Kengo Kuma team wins Founders' Memorial competition in Singapore

Singapore's architectural design competition for the Founders' Memorial has picked the winning team: the submission by Japanese Kengo Kuma & Associates in collaboration with Singaporean firm K2LD Architects emerged victoriously from a field of five shortlisted proposals by unanimous jury choice as well as positive public feedback. 

The memorial, envisioned as an integrated gallery and garden landscape at the Bay East Garden, is intended to commemorate Singapore's path to independence and its early nation-building accomplishments. An international design competition was launched in January 2019 and attracted 193 entries overall.

The jury praised the winning proposal as the best response to the design brief: "Its organic form creates a welcome counterpoint to the domes of Gardens by the Bay. It represents a bold and imaginative new type of memorial which rises out of the landscape. Conceptually different from the other shortlisted designs, it emphasizes Singapore as a 'City in a Garden' and allows for future growth. More than a singular building, it is a sustainable, environmentally progressive reflection of the ideals of Singapore. In addition, the design has great potential to provide multi-layered experiences for all visitors in its blending of external and internal spaces."

"Our design concept for the Founders’ Memorial originates from the idea of a path – a journey tracing the legacy of Singapore’s founding leaders," Kengo Kuma explained. "It simultaneously honors the past, and inspires the present and future. The design aims to be a ‘living memorial’, to be owned by each new generation of Singaporeans. There will be ample spaces for the celebration of milestone events, all set against the changing skyline of Singapore."

Also part of the winning design team are CPG Consultants (contract administration and consulting), Vladimir Djurovic Landscape Architecture (landscaping), Buro Happold Engineering and AECOM (engineering), and Lighting Planners Associates (lighting design).

The other four shortlisted teams were 8DGE + RSP Architects, Cox Architecture + architects61, DP Architects, and Johnson Pilton Walker + RDC Architects.

The memorial is scheduled to start construction in 2022 and reach completion by 2027.