Building Memories Artbook

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Building Memories has won the A’Design Award 2017 Bronze Winner, Singapore Book Awards 2017: Book of the Year 2017, Winner for Best Illustrated Non-Fiction Title 2017 & Finalist for Best Book Cover Design 2017, HOW: International Design Awards Winner 2017, American Graphic Design Award 2016, GOV: The Design 100 Gold Winner 2016, HKG: The Design 100 Gold Winner 2016, NYC: The Design 100 Gold Winner 2016 & LON: The Design 100 Silver Winner 2016

“A sense of common history is what provides links to hold together a people who came from the four corners of the earth. Because our history is short, and because what is worth preserving from the past is not all that plentiful, we should try to save what is worthwhile from the past from the vandalism of the speculator and the developer, from a government and a bureaucracy which believes that anything that cannot be translated into cold cash is not worth investing in.”

— S. Rajaratnam,
from “Adaptive Reuse of History,” Kwa Chong Guan, ed. S. Rajaratnam on Singapore.
Singapore: World Scientific, 2006.

Singapore Memory Project
Published: 2016

Building Memories is an interactive art book documenting the intrinsic histories, as well as personal and collective memories of four public buildings which have helped shape the nation. These were the National Library (1960), the National Theatre (1963), the Singapore Conference Hall and Trade Union House (1965) and the National Stadium (1973). This project was supported by the Singapore Memory Project’s irememberSG Fund as part of the Singapore50 (SG50) celebrations.

The idea leading to this meaningful publication was mooted and brought to fruition by three like-minded friends – an architect, an illustrator and a designer – who shared the same appreciation for these buildings. Given the scarcity of cohesive and up-to-date accounts of these buildings, it is hoped that the key themes connecting architecture, people and the period of nationhood can be better appreciated while sharing and reminiscing those halcyon days with our future generations.

Over four dedicated chapters, the art book offers an informative and immersive reading experience through the inclusion of interactive elements such as old photographs, comic illustrations, interesting graphic components, a miniature 3-D paper pop-up building and even an old library borrowing slip complete with pocket. This tactile approach was taken to evoke nostalgia in senior readers as well as provide younger generations with a deeper insight to life of the yesteryears.

A pre-launch talk was held on 26 April 2015 at The Pod@National Library to take the audience down memory lane, share on the rationale and objectives as well as the journey of the publication. They were also treated to a sneak preview and highlights of the book.

The Building Memories Art Book is now available at:
BooksActually
• 9 Yong Siak Street Singapore 168645. Tel: 6222 9195

Kinokuniya Singapore
• 391 Orchard Road, #04-20/20B/20C Ngee Ann City, Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Singapore 238872. Tel: 6737 5021
• 177 River Valley Road, #03-50 Liang Court, Singapore 179036. Tel: 6337 1300
• 200 Victoria Street, #03-09 Bugis Junction, Singapore 188021. Tel: 6339 1790
• 50 Jurong Gateway Road, #04-23 Jem (Jurong East), Singapore 608549. Tel: 6430 0868

Woods in the Book
• Tiong Bahru, No.3 Yong Siak Street, Singapore 168642. Tel: 6222 9980

Basheer Graphic Books
• Bras Basah Complex, 231 Bain St, Singapore 180231. Tel: 6336 1917

草根书室 Grassroots Book Room
• 25 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089839. Tel: 6337 9208

Select Books
• 65A, Jalan Tenteram, #02-06, St Michael’s Industrial Estate, Singapore 328958. Tel: 6251 3798

城市書房 City Book Room
• 420 North Bridge Road, #03-10, North Bridge Centre, Singapore 188727. Tel: 6901 1583

Gallery & Co
• 1 St. Andrew’s Road #01–05 Singapore. Tel: 6385 6683