Red Dot Design Museum Singapore reopens

DESIGN buffs in Singapore will be glad to know that the Red Dot Design Museum Singapore has reopened after a 6-month closure due to poor footfall, especially from tourism, caused by the pandemic.

The Museum at the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade quietly closed in Oct 2021 and reopened on Apr 7.

Besides the permanent exhibition, there are currently 2 new showcases, the first of which is a showcase of the 2021/2022 winners of the Red Dot Award: Design Concept. The annual award recognises innovative ideas.

The exhibition features over 300 cutting edge design concepts from around the world and across various industries, giving visitors a sneak peek into what everyday life in the future might be like.

Among the projects is A-Pot by Chinese firm Shenzhen Changsen Trading, a flowerpot that automatically absorbs water, keeping the soil in an optimum state for the plant.

Another winning project on display is Dream Box by Maxypro Industrial Product SchemeCo from China. At first glance, the Dream Box looks like just a box, but it is an aromatherapy diffuser that also produces white noise and sleep inducing lighting.

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While most of the winning concepts are presented on information panels, visitors can also get insights via video interviews for 5 exceptional projects which were awarded Red Dot: Best of the Best awards. Among them include the cabin interiors of the Virgin Galactic Spaceship, the world's first commercial spacecraft.

Some of its nifty features include the design of the seats to give passengers a weightless experience while the cabin's dark interiors blur the boundaries between the inside and outside to enhance the view of Earth from space.

The second showcase is one that Freitag fans should not miss. The Swiss brand, started by a pair of graphic designers, is famed for creating bags from used truck tarpaulins, discarded bicycle inner tubes and car seat belts.

The Freitag Archive Exhibition takes visitors on a journey from its inception in 1993 to its cult design brand status today.

There's also a limited collection of F748 Colrane backpacks designed to fit on a Brompton folding bike. The F748 Colrane Backpack is available for purchase only at the museum.

There has been a steady stream of visitors to the museum since its re-opening.

Ken Koo, president of Red Dot Award in Asia says: "We were pleasantly surprised by the number of visitors when we reopened a week ago. It is an early positive sign that the tourism recovery in Singapore will be fast and strong."

The Red Dot Design Museum Singapore is open from Wed to Fri, 12 noon to 8 pm, and on Sat and Sun from 10 am to 8 pm, and located at 11 Marina Boulevard. A single ticket is S$10, inclusive of a S$10 food and shopping voucher.