Padang, surrounding buildings potential candidate for Singapore’s 2nd Unesco World Heritage Site

SINGAPORE – The Padang Civic Ensemble – comprising the historical green, open space and its surrounding civic buildings – has been placed on Singapore’s tentative list of Unesco World Heritage Sites, paving the way for it to be nominated as the country’s second World Heritage Site after the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

The National Heritage Board (NHB) on Thursday said the ensemble is most likely to fulfil one of 10 criteria for World Heritage Sites, as an “outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape” that illustrates a significant stage, or stages, in human history.

The Padang Civic Ensemble is “an outstanding example of a British colonial civic square in the tropics”, said NHB in a statement.

“The coalescence of colonial-era and post-independence civic institutions within a single municipal area bears testament to the historically widespread phenomenon of decolonisation and the globally significant transition of long-held British territories to newly independent nations in the decades following World War II,” the statement added.

Besides its high potential to meet Unesco’s criteria, the Padang Civic Ensemble also has national and historical significance, NHB said.

The Padang, sited in the heart of Singapore’s civic district, was on Aug 9, 2022, gazetted as Singapore’s 75th national monument, according it the highest level of protection here.

NHB noted that adjacent buildings such as the former Supreme Court and City Hall – which now form the National Gallery – Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, Old Parliament House, and St Andrew’s Cathedral similarly have high historical significance.

A successful nomination will provide greater recognition of Singapore’s heritage on the world stage, raise awareness of heritage preservation here, foster a sense of national identity and pride, and ensure the site is preserved for future generations, the board said.

Unesco World Heritage Sites are cultural or natural sites considered to be of outstanding universal value. Unesco is a United Nations body that promotes international cooperation on education, science and culture.