Nanyang University Memorial
Memorial tablet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Nanyang University Memorial is a memorial donated by Koh Tiang Thai[1][2] and revealed by Sir William Goode and Tan Lark Sye, on 30 March 1958. It is located at the center of Yunnan Garden in Nanyang University.[3]
| |
| Location | Nanyang University |
|---|---|
| Designer | Koh Tiang Thai |
| Builder | Ng Keng Siang |
| Type | Tower |
| Inauguration date | 30 March 1958 |
| Dedicated to | Donors to Nanyang University |
Background
Nanyang University was Southeast Asia’s first ever Chinese language university and Singapore’s second ever university, a turning point for the region.[4][5]
Ng Keng Siang was a prolific architect who built most of the structures relating to the University, including the Monument.[6]
Design
The memorial is designed in Chinese National style.[7] It is capped with a double-tiered Chinese roof, siting on an octagonal base[8] with steps from the four directions.[4][5]
History
It was donated by Koh Tiang Thai, was built in 1956[9] by Ng Keng Siang[10] and revealed on 30 March 1958 to signal the end of the first construction period of former Nanyang University in 1955.[4] It also serves to honor the donors that funded the university building, who primarily were common people.[5]
Unveiled by then governor of Singapore, William Goode and Singaporean businessman Tan Lark Sye in a ceremony with more than 100 guests[11] and 50.000 onlookers.[4] It was gazetted as a single national monument along with the University Library and Administration Building and the nearby Gateway Arch in 1998.[12][13][14]
It was restored as part of the Yunnan Garden Rejuvenation Project by STX Landscape, a restoring company, in 2021.[15]
In popular culture
The National Heritage Board of Singapore tasked the Finbarr Fallon Creative Office, a photographic studio, with documenting the Monument and Yunnan Garden as a whole.[16]
The National Library Board of Singapore's archives contain various photographs from diverse timeframes and architectural blueprints of the monument.[1][2][3][7]