Singapore-based architecture firm Architects 61 and Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) have begun design development workshops for the New Science Centre in Singapore.

The Science Centre Singapore, which opened in 1977, welcomes more than a million visitors every year, and makes science accessible and engaging, with immersive exhibitions providing physical demonstrations of scientific principles and applications in everyday life.

Its redesign was announced in May 2019, with Singapore's Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung and the Science Centre Board awarding the multidisciplinary consultancy tender to Architects 61 in collaboration with ZHA after an Expression of Interest (EOI) was issued on 20 September 2018. The Board received submissions from more than 24 multi-disciplinary teams before the Tender Evaluation Committee announced that Architects 61 and ZHA's proposal best reflected the boldness 'of scientific endeavour and future-focused STEM aspirations' of the centre.

Lim Tit Meng, associate professor and CEO of Science Centre Singapore, said: "The award of tender comes after months of in-depth discussions with each of the shortlisted firms. Together with our appointed team of consultants and in partnership with the community and our stakeholders, we look forward to reimagining how a trip to the new Science Centre will continue to inspire lifelong appreciation of the importance and impact of STEM, where Science can befriend and transform the minds of millions."

Ong Ye Kung, minister for Education, said: "The New Science Centre will be the biggest applied learning classroom for all our students, and we have worked this into the conceptual design of the new centre."

Slated for completion in 2025, the proposal for the New Science Centre capitalises on the centre's waterfront location and garden setting, and will be located next to the Chinese Garden station of Singapore's MRT metro system, creating a 'strong sense of arrival' for visitors using the Chinese Garden MRT station. It will be integrated with Jurong Lake Gardens, becoming one of the major tourist attractions in the district, and is envisaged as a ground-breaking institution that will continue the centre's mission to bring science to life and will combine creative storytelling with innovative technologies to create enriching and immersive learning experiences, as well as explore new ways to inspire and educate visitors on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.

It will host a range of improved educational facilities including specialised laboratories to complement learning in schools, while its location by the Jurong Lake Gardens will enable outdoor programmes and activities.