ST : Revamped HDB Gallery offers high-tech treats

Apr 16, 2010

Revamped HDB Gallery offers high-tech treats

Holograms, panoramic theatre help showcase history of public housing

By Esther Teo



AFTER a $3.8 million facelift, the HDB Gallery has reopened its doors to the public and now offers a fresh approach to showcasing the evolution of Singapore's public housing.

The gallery at the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh expects to receive more than 70,000 visitors a year - 20 per cent more than the average number for the old gallery, which closed last May after playing host to more than 330,000 visitors since its 2003 opening.

Revamped as part of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the Housing Board (HDB), it has special features such as a hologram of life-size actors sharing their home ownership experiences, and a 360-degree panoramic theatre presentation of residents' lifestyles.

Parliamentary Secretary for National Development Mohamad Maliki Osman, who officially opened the site yesterday, said that it 'provides a canvas for HDB to portray not only the bricks and mortar, but also the heart and soul of public housing'.

Visits to the gallery, which had been undergoing renovation for almost a year, are expected to take between 30 and 45 minutes.

The HDB anticipates those wanting to view the 750 sq m gallery - about the size of two basketball courts - will include students, representatives of foreign governments, and delegations curious about Singapore's housing programmes and policies.

In the past, it has attracted parties from Malaysia, Brunei, China, the United States, Ghana and Costa Rica.

Dr Maliki said that it will be one of the designated visit sites for delegates during the World Cities Summit to be held here in June.

Ranveer Singh, 16, one of the 40 students to attend the exhibition yesterday, said that he enjoyed the interactivity offered by the multimedia features.

The Secondary 4 student from Beatty Secondary School singled out the circular 360-degree theatre as his favourite feature.

'The technology they used in the gallery is very advanced... It's nice to know the long history behind the HDB, and I think it has a bright future ahead,' he added.

The HDB Gallery is open to the public from Mondays to Saturdays and admission is free.

esthert@sph.com.sg