Istana Park
| Istana Park | |
|---|---|
| Taman Istana 总统府公园 இஸ்தானா பூங்கா | |
Istana Park in 2005 | |
| Location | Civic District, Singapore |
| Coordinates | 1°17′58″N 103°50′37″E / 1.29944°N 103.84361°E |
| Area | 1.3 ha (3.2 acres) |
| Opening | September 6, 1996 |
| Designer | Ren Matsui |
| Managed by | National Parks Board (NParks) |
| Open | 24 hours |
| Plants | 151 as of the park's opening |
| Parking | None |
| Public transit access | NS24 NE6 CC1 Dhoby Ghaut |
| Facilities | My Art Space and Singapore Heritage Gallery |
| Website | Istana Park |
The Istana Park is a park in the Civic District of Singapore. Bounded by Buyong Road, Penang Road, Orchard Road, and Penang Lane, Istana Park is opposite the Istana, which is the namesake of the park. The park has two buildings: My Art Space, a studio-cafe, and the Istana Heritage Gallery, a gallery focusing on the Istana's history.
The Istana Park was conceptualised in February 1992 as a more prominent entrance for the Istana and the Civic District; construction began in January 1994. The park was officially opened on 6 September 1996, although it had been open to the public since December 1995; in 1998, it was added to the Civic District Heritage Trail. My Art Space and the Istana Heritage Gallery opened in March 2014 and October 2017. Current redevelopment plans for the park, including expanding the park and integrating it better with the Istana's entrance, form part of the plans to revitalise Orchard Road.
The Festival Arch serves as the centrepiece of the park and the gateway to Orchard Road. At the arch's base is a reflecting pool, accompanied by three rows of tall and dwarf coconut palm trees, two of which are dwarfs planted within pools to give the illusion that they are growing out of the water. The park's facilities and plants are illuminated as part of a plan to light up the Civic District.