The National Gallery Singapore has partially reopened to the public after a fire broke out in staff access areas earlier on Tuesday morning. The City Hall Wing and Padang Atrium were declared safe by authorities and reopened at 12 p.m., while the former Supreme Court Wing remains temporarily closed to facilitate ongoing investigations and will reopen on Wednesday.
The fire incident occurred around 9:05 a.m. at the gallery's location on 1 Saint Andrew's Road, involving an electrical control panel on the first level. According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the fire was quickly extinguished by the building's emergency response team using a dry powder fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived at the scene. No injuries were reported, and importantly, no artwork suffered any damage during the incident.
As a safety precaution, all staff members and visitors were promptly evacuated when the fire was discovered. The gallery conducted thorough safety checks in coordination with SCDF before allowing partial reopening of the facility. Gallery officials emphasized that the safety of visitors, staff, and the art collection remains their highest priority throughout the incident response.
Some scheduled events were affected by the temporary closure. A 12:30 p.m. lunchtime screening at the Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium was cancelled on Tuesday, though two evening screenings at 8 p.m. were able to proceed as planned. The gallery has advised the public to call their hotline at 6271-7000 or check their website and social media platforms for the latest updates on operations and events.
The cause of the electrical fire remains under investigation by authorities. The National Gallery Singapore, which opened in 2015, is housed within the historic former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings and holds the world's largest public collection of Singapore and Southeast Asian modern art. The gallery thanked the public for their concern and understanding during the temporary disruption to normal operations.
