SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONSPONSORED BY

Reviving historical buildings
A new National Gallery for Singapore by Takenaka Corporation
In 2015, two buildings that had played important roles in Singapore’s 50-year history― the former Supreme Court and City Hall, dating from 1939 and 1929, respectively ―were integrated and reborn as one of Asia’s largest visual art museums.
On Nov. 23, at the opening ceremony for National Gallery Singapore, which coincidedwith the 50th anniversary year of Singapore becoming an independent nation, Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong said, “The buildings have been immaculately conserved …
we have injected new life and purpose into them…the (new) building itself is a work ofart.” He expressed his gratitude to the French architect, who designed the gallery, andto Japan’s Takenaka Corporation, which worked on the difficult 53-month construction
project from January 2011 to June 2015.
In the three years since opening, the gallery has attracted over 5 million visitors, and is
beloved by Singaporeans as well as visitors to the city-state.
Heir to a more than 400-year-old legacy of craftsmanship since its founding in 1610
by a shrine and temple carpenter, Takenaka Corporation has developed and honed
a comprehensive array of technical skills while working on construction projects
throughout Japan, including historical buildings, as it strives to realize its corporate
mission to “contribute to society by passing on the best work to future generations.”
Many of these capabilities were put to the test during the project in Singapore.
We spoke to three staff members involved in the creation of National Gallery Singapore
about the special challenges the project posed: Shoichiro Shibuta, Managing Officer
and General Manager of the International Department in Takenaka’s Head Office,Hideki Izumi, General Manager of the Asia Region, International Department, andTamotsu Takao, Senior Manager and Head of the Construction Engineering Division in
the Asia Region, International Department.

From left,
Shoichiro
Shibuta,
Tamotsu
Takao and
Hideki Izumi

Construction
methods

Izumi: We had experience with interior-only or exterior-only restoration projects abroad, but we had neverbeen involved in the restoration of a whole building,including underground space. Although the buildingsin this project had severely deteriorated in the morethan 80 years since their construction, we had to
avoid any damage during the work to the sections thatwere to be preserved. As the level and standard ofpreservation were decided on a case-by-case basis
for each section, moreover, the approval process andthe checks on the completed work took a tremendous
amount of time and effort. In addition, the construction environment was very challenging, in particular
the soft ground at the site. It was a very complex anddifficult project.

The two historical buildings
are integrated
by a connecting
glass roof, twoskybridges anda three-level
undergroundspace.

to counter

Flying strut

vertical forces(underpinning),
to reinforce
single walls(jacketing)and to transfer
horizontal
forces (flying

Jacketingstrut), weredeveloped tosupport theouter walls tobe preserved.

Past achievements paved the way to
Singapore contract
Unparalleled preservation andregeneration project
Shibuta: Located on the shore opposite the Marina
Bay Sands and standing in the Civic District, theformer City Hall and Supreme Court are important national cultural properties that have been thesettings for many historic events in Singapore. This
project involved preservation and restoration work inwhich the exterior and important rooms of these twobuildings would be retained, and the interior would
be rebuilt for gallery use. A restoration project of thiscomplexity and size ― a building with a floor spaceof around 64,000 square meters ― was without
parallel in the world.
Takao: In order to integrate the two buildings andrevive them as an international museum, we useda connecting glass roof, two skybridges and athree-level underground space. Since we were required to perfectly preserve the iconic exterior walls,
which were finished with Shanghai plaster, and thenational treasures inside such as the courtroom, thelibrary and the City Hall chamber, we needed to maintain these rooms in situ while dismantling the interior
structure and constructing the new floors, including
three newly built underground floors. The first underground level would provide room for a concourse withsecure parking on the lower levels. It was really an
unprecedented piece of work.

High-level preservation
and regeneration technologies turned the
Courtroom One of theformer Supreme Court
into a gallery to exhibit
archival materials of thecourt.

