SINGAPORE, April 25 — The former Supreme Court building facing the Padang has long closed its doors, but Dr Jack Lee, a litigation lawyer in the 1990s, will always remember the old-fashioned elevator located on the left-hand side of its entrance.

“It is one of those lifts with metal grills... You have to open and close it properly,” the Singapore Management University law professor said, adding that the elevator would close only if it was “banged it shut.”

Dr Lee, 44, was among the guests present during an appreciation night for those who had contributed to the restoration of two historical buildings — the former Supreme Court and City Hall. The two buildings were closed in 2005 for extensive renovation, paving the way for the birth of National Gallery Singapore — the nation’s newest museum.

City Hall was where several events central to Singapore’s history occurred — it was where the Japanese surrendered at the end of World War IIand it also witnessed the swearing in of the late Lee Kuan Yew as the nation’s first Prime Minister.

Also present at the appreciation night was the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Lawrence Wong, who noted that it is crucial for National Gallery Singapore to provide visitors with a “deep understanding” of the republic’s history.

As one of the initiatives to help visitors acquaint themselves with the past, National Gallery Singapore has offered to the public, via its Facebook page, 360 passes to its Naked Museum Building History Tour.

The tour, which will be held next Saturday, will provide visitors with a glimpse of the restored buildings’ architecture in its “naked” glory, before art pieces are exhibited within the premises.

When it opens in October, the gallery will be home to one of the world’s most extensive collections of Southeast Asian modern art.

To create a more inclusive environment, the museum will have multimedia guides that will be available in the four official languages and daily tours led by gallery docents, said Wong.

A special history exhibition, highlighting key historical moments that took place at the former Supreme Court, is also slated to be held next year. — TODAY