The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) will be adding a new wing to its landmark colonial-era buildings by 2015.
Designed by Singaporean architects GreenhilLi Consultants, the new wing clad in titanium will be a distinctive architectural departure from the 19th-century Neo-classicism of the original structure. The extension looks like a solid box floating in an enclosed space, a metallic cuboid ‘weightlessly’ elevated one level above the ground.
A three-level glass atrium between the existing buildings and the new two-level ‘box’ will provide plenty of daylight and ventilation to part of the 1st level gallery space below while also providing a visual contrast between old and new that reflects the vibrant city-state and other Asian civilizations in the 21st century. Lightweight bridges will integrate the existing and new galleries at other levels.
“The new galleries will take advantage of natural light and provide a different experience for the visitor. We will have the chance to reveal more of the museum’s collection in an innovative and hopefully thought-provoking way,” said Alan Chong, director Asian Civilisations Museum