Science Centre, Singapore

The Science Centre Singapore (SCS, previously known as Singapore Science Centre) is a scientific institution in Jurong East, Singapore, specialising in the promotion of scientific and technological education for the general public. With over 850 exhibits spread over eight exhibition galleries, it sees over a million visitors a year, and over 25 million visitors up to the year 2003 when it celebrated its silver jubilee.

The Science Centre was carved out of the National Museum of Singapore as a separate institution so that the latter could focus on its artistic and historical collections. This idea was first mooted in 1969 by the Science Council of Singapore, and was subsequently approved by the Government which was keen to promote scientific education in the rapidly modernising country so as to tap into the technological sector.

The SCS building's architecture was decided by an architectural design competition organised by the Science Centre Board. Raymond Woo's entry was selected, and he was thus commissioned as the architect for the project. Built at a cost of S$12 million on a 60,000-square-metre (650,000 sq ft) site in Jurong East, it was officially opened on 10 December 1977 by Dr. Toh Chin Chye, who was the Minister-in-charge of the Science Centre Board.

In 1987, the centre saw a significant expansion with the opening of Singapore's first and only OMNIMAX (now known as IMAX Dome) theatre, the Singapore Omni-Theatre. Costing $18 million, it has a 276-seat theatre underneath a 23-metre (75 ft) tilted dome.

In 1999, a $38 million renovation expanded the centre's exhibition space, and created a new entrance as well as open-air exhibition areas and a direct connection to the separate Omni-Theatre building. In 2000, Snow City, a recreation of a −5 °C (23 °F) environment in tropical Singapore, was set up beside the Omni-Theatre.

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