Fifty Years of Singapore Design Exhibition

The exhibition chronicles the development of Singapore’s design scene from the early years in the 1960s into today’s vibrant industry.

The collection was refreshed in July 2019 and now presents 300 iconic, popular and pivotal designs that have shaped the industry, bringing together for the first time, design works gathered from the fields of Environmental Design, Fashion & Accessories, Product & Industrial Design and Visual Communications in a fifty-year span. Along with designed objects, the showcase includes the stories that reflect the movements, trends and values of each decade.

Fifty years is a compact time, but these are watershed years that have seen the design industry emerge into a creative powerhouse and a key driver of a nation’s innovation-based economy. Through the curatorial journey which included in-depth interviews and collaborations with designers, this exhibition is not merely a timeline of triumphs and milestones of Singapore’s design scene; but also a collection of personal accounts, a self-portrait of a nation’s creative sensibility and attitude set against a backdrop of changing aesthetic, and economic and socio-political climate.

With the refresh, community and pop-up showcase spaces have been introduced into the gallery. These new elements will provide a platform for communities and audiences to draw inspiration from the many seminal and fresh works featured in the very same space and co-create the programmes with us here at the National Design Centre.

Visitor Info

Explore design in Singapore and the wider world through curated exhibitions, programmes and retail experiences.

Opening hours
Monday – Sunday
9am to 9pm

Address
Level 2 – Design Gallery 2
National Design Centre
111 Middle Road
Singapore 188969

See event details

The decades

1965

Building A Nation

Singapore’s early post-independence years were a period of nation building focused on domestic needs such as housing, establishing civic institutions and public buildings, and setting up infrastructure for a new industrialised economy. To equip a workforce for a manufacturing-based economy, vocational institutes that taught craft and technical skills such as commercial art (now known as graphic design), dress-making, woodworking and printing were set up.

1975

Economic Boom

The late 1970s and the early 1980s saw Singapore emerge as an economic powerhouse. On the back of the nation’s economic success the local design industry began to take shape.

In this decade, the entry of foreign multinational corporations such as Philips that invested in design research and development activities heralded the start of an industrial design scene in the country.

As air travel became popular, Singapore became tourism-oriented and started to develop its recreational landscape. The economy was on the upswing with the nation’s growth creating corresponding demand for new lifestyle choices, leading to the flourish of the arts, cultural, and fashion sectors. With the rise in affluence, the private residential and commercial markets expanded too.

This period of growth saw local design houses and architecture practices mushroom. It was an innovative time when the creative impulse was charged with a sense of possibility.

1985

New Technologies

Rebounding from the 1985 economic recession, Singapore opened itself to the world in trade and investment. The Singapore Trade Development Board promoted design to businesses as a tool to create new products with strong market competitiveness. We welcomed foreign architects and global ideas to shape our environment into a modern city. With increasing appreciation for design spaces, a local interior design market also emerged at this time.

1995

Going Global

The turn of the millennium saw our designers step into the international arena to make their mark. With global recognition came a sense of local design identity and confidence to explore bigger markets. The establishment of DesignSingapore Council to develop the design sector, enhance the nation’s value proposition and contribute to the economic growth and quality of life, was another turning point in our creative landscape.

2005

Looking Back, Looking Forward

The design scene has flourished into a vibrant and dynamic creative culture. With the birth of Web.2.0, entrepreneurship and self-initiated projects break new ground, and designers are working and collaborating in a more fluid, borderless creative environment across disciplines. As we look towards the future, we look back not in nostalgia, but to seek an active reinvention to preserve and conserve what has been done in the past.

Design Categories

Visual Communications

Visual Communications encompasses brand design, advertising design, publication design and information design, e.g. way finding systems, web interfaces.

Product and Industrial Design

Product and industrial design is the development and preparation of manufactured products. It includes packaging, furniture, and gadget design.

Fashion and Accessories

Fashion and accessories encompasses the design and construction of clothing and personal adornments including footwear and jewellery.

Environmental Design

Environmental design encompasses the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, interior design, exhibition design and set design.

Virtual Tour

Acknowledgement

Our gratitude goes to the National Archives of Singapore, National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Philatelic Museum and Singapore Press Holdings for their generous contributions. Special thanks goes to the following individuals and organisations for their sharing of personal stories and invaluable support towards the exhibition’s curation.

