Today-Mar 9
The Padang, along with the civic architecture surrounding it, has been added to Singapore’s tentative list for Unesco World Heritage sites, the National Heritage Board (NHB) said on Thursday (March 9). The inclusion to the tentative list is the first step in a five- to six-year process in nominating the Padang as a potential UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site. Collectively known as the Padang Civic Ensemble, the buildings that could be included in the bid are: The National Gallery Singapore, Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, the Arts House, the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, as well as the Singapore Cricket Club and Singapore Recreation Club, among others, NHB said in a statement. World Heritage sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance. According to UNESCO’s website, the sites are judged to contain “cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity”. The bid to include the Padang in this exclusive list follows the successful inscription of the Singapore Botanic Gardens as Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. According to Ms Jean Wee, director for NHB’s office on Thursday, while the Padang is associated with Singapore’s post-colonial journey, the site will have to be seen as part of the broader British imperial expansion to have global significance and fulfil UNESCO’s criteria. Read more at: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-puts-padang-and-surrounding-buildings-potential-unesco-world-heritage-site-nomination-following-botanic-gardens-status-2125521
