Why It's Time Singapore Has a Design Museum

It would be a place to celebrate our global design success, preserve our creative legacy—and be so much fun to visit.

- Jackson Tan

For a nation recognised as a Unesco Creative City of Design since 2015—awarded for harnessing design and creativity in its social and economic development—something vital is missing: a Singapore Design Museum.

While the country has several venues where the public can engage with design, none serves as a definitive platform for celebrating Singapore's design legacy. The Red Dot Design Museum in Marina Bay showcases award-winners from its international competition. The National Design Centre is a familiar landmark for designers and is where the public converges for design-focused exhibitions and Singapore Design Week. The ArtScience Museum explores cross-disciplinary creativity.

A Singapore Design Museum would go beyond these spaces. As a central repository, it would chronicle the full arc of Singaporean design—from architectural blueprints that shaped the city's skyline and fashion illustrations that captured societal shifts, to physical artefacts such as furniture prototypes and graphic prints that reflect cultural values and national development. Beyond aesthetics, its value lies in highlighting the nation's design contributions and tangible impact within regional and global contexts, offering historical depth and critical discourse.

So the recent announcement by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong of possibly establishing a Design Museum at the historic St Joseph's Institution (SJI) site—more recently, the former home of the Singapore Art Museum (SAM)—is heartening and timely.

As Singapore prepares to mark SG60, I believe we have what it takes for design to be recognised, not just as functional, but also foundational to our national identity, through a dedicated national museum.