National Gallery Singapore fully reopens to public after fire

The National Gallery Singapore will be fully reopen to the public from 10am today after a fire the day before. 

A notice of reopening, posted on the visitor information page on the gallery’s website, said that the premises have been declared safe following checks by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). 

“The safety of our visitors, staff, and collections remains our highest priority. We thank everyone for their concern and kind understanding,” said National Gallery Singapore. 

This comes after a fire broke out at the staff access areas at the gallery on Tuesday (Sept 9) morning.

In a Facebook post at 11.40am that morning, the National Gallery Singapore said that the “situation was quickly brought under control”. No injuries and damage to any artworks were reported. 

“Following thorough checks by the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the City Hall Wing and Padang Atrium of the Gallery have been declared safe and will reopen to the public at 12pm today,” it said. 

The former Supreme Court Wing will remain closed until further notice to facilitate investigations, added the gallery then.

Members of the public can call the gallery’s hotline at 6271 7000, refer to its website or social media platforms for more updates.

Responding to AsiaOne’s queries, SCDF said on Tuesday that they were alerted to the fire involving an electrical control panel located on the first floor of National Gallery SIngapore at about 9.05am. 

The fire was extinguished by the Company Emergency Response Team using a dry powder fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation. 

Opened in 2015, National Gallery Singapore is housed in the former City Hall and Supreme Court buildings. 

It holds the world’s largest public display of Singapore and Southeast Asian modern art, according to its website. 

Chingshijie@asiaone.com