ON MONDAY, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced that it would be preserving landmarks like the Botanic Gardens bandstand and the New World amusement park gates, among other structures.
Ironically, while the move reinforces the important role physical structures play in cementing a sense of history and tradition, it comes just after the recent spate of collective sales for residential real estate where old apartment buildings will be razed to erect new ones.
Of course, deciding what to keep and what to destroy is a delicate balancing act. Singapore, by virtue of its size, has traditionally erred on the side of commerce and practicality. But the URA's move signifies a shift in the national mindset regarding what is truly precious in the long run.
Ms Grace Fu, Minister of State for National Development, described the need to preserve 'familiar landmarks that possess aesthetic, engineering, design and historical merits'.
The recent debate over the fate of the Beverly Mai condominium, thus, is a foretaste of the dilemmas the URA will face as part of its new inclusive view of landmarks which are worth saving.
While Beverly Mai will soon be demolished as part of a collective sale, the move has stirred some controversy because the building also has historical value, as Singapore's first-ever condominium.
Ms Fu's comments also bring to mind the furore in 2000 about the demolition of the old National Library.
At the time, architect Tay Kheng Soon, among others, was outspoken about the historical importance of the building, which was nonetheless, eventually torn down.
How we decide what is worth preserving reflects our national character, perhaps our national soul. One wonders if, in today's climate, the building would have been saved. After all, it does satisfy the requirements of 'aesthetic, engineering, design and historical merits' and, arguably, it had a bigger impact on Singaporeans than the Botanic Gardens bandstand.
But there's no point in backtracking. We just have to make sure future National Libraries are preserved and the tricky part is identifying value.
Will Zouk, for example, with its unique transformation of an abandoned warehouse into Singapore's first world-renowned nightspot, be preserved, years from now? Or will we deem a dance club a mere frivolity that has no place in national history?
Will the run-down People's Park Complex go under the bulldozers one day despite the fact that, when it was built in 1973, it was the first building in Singapore to incorporate retail outlets and residential units?
Even world-famous Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, on a visit to Singapore in 1994, extolled its virtues, along with those of the Golden Mile Complex: 'These buildings were not intended to be landmarks but became landmarks. Yesterday, I went to see all the buildings again, and they are absolutely stunning, radical and amazing.'
Of course, it is impossible to preserve every single old building. Not all landmarks can exist forever, but that does not mean they have to be forgotten.
If statues by Salvador Dali and Botero can stand in public spaces, turning Singapore into one giant art gallery, there is no reason why Singapore's physical history cannot be documented out on the streets.
Make the city one giant museum by putting up old pictures and written histories on notable streets or buildings.
Tell the story of Bugis Street's colourful past, for example, by putting plaques of text and old photographs at Bugis Junction. That way, the young trendy teens who throng the area now can know and appreciate the area's evolution.
Do the same with that other youth hangout, The Heeren, by showing young Singaporeans pictures and stories of the old Heeren Beauty Saloon which stood at the corner of the old building.
After all, as historian Ernest Chew said in response to the URA's new move, it is important 'to get youth attached to familiar places here, as part of nation building'.
Likewise, turn Boat Quay into a history lesson so tourists and Singaporeans alike can place the river mouth and its shophouses in context.
In short, grab every opportunity and space for tasteful and educational historical signposting.
Private enterprises already know the value of communicating a rich heritage. Walk into any Ya Kun Kaya Toast outlet, for example, and you will see posters on the wall trumpeting the chain's humble beginnings.
Open the menu at the famous Lee Tong Kee Sar Hor Fun restaurant in South Bridge Road and you will see a reproduction of an oil painting of the original storefront way back in 1969 when Mr Lee expanded his eatery into Singapore from his native Ipoh.
Likewise, instead of trumpeting in a vacuum Singapore's reputation as an eating and shopping destination, highlight the history of notable shops, malls and eateries which have stood the test of time - Tanglin Shopping Centre, for example, which, incidentally, houses Mode-O-Day, a famous luxury tailor which has been in business since the 1970s.
Tell the story of the old Orchard Road, with pictures of the old C.K. Tang department store which eventually became Tangs; of the Cold Storage supermarket - Singapore's first - which stood where Centrepoint now stands; of the old Orchard cinema, which housed Singapore's first escalator, before it became today's Cathay Cineleisure Orchard.
The old buildings and landmarks may be gone, but the past can be preserved in many ways. In a nation of collective sales, it is about time we woke up to the importance of collective memories.
sohchin@sph.com.sg