Takao: To date, Takenaka has handled large-scale
preservation and regeneration work of historical buildings in Japan so that they could continue to be used.
Some of these include the Akasaka Palace (State
Guest House) and Meiji Seimei Kan in Tokyo, and the
Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, all of which werebuilt in the early 20th century. Through such construction work, our company has developed the engineering capabilities and competence to solve difficult
challenges. To these are wedded the technologies wehave inherited throughout our history that allow us topass on the historical value of precious finishing materials such as stone, brick, copper plate and plaster.
Shibuta: Takenaka won the National Gallery Singapore contract because our technical capabilities
are highly regarded worldwide. These strengths
are backed up by our managerial ability to mobilize
companywide capabilities such as preliminary surveys
for preservation and regeneration work, technologicalanalysis at our Research & Development Institute andthe construction know-how that has been cultivatedlocally in Singapore. Since Takenaka won the contract
for Changi International Airport Terminal 1, which
was completed in 1981, we have undertaken a large
number of construction projects in Singapore such as
skyscrapers, hotels and commercial facilities. Recently
we participated in Changi International Airport Terminal 4, which was completed in 2017. In addition, we
have been involved in the design and construction of
production facilities for Japanese companies expanding their presence in the city-state. In this way, ourUnderpinningcompany has established a secure business foundation in the country in the 45 years since we opened ourSingapore Office.

New space creation technology does
not damage preserved sections
Izumi: The client wanted us to construct three newunderground floors while leaving the external walls
untouched and the historically important rooms in their
original position. It was enormously complicated tomaintain the preserved sections where they stood, dismantle the structure around them, and then erect the
new structures connected to the preserved sections.
Takao: The entire underground section was newly built
while leaving the outer walls in place and hollowing out
the interior, but in order to create space for the heavy
pile-driving machinery, it was necessary to dismantle theexisting columns. Thus, for work on the rooms that were
to be preserved, we developed a construction method to cut the existing columns while entire loads wereapplied to temporary support columns beforehand. The
rooms themselves were also important, and with theCity Hall chambers and others, it was necessary to keepthem level at all times so as not to damage any of themarble columns inside these rooms. The dismantlingand new erection of the surrounding framework was
construction of the highest difficulty requiring displacement control in units of millimeters. Upon dismantling
the interior, moreover, the exterior became independent
with only a single outer wall, so it was necessary to
prevent these walls from being tilted by wind or sinking
under their own weight. Vertical forces were counteredby a first floor that had been constructed earlier with a
top-down construction method*. With regard to horizontal forces, we developed a construction method thatreinforced single walls by jacketing them in a temporary
steel-frame structure and provided them with further
support by transferring forces via temporary steel joists
to a temporary steel-frame tower that had been erectedin the courtyard.
Shibuta: In a restoration project where the basic structure of the building is still in place, the external walls

will not lean or fall, and it’s not difficult to remove theexternal walls and replace them with new ones. The
Singapore job was different from completely rebuilding
a new structure as the external walls remained. Other
than the sections to be preserved, we dismantled theinterior structure and erected a temporary structure to
support the remaining exterior walls.
A construction method that constructs the upper and underground floors simultaneously after first building the ground floor.
*

Comprehensive capabilities that
overcome difficulties
Shibuta: We carefully inspected the condition of
the ornamental areas on the exterior such as reliefs,
and retained them as far as possible while cleaning,
repairing and restoring where necessary. The client’s
intention was not to make these areas beautifully
brand-new, but rather to preserve them with an “origi-

The City Hall chamber was kept level at all times, a construction challenge of the highest difficulty requiring displacement control in units ofmillimeters, so as not to damage any of the marble columns inside.

Construction
methods

Izumi: We had experience with interior-only or exterior-only restoration projects abroad, but we had neverbeen involved in the restoration of a whole building,including underground space. Although the buildingsin this project had severely deteriorated in the morethan 80 years since their construction, we had to
avoid any damage during the work to the sections thatwere to be preserved. As the level and standard ofpreservation were decided on a case-by-case basis
for each section, moreover, the approval process andthe checks on the completed work took a tremendous
amount of time and effort. In addition, the construction environment was very challenging, in particular
the soft ground at the site. It was a very complex anddifficult project.

The two historical buildings
are integrated
by a connecting
glass roof, twoskybridges anda three-level
undergroundspace.

to counter

Flying strut

vertical forces(underpinning),
to reinforce
single walls(jacketing)and to transfer
horizontal
forces (flying

Jacketingstrut), weredeveloped tosupport theouter walls tobe preserved.

