SINGAPORE: With two weeks to go before the National Day Parade, its organisers cannot wait to unveil the stage which, with its total floor area of 8,500 sq m, is the largest for the annual celebration.
This year’s parade will be held at the Floating Platform, but audiences will feel connected to the surrounding Marina Bay areas, thanks to its stage design.
Swivel panels can be rotated to form a projection screen. (Photo: Tan Si Hui)
The backdrop of the stage is made up of swivel panels which, when opened, allows the audience to enjoy a clear view of the Marina Bay area. When they are closed, the audience will see a mural of Singapore’s iconic waterfront skyline.
“This stage was designed with urban design principles in mind – the visual connection for the audience and the backdrop, as well as coherence of material and colours by putting the colours of the surrounding buildings on the stage,” said stage designer Quck Zhong Yi.
Behind the spectator stands, there are 30 projectors that will beam films onto the panels.
“It’s akin to back in the good old days when you go to an outdoor or drive-through cinema where you watch the film,” said chairman of the multimedia and communications committee for NDP 2018, Lieutenant-Colonel Chew Heng Hwa. “So we’re trying to create this nostalgic feeling among the crowd through a projection system on the swivel panels.”
Three-tiered layout will allow spectators to view performers more clearly. (Photo: Tan Si Hui)
This year’s stage is also one of the highest in the history of the NDP and designed to ensure that spectators can watch performers on stage clearly.
According to Deputy Chairman of the Infrastructure and Decoration Committee Major Chris How, the stage is maintained on a daily basis.
“We do alignment tests and also try to make sure the lighting and electrical cables are well-maintained,” said Maj How.
“On the stage, we check through all the motor components and make sure the swivel panels are able to turn to the correct specifications that we have tendered for.”
Construction of the stage began in April this year and took a total of 22,500 man hours to complete.
