ROM Design Journal

Second Beginnings Renovation of the Registry of Marriages DS3 PRimer Project 2019

Tang Wen Yu

Project Synopsis I hiked up my crisp white dress, revealing a pair of matching heels that my feet were filling for the first, and admittedly, probably the last time. Seeing a peek of a steep clay roof, I trudged up the steep hill, feeling the warm grasp of my soon-not-to-be-my-fiance’s grip tighter, his clasp as familiar and comforting as it was 10 years ago.

This was it: all the dreams that we had of starting a new life together, the talks of marriage and possibly family, were pivoting between us and a single signed certificate.

The death of an old life, but the birth of a new.

Second Beginnings is a spatial exploration of marriage as a time to start anew, a clean slate to write a new chapter of the couples’ lives. In echoing a similar sentiment, it also breathes a new a life into the ROM, allowing it to adopt a clean, light and timeless atmosphere, one that gives a sense of purity and cleansing.

In this concept, light is used as a motif for change and new beginnings. Just as how white light enters the various prisms located throughout the design and leave it split into a rainbow of colours, so too do the couples who enter the ROM find their relationship reborn into a rainbow of new experiences.

Rejecting the modern notion that marriage has to be extravagant with redundant flounce and frill, Second Beginnings instead dives beyond skin deep, allowing couples to contemplate the commitment and promise that they are holding to each other for the rest of their lives.

Fort Canning Park A space imbued with the history of the various places and people that have occupied it over its history, Fort Canning Park is now renewed as the setting for the modern marriage.

These historic places include the Fort Canning Hotel, Singapore Philatelic Museum, Peranakan Museum and the National Museum of Singapore. Noting how this design focuses on redesigning the ROM to become a timeless icon, it is hoped that it can earn its place alongside these historical timepieces.

Initial Sketches Different spatial arrangements for mult-purpose area

Play with lighting in the solemnisation room Early Iterations

Shadow effects of Possibilities installation

Pitched roof extended up to form new rooftop garden: ‘New Life’ post-solemnisation post-solemnisation ‘New Life” Garden

Sketches of section

Prisms cladding for elevator

Longitudinal section Bridge connections and balconies

Early sketches of New Possibilities Installation

Initial Moodboard

Light

Timeless

Simple

Elegant

Final Moodboard

Simple

Light

Translucent

White

Initial Floorplans

1st Storey

2nd Storey

Roof Plan

Modifications

Space Planning

Views

Internal Circulation

The view of the city aas well as the future royal garden is capitalised

Vertical circulation is increased to facilitate couples who are solemnising upstairs

Greenery

Public-Private

Greenery is at the rooftop garden, where post-solemnisation is held, and is connected to Fort Canning park behind via a new bridge

The bottom floor is the most quite - reserved for coupes getting verified and workshops, while top floors are for staff and couples getting verified

External Connections

Noise

2 bridges are added for post-solemnisation to connect the couples to fort canning park

Most of the noise is concentrated on the first storey

1st Floor Plan 1:400 The first floor mainly serves the public and the couplees who are getting their documents verified, as well as attending the training and couselling sessions

The second floor is more exclusive, se who are getting solemnised, creating

Elevation 1

2nd Floor Plan 1:400

erving only the office as well as couples g private areas that are separate from the public

Roof Plan The roof is activated

1:400

as a post-solemnisation garden and connects to fort canning

park

Elevation 2

Initial Renderings

Solemnisation Room

‘New Begin

nnings’ Post-Solemnisation

Corridor

Staircase

Possibilities Installation

Detail A

Plan of Prism Lift

Detail B Section of Prism Lift

Prisms to be used as a cladding

Feedback & Refined ConConcept Changes were made to refine the concept and petals are now used as a motif instead of prisms as a tie in with the symbolism it represents in weddings.

Space Planning Instead of having dividing spaces strictly with walls, I now opted for a more free flow approach to space planning, with vernacular pavillions based on the current spatial movements of people in the ROM.

