SINGAPORE, Jan 30 — For the first time in over 15 years, the Changi Chapel & Museum will undergo its first major redevelopment from April 2 in order to “refresh the site’s infrastructure, content and offerings”, said the National Heritage Board (NHB) and Singapore History Consultants (SHC) in a press release yesterday.
As a result, the museum will be closed to the public from April 2, while the chapel will shut its doors on January 1, 2019. The revamped museum and chapel are expected to reopen to the public in 2020.
The museum was last updated with new exhibits, galleries and programmes in 2005, and this is its first major revamp since 2001.
According to the NHB and SHC, the upcoming improvements are aimed at refreshing the narrative of the museum, upgrading the building and facilities to fix wear and tear, and putting in “essential infrastructural redevelopments” in order to enhance visitors’ experience. The project will be managed by the National Museum of Singapore, under the purview of the NHB.
“With the redevelopment, visitors can look forward to refreshed content and offerings that will continue to highlight the stories of Changi,” said Angelita Teo, director of the National Museum.
“These will also complement the overall World War II narrative as told by the other World War II institutions in Singapore, such as that of Reflections of Bukit Chandu, the Former Ford Factory, as well as related galleries within the National Museum.”
Dedicated to telling the stories that happened in Changi during World War II, the Changi Chapel & Museum has received international praise for its content. Its accolades on travel website Tripadvisor include the “No. 1 Museum in Singapore” (2015, 2016), and “Top 25 Museums in Asia” — it was 21st in 2015 and 16th the year after. It also receives more than 100,000 local and foreign visitors annually.
The site was previously managed by The Changi Museum Pte Ltd, an associate company of the SHC which was appointed by the Singapore Tourism Board and subsequently, NHB, to manage the museum from 2001 to 2017.
Ahead of the site closures for redevelopment, Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents can enjoy a 50 per cent discount on the audio guided tours at the Changi Chapel & Museum over three weekends this year: February 16 to 18, February 23 to 25, and March 2 to 4.
Visitors will also get a special 50 per cent discount on the war trail, Changi WWII, on March 27, 29 and 31. Some of the key stops on the three-hour bus tour include the chapel and museum, Johore Battery and Changi Beach. — TODAY