Past achievements paved the way to
Singapore contract
Unparalleled preservation andregeneration project
Shibuta: Located on the shore opposite the Marina
Bay Sands and standing in the Civic District, theformer City Hall and Supreme Court are important national cultural properties that have been thesettings for many historic events in Singapore. This
project involved preservation and restoration work inwhich the exterior and important rooms of these twobuildings would be retained, and the interior would
be rebuilt for gallery use. A restoration project of thiscomplexity and size ― a building with a floor spaceof around 64,000 square meters ― was without
parallel in the world.
Takao: In order to integrate the two buildings andrevive them as an international museum, we useda connecting glass roof, two skybridges and athree-level underground space. Since we were required to perfectly preserve the iconic exterior walls,
which were finished with Shanghai plaster, and thenational treasures inside such as the courtroom, thelibrary and the City Hall chamber, we needed to maintain these rooms in situ while dismantling the interior
structure and constructing the new floors, including
three newly built underground floors. The first underground level would provide room for a concourse withsecure parking on the lower levels. It was really an
unprecedented piece of work.

High-level preservation
and regeneration technologies turned the
Courtroom One of theformer Supreme Court
into a gallery to exhibit
archival materials of thecourt.

Takao: To date, Takenaka has handled large-scale
preservation and regeneration work of historical buildings in Japan so that they could continue to be used.
Some of these include the Akasaka Palace (State
Guest House) and Meiji Seimei Kan in Tokyo, and the
Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, all of which werebuilt in the early 20th century. Through such construction work, our company has developed the engineering capabilities and competence to solve difficult
challenges. To these are wedded the technologies wehave inherited throughout our history that allow us topass on the historical value of precious finishing materials such as stone, brick, copper plate and plaster.
Shibuta: Takenaka won the National Gallery Singapore contract because our technical capabilities
are highly regarded worldwide. These strengths
are backed up by our managerial ability to mobilize
companywide capabilities such as preliminary surveys
for preservation and regeneration work, technologicalanalysis at our Research & Development Institute andthe construction know-how that has been cultivatedlocally in Singapore. Since Takenaka won the contract
for Changi International Airport Terminal 1, which
was completed in 1981, we have undertaken a large
number of construction projects in Singapore such as
skyscrapers, hotels and commercial facilities. Recently
we participated in Changi International Airport Terminal 4, which was completed in 2017. In addition, we
have been involved in the design and construction of
production facilities for Japanese companies expanding their presence in the city-state. In this way, ourUnderpinningcompany has established a secure business foundation in the country in the 45 years since we opened ourSingapore Office.

New space creation technology does
not damage preserved sections
Izumi: The client wanted us to construct three newunderground floors while leaving the external walls
untouched and the historically important rooms in their
original position. It was enormously complicated tomaintain the preserved sections where they stood, dismantle the structure around them, and then erect the
new structures connected to the preserved sections.
Takao: The entire underground section was newly built
while leaving the outer walls in place and hollowing out
the interior, but in order to create space for the heavy
pile-driving machinery, it was necessary to dismantle theexisting columns. Thus, for work on the rooms that were
to be preserved, we developed a construction method to cut the existing columns while entire loads wereapplied to temporary support columns beforehand. The
rooms themselves were also important, and with theCity Hall chambers and others, it was necessary to keepthem level at all times so as not to damage any of themarble columns inside these rooms. The dismantlingand new erection of the surrounding framework was
construction of the highest difficulty requiring displacement control in units of millimeters. Upon dismantling
the interior, moreover, the exterior became independent
with only a single outer wall, so it was necessary to
prevent these walls from being tilted by wind or sinking
under their own weight. Vertical forces were counteredby a first floor that had been constructed earlier with a
top-down construction method*. With regard to horizontal forces, we developed a construction method thatreinforced single walls by jacketing them in a temporary
steel-frame structure and provided them with further
support by transferring forces via temporary steel joists
to a temporary steel-frame tower that had been erectedin the courtyard.
Shibuta: In a restoration project where the basic structure of the building is still in place, the external walls

will not lean or fall, and it’s not difficult to remove theexternal walls and replace them with new ones. The
Singapore job was different from completely rebuilding
a new structure as the external walls remained. Other
than the sections to be preserved, we dismantled theinterior structure and erected a temporary structure to
support the remaining exterior walls.
A construction method that constructs the upper and underground floors simultaneously after first building the ground floor.
*