Petals Pavillion

The voids in the pavilion also allows couples to lock their love as a symbol of devotion and loyalty to each other.

The main inspiration for the pavilion are petals - that are thrown by the flower girl during a wedding to celebrate the bride’s last walk as a maiden, and to wish the couple a happy marriage ahead. The form as well as voids in the pavilion are inspired by the forms and shapes of petals.

The main inspiration for the pavilion are petals - that are thrown by the flower girl during a wedding to celebrate the bride’s last walk as a maiden, and to wish the couple a happy marriage ahead. The form as well as voids in the pavilion are inspired by the forms and shapes of petals.

Fort Canning Park A space imbued with the history of the various places and people that have occupied it over its history, Fort Canning Park is now renewed as the setting for the modern marriage.

These historic places include the Fort Canning Hotel, Singapore Philatelic Museum, Peranakan Museum and the National Museum of Singapore. Noting how this design focuses on redesigning the ROM to become a timeless icon, it is hoped that it can earn its place alongside these historical timepieces.

Views

Views

Internal Circulation

External Connections

The view of the city aas well as the future royal garden is capitalised

Vertical circulation is increased to facilitate couples who are solemnising upstairs

2 bridges are added for post-solemnisation to connect the couples to fort canning park

Greenery

Public-Private

Noise

Most of the noise is concentrated on the first storey

Most of the noise is concentrated on the first storey

Most of the noise is concentrated on the first storey

The view of future royal

Greenery

Most of the the first sto

Views

Internal Circ

The view of the city aas well as the future royal garden is capitalised

Vertical circ facilitate co upstairs

Greenery

Public-Priva

Most of the noise is concentrated on the first storey

Most of the the first sto

the city aas well as the l garden is capitalised

noise is concentrated on orey

it is hoped that it can earn its place alongside these historical timepieces.

Fort Canning Park

Views The view of the city aas well as the future royal garden is capitalised

Greenery Most of the noise is concentrated on the first storey

A space imbued with the history of the various places and people that have occupied it over its history, Fort CanInternal Circulation ning Park is now renewed as the to Vertical circulation is increased the facilitate couples setting who are for solemnising modern marriage. upstairs

External Connections 2 bridges are added for post-solemnisation to connect the couples to fort canning park

These historic places include the Fort Canning Hotel, Singapore Philatelic Museum, Peranakan Museum and the National Museum of Singapore. Noting how this design focuses on redesigning the ROM to become Noise Public-Private a timeless icon, 1st Floor Plan 1:300 hoped that on Most of the noise is concentrated Most of the noise it is is concentrated on the first storey the first storey it can earn its The first floor mainly serves the public and the couplees who are getting their docuplace alongside ments verified, as well as attending the training and couselling sessions these historical timepieces.

Fort Canning Park A space imbued with the history of the various places and people that have occupied it over its hisInternal Circulation tory, Fort Canning Park is now as theto Vertical circulation renewed is increased setting for the facilitate couples who are solemnising modern marriage. upstairs These historic places include the Fort Canning Hotel, Singapore Philatelic Museum, Peranakan Museum and the National Museum of Singapore. Noting how this design focuses on redesigning the ROM to become Public-Private a timeless icon, is hoped that Most of the noise isitconcentrated on it can earn its the first storey place alongside these historical timepieces.

culation

External Connections

culation is increased to ouples who are solemnising

2 bridges are added for post-solemnisation to connect the couples to fort canning park

ate

Noise

noise is concentrated on orey

Most of the noise is concentrated on the first storey

External Connections 2 bridges are added for post-solemnisation to connect the couples to fort canning park

2nd Floor Plan 1:300

Noise

The second floor is more exclusive, serving only the office as well as couples who are getting noise is concentrated solemnised, creating private areas that are separate from the public

Most of the on the first storey

Roof Plan The roof is activated

1:300

as a post-solemnisation garden and connects to fort canning park

New Beginnings Garden

Staff Lounge

Petals Pavillion (From Spice Garden)

Solemnisation Room

Petals Pavillion (Multi-Purpose)