Commissioned by

Venue

In Commemoration of

Curation and 2nd Edition Design

1st Edition Design

Fabrication

Publication Text

Publication Design

&Larry
10AM Communications
A Beautiful Design
Akitek Tenggara
Alfred Wong Partnership
alldressedup
Anonymous
ARC Studio Architecture & Urbanism
Architects 61 Pte Ltd
Architects Team 3
Archurban Architects Planners
Argentum
Arup
Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Association of Accredited Advertising
Agents Singapore
Asylum
Atelier HOKO
B&B Italia
Ban Yinh Jheow
BBH Asia Pacific
Benny Ong
BLACK
Brandon Tay
buUuk
Celia Loe
Cellini
Chew Moh-Jin
Chia Siong Lim
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited
CPG Corporation Pte Ltd
Creative Technology Ltd
d.lab
Daniel Boey
David I Tay
DBS Bank Ltd
Depression
Derek Lim Y T
Design Business Chamber Singapore
Design Objectives
Dick Lee
Dick Lee Entertainment
DP Architects Pte Ltd
DPC Design (Singapore)
Ed Et Al
Epigram
Esther Tay
ETHOSpace Ltd
Eubiq
F J Benjamin (Singapore) Pte Ltd
FARM
Foreign Policy Design Group
Forum Architects
Frederick Lee
Gary Lau
Grace Tan
Grafunkt
H55
Hans Tan Studio
Hansel
Haw Par Corporation Ltd
HCF and Associates
Heads of State Millinery
Hjgher
Hong Fok Corporation
Housing & Development Board
IJP Corporation Ltd
IN GOOD COMPANY
Interior Design Confederation (Singapore)
Ivanho Harlim
Jackson Tan
Jeremy Sun
John Clang
Jonathan Bonsey
JTC Corporation
Kelley Cheng
Kinetic Design and Advertising
Kingsmen Creatives Ltd
KODA
kwodrent
Lanzavecchia + Wai
Larry Peh
Lekker Architects Pte Ltd
Lim Sek
Lim Sau Hoong
LING WU Studio
Linghao Architects
LOOK Architects
Low Cheaw Hwei
Marilyn Tan Jewellery
Max.Tan
Mediacorp Pte Ltd
MessyMsxi

Micheal Gan
Michael Portman
MINDEF
Ministry of Communications and Information
Ministry of Design
Ministry of the Environment and Water
Resources
Ministry of National Development
Monetary Authority of Singapore
Murray Camens
Music & Movement
Nathan Yong
National Arts Council
National Heritage Board
National Parks Board
Neighbour
Oh Khang Lark
Orcadesign Consultants
Outofstock
RD (Participate in Design)
Past Image
Patrick C L Cheah
Patrick Chia
Patrick Low
Peer M Sathikh
Pei Cobb Freed & Partners
Philips Design Singapore
Phillips Connor
PHUNK
Pico Art International Pte Ltd
Pocket Projects
Pontiac Land Group
Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl
Raoul
Raymond Woo & Associates
Richard Wee
RISIS
Ronnie Tan
RSP Architects Planners & Engineers Pte Ltd
S G Chin & Associates
SBS Transit Ltd
Scanteak
SCDA Architects
Science Centre Singapore
Simon Ong
Singa Plastics Ltd
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Furniture Industries Council
Singapore General Hospital
Singapore Institute of Architects
Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects
Singapore Institute of Planners
Singapore Tourism Board
Singtel
Sky Greens
SMRT Corporation Ltd
Stolen
STUCK
Studio Industrial Design
Studio Juju
Su Yeang
Sumajin
Supermama
Surbana International Consultants Pte Ltd
Takenouchi Webb
Tan Cheng Siong
Tan Khee Soon
Tan Yoong
Tang Guan Bee Architects
Tay Kheng Soon
Textile and Fashion Federation Singapore
The Design Society
The Lo & Behold Group
The Portman Archives
The Press Room
Thomas Wee
Trek 2000 International
Triggerhappy
Tsao & McKown Architects
Urban Redevelopment Authority
Vice & Vanity
Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall
WM Rice Ltd
WERK
Wildlife Reserves Singapore
Willy Ong
WOHA Architects
Wong Chee Wai
WOODS & WOODS
WORK
Wykidd Song
Yang Derong
Zarch Collaboratives
Zing