Congratulation to your success as the first Elected President of Singapore. We are very fortunate indeed to have a man who believes in ART. I have high hope in the year to come, the quality of architecture will be enhance especially with your background as an architect.

During your presidential election speech, you have made it your duty to help all Singaporeans to realize their hope and aspiration and I hope arts education will be in your agenda. I would like to have our new NATIONAL LIBRARY to reflect our aspiration as a nation with Arts education as part of our upbringing. I am writing to you to seek your advise and above all I need your support to help us realize this beautiful dream for Singapore because it is high time to promote arts education instead of Religious and Chinese education.

I have commissioned an architect from England to take on the task of drawing the concepts and interpreting my dreams for the NATIONAL LIBRARY. I have even made a model to scale 1;500 for the whole complex. After reading my proposal I hope you share the same vision for Singapore.

As you can see I don’t just sit and dream, instead I work continuously and tirelessly to realize my dreams because I strongly believe it will benefit our country and enrich the quality of life for our people.

When I read in the newspaper that the Government is going to knock down the old library and build a new one with a great vision, I was very excited and happy for Singapore. However, when I heard the new library was going to be located to Bras Basah Complex, I was very disappointed and sad for our people. If great vision means the new NATIONAL LIBRARY needs to reflect our aspiration as a Nation, then I believe we have to justify it by providing an ideal place with beautiful landscape, as Singapore is known as a “Garden City”. At the same time there must be space for future expansion and growth for our next generation. I discovered that the site selected would be able to meet up to these expectations.

Our sea is our world, I believe by locating the new library close to the seafront, we will be able to create a symbolic meaning that will portray Singapore as a generous society and the willingness to SHARE with the world what we have learned, experienced and achieved during these 30 years in a multi-racial and cultural society. Can we as a small nation contribute to the world? Can the world learn something of value and importance from Singapore that will enrich their life? I hope you will agree with me these are questions we have to ask ourselves, if we desire to be leader around this region?

The NATIONAL LIBRARY of Singapore that I have designed is one of the most progressive, comtempory designs. It is intended not only to express the total unity of man and nature, but also to demonstrate the physical and spiritual measuring of the various ancient cultures of Asia commencing from Mesopotamia, India and China. This is perhaps the first design, which represents the true meaning of the principles of Fung Shui, which I have been trying to share with Singapore architects for many years but they could not understand what I was saying. Only Sami the architect from England understood me, and it is like a chemistry. Our joint effort in the NATIONAL LIBRARY proposal will speaks for itself what we believe in and stand for.

Your opinion, comments and inputs on my design and site would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,
Sunflower Chong