TP students design NDP stage

FOR three young designers from TP, the National Day Parade (NDP) 2006 in August held great significance. Lance Lim, Muhammad Azri and James Loh, with help from the staff from the Diploma in Interior Architecture and Design, were given the honour of designing the backdrop and stage.

Their concept of the multi-module stage and backdrop began with their appreciation of Singapore’s past. They used the concept of sails, given the historical fact that Singapore’s accelerated development and success as a country is closely linked to its initial success as a trading port. Azri explained: “The backdrop is an abstract design, a merger of different sail types that were typical of the vessels found in Singapore’s harbour in the 1800s; Bugis, Arab, Malabari vessels and Chinese Junk sails are among some of the influences.”

Lance explained how the design this year is rather unique: “The designs from previous years were very literal and direct, so we felt that it was time for a change to reflect the growing maturity of Singapore’s art and design community.”

On how they felt about the experience, James said: “Seeing a design become reality is the greatest thrill for any designer.”