SINGAPORE - The Istana is scheduled to undergo major restoration works starting from the second half of 2024.
Plans to restore several national monuments, including the Istana, were announced by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong during the Committee of Supply Debate in March 2021.
The Istana’s main building was built between 1867 and 1869 and gazetted as a national monument in 1992, the National Heritage Board (NHB) said in a statement on Jan 12.
Since its last significant renovation in the 1990s, the building has seen wear and tear, NHB added.
NHB said regular restoration and maintenance works are required to preserve the monument, as well as maintain its function as a working government building and a venue for state and community events.
The restoration works are needed to address deterioration due to environmental factors, such as rain and humidity, which have affected the building’s structure and woodwork, it added.
Measures need to be taken to prevent moisture retention, restore parts of the structure, as well as overhaul old electrical and mechanical systems to achieve higher energy efficiency, it said.
A tender was called on Jan 12 for shortlisted contractors to participate in the Istana restoration project. Selected contractors are invited to submit proposals and price bids for the project, and the tender is set to be awarded in the second half of 2024.
