Singapore-based architecture firm Architects 61 and Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) have begun design development workshops for the New Science Centre in Singapore. The building will replace The Science Centre Singapore, which opened in 1977.

Slated for completion in 2025, the proposal for the New Science Centre capitalises on the centre's waterfront location and garden setting, next to the Chinese Garden station of Singapore's MRT metro system.

The attraction will be integrated with Jurong Lake Gardens, becoming one of the major tourist attractions in the district, and is envisaged as a ground-breaking institution that will continue the centre's mission to bring science to life.

The science centre will combine creative storytelling with innovative technologies to create enriching and immersive learning experiences, as well as exploring new ways to inspire and educate visitors on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.

It will have a range of improved educational facilities including specialised laboratories to complement learning in schools, while its location will enable outdoor programmes and activities.

The Science Centre Singapore welcomes more than a million visitors every year. Its redesign was announced in May 2019, with Singapore's Minister for Education, Ong Ye Kung, and the Science Centre Board awarding the tender after more than 24 submissions were made.

Lim Tit Meng, associate professor and CEO of Science Centre Singapore, said: "We look forward to reimagining how a trip to the new Science Centre will inspire a lifelong appreciation of the importance and impact of STEM, where Science can befriend and transform the minds of millions."

Ong Ye Kung, minister for education, said: "The New Science Centre will be the biggest applied learning classroom for all our students, and we have worked this into the conceptual design."