Have you noticed a change inside Orchard Gateway recently? Maybe it’s the mysterious purple booths in the marketplace area, or a desolate photobooth offering free pictures. These props are gearing up for the upcoming exhibition “SG60 Heart&Soul Experience”, held at Orchard Library.
This immersive exhibition is a ticketed 60-minute long immersive experience at Orchard Library. It also includes a series of non-ticketed public installations at Orchard Central and Orchard Gateway. This exhibition offers a peek into what our Singaporean future could be.
SG60 Heart&Soul
This experience experience is jointly developed by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and the National Library Board (NLB). Created by the team behind the Singapore Bicentennial and SG50 ‘Future of Us’ Exhibition, this is another immersive experience which captivates the minds and inspires discovery.
Prelude to the experience
You are required to book their tickets in advance for the Orchard Library experience, with each slot allowing up to 25 participants in total. Being punctual to your allotted timing is also important so as not to be caught up in the subsequent slots that start 10–20 minutes later. Showing up 10 minutes before your time slot would be the most optimal.
If you are worried about having too much time to spare before the event, feel free to roam below the library at level 1, where you can enjoy viewing public installations and taking photos at the Heart&Soul photobooth. For every photo taken, $1 will be donated to four mental welfare foundations: Children’s Aid Society, Club HEAL, Mindful Community Limited, and Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH).
Once you’re ready, it’s time to head up to the ticketed exhibition at Level 4.
Boarding (Level 4)
A smartphone will be presented to you once you enter the exhibition space. This gadget essentially acts as a key to unlock your guide audio by tapping it at each zone.
The room is also adorned with bookshelves stacked with book covers illustrated by artists with disabilities from Shaping Hearts.
Right ahead will be telephone-like booths for you to personalise your own AI avatar to carry with you throughout the exhibition. These avatars will be featured directly in certain films screened, so do personalise your character to spot yourself later! For families or those with accessibility needs, one booth for each set of needs is available so that individuals can still accessorise to their heart’s content.
You will be having a conversation with a digital librarian at the booth about what your interests are and in one of the four languages of your choice.
Wheels of Time
Headphones will be provided from this point onwards. A considerate detail is that all headphones are covered with sanitary covers to offer as much hygiene as possible.
As Wheels of Time opens, you meet a dark room. Wait for it… and a short clip of Singapore’s history begins, showing portrayals of what citizens hope for Singapore’s future. The visuals accompany the audio guide played, but unlike most interactive exhibitions, you will have to stand throughout the whole experience—including two videos spanning 5–7 minutes each. This room in particular had the strongest strobe light and flashing light element, so I would highly discourage anyone with light sensitivities from visiting, and instead suggest enjoying the installations on level 1.
In this space, you will learn more about the pivotal moments in our history via the oral history of those who lived through it. Discover how technology and human connection have shaped our shared story of progress and unity.
At the end of the show, you will be ushered into another dim space. It felt like you are stepping into a time machine.
Windows in the Sky (Level 4)
Followed by a short flight of stairs, you will encounter a room with lit-up circles on the floor and filled with smoke. A beautiful pink and gentle sunset will greet you and act as a buffer screen before the main segment begins. A highly photogenic sector to entertain whilst waiting for others.
Step inside a circle on the floor, and another film will show—this one focusing solely on the future of Singapore’s landscape. This is also the main portion where your personalised avatar will be featured in the film, so watch closely to find yourself!
If you also look up near the end of the show, a personalised trailer with your name will descend from the screens above for you to take a look at your own Singaporean dream.
Do take note that flashing lights will be used and the video can trigger mild motion sickness.
Library Superstore (Level 3)
Finally, the Library Superstore awaits. It is a playful “retail” emporium where ideas from the future come alive.
This browsing spot holds almost 500 books that are either Singlit titles, authored by Singaporeans, related to Singapore, or illustrated by Singaporeans. You can either browse these books, or explore the nine zones showcasing models, prototypes, facts, and games. The majority of the models were made by students from SUTD, SUSS, TP, RP, and NUS High School, while the rest were created through local enterprises—the design agency Stuck Design and the small food business Altimate.
Out of the nine zones available, Curiocity and Call Me in the Future were the most captivating to me. Use your exhibition guide gadget to scan a part of the given map, and information on that area will be given along with a 3D modelled illustration of its future infrastructure.