts George Yeo at the exhibition “Taking Shape”. Russell Johnson is right of Michael Wilford.
The design of the performing art centre was unveiled at an exhibition called “Taking Shape” on 21 July 1994. Minister Yeo opened the exhibition where he unveiled the name for the centre “The Esplanade: Theatres on the Bay”.
We invited Ambassador and Mrs David Marshall who had hosted us on our Paris tour, to the exhibition and they journeyed through the centre virtually through 3D goggles using a virtually reality programme developed by the Institute of System Sciences for us. Robert was Director of the Institute and scientists like Peter Kellock worked with us on the presentation.
The exhibition held at the Ministry of National Development Building, Maxwell Road was open to the public and attracted over 1000 people. Another 300 attended an expose talk by the architects. Feedback was encouraged and suggestions for handicapped access and landscaping were taken into consideration as we progressed the Esplanade’s design.
Some Singaporeans and members of the architectural community expressed disappointment with the design, perhaps because they expected a Sydney Opera House. The massing model evoked many metaphors. Officially, the architects projected the centre as a “lantern in the park”. However, team members held private interpretations of the design. MWA architect David Turnbull revealed that he was trying to recreate “crustacean images to resurrect the crustaceans that had been compressed due to land reclamation works”. Members of the public alluded to fruits and food – banana (commercial concourse), lo mai kai or papayas (concert hall and lyric theatre), dumplings bakchang (waterfront stage). Some of us joked fondly that we spotted President Ong’s initial “OTC” in the design. I think of microphones, lacy lingerie and paper-cut. Dr Ivan Polunin will also refer to them as bugs’ eyes.
The spiky roof structure was also controversial, thought to be inauspicious. At a geomancy talk I attended in 2006, a speaker alleged that the Suntec fountain had shut for a few months due to the aggression from the esplanade. There were other intriguing interpretations of the spiky roof. A Member of Parliament friend remarked that two halls were dragon’s eyes emerging to combat the ills arising from our damming the Singapore River.
President Ong seemed to be unfazed by the adverse public reaction, fully confident in our architect’s ability to deliver a world-class icon. Whenever we looked like we were wilting under public pressure, he encouraged us to accept the controversy in our stride, as a part of the journey of building a icon.
Through all this, what kept my faith in the roof design was the internal perspective of the floors of the theatre lobbies bathed in Esheresque triangular-shaped light and shadow. It is a pity that due to security constraints, members of the public cannot access the foyers in the day, to enjoy the patterns on the floor that sustained me throughout the journey.
I had also read that the Sydney Opera House design was also not free of controversy. Utzon’s inspiration for the centre’s roofing structure were slices of Mandarin oranges. The NSW Government marketed it as a “lotus flower” but Sydney-siders decided that they were “sails”. So, no matter how we market the Esplanade, it is the Singaporean public who will decide what to call it.
My daughter Liana’s doodles on the axiomatic view of SAC. Like many Singaporeans, she saw her favourite foods and fruits – a loaf of bread (concert hall), papaya (lyric theatre), ice cream cone (adaptable theatre that is yet to be built)
Singapore Arts Manager 1980's / 90's : Memories & Musings 