Comprehensive capabilities that
overcome difficulties
Shibuta: We carefully inspected the condition of
the ornamental areas on the exterior such as reliefs,
and retained them as far as possible while cleaning,
repairing and restoring where necessary. The client’s
intention was not to make these areas beautifully
brand-new, but rather to preserve them with an “origi-

The City Hall chamber was kept level at all times, a construction challenge of the highest difficulty requiring displacement control in units ofmillimeters, so as not to damage any of the marble columns inside.

Takenaka
Corporation
took the lead indetermining thepreservation
and restoration
standards
for the iconic
exterior suchas these reliefs
finished with
Shanghaiplaster.

nal” finish.
Takao: Nevertheless, it was difficult to quantify the preservation specifications, and having no clear criteria toachieve was a challenge. Accordingly, we devised a newdecision-making process. We carried out preliminary
inspections of each part based on the specifications wehad, and we, the contractor, took the lead in deciding
the preservation and restoration specifications, the basic
guidelines and the execution plans for preservation,
which were proposed and approved. This is completely
different from normal new construction work overseas
or preservation work in Japan. Some of the Shanghai
plaster, the finishing material used for the exterior, haddeteriorated quite badly after 80 years exposed to theelements, but some areas were usable without any
work. After a prior site inspection, a plan was created
for the cleaning, the repairs and the restoration. Specificproposals were made one by one, and test construction
was carried out. After seeing the finished products andreaching agreement, we set in motion the procedures forstarting the work while sharing with the client the exact
degree of the desired finish.
Izumi: That was the way preliminary verification andtechnical examination were carried out. As might be
expected, however, we could not quantify the degreeof the required finish on the building, and this madethe preservation and regeneration difficult. In a few
instances, we literally had to get out hands dirty toconfirm this. As there were so many client consultants,
it took time to gain understanding of our proposals
to establish clear-cut specifications. There were also
many uncertain factors. During physical inspectionsof the building, we found that parts of it had decayed
more than expected or sometimes the physical reality
was different from what was in the drawings. Thus,
problems that could not be handled in preliminary
verifications were taken care of at the site. At the peakof work, there were around 2,000 local staff members andworkers at the site from various countries such as India,
Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Europe and the U.S. Daily
morning meetings were held in three languages as we tried
to convey to the workers what had to be done. In the firsthalf of the construction, we invited craftspeople from Japanto provide technical guidance and instruction on how tocarry out the repair work; we made complete mock-ups
for both the required degree of the building’s finish and forsetting work standards; and we hoped to nurture the feelingamong the site team that “we are all engaged in producing
quality work.”

Significance of the project’s successand future prospects
Izumi: The end result was that the project was a success,and the gallery was widely acclaimed at home and overseas.
In Singapore, our company won a URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) Architectural Heritage Award for preservationin 2015. We are going to document our work on the National
Gallery Singapore to create guidelines for similar projects,
and we want to offer such construction services at home andabroad, especially in Southeast Asia, where the demand forrestoring old buildings is expected to increase.
Shibuta: Our company has always worked on challenging
projects in a spirit of craftsmanship, which could be said tobe “Takenaka’s DNA.” I feel that being involved in projects
that have breathed our company’s “spirit of craftsmanship”
into the very fabric of Singapore has deep significance, andit has made us feel immensely proud. Along with leaving
something of value for future generations, the preservation
and regeneration of historical buildings is a part of our efforts
to build a “sustainable society” that makes good use ofquality things that last a long time. We will continue to workat improving the appeal and practicality of historical buildings
using the latest technology.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONOSAKA 1-13, 4-chome, Hommachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0053, Japan Tel: +81-6-6252-1201
TOKYO 1-1, 1-chome, Shinsuna, Koto-ku, Tokyo 136-0075, Japan Tel: +81-3-6810-5000

www.takenaka.co.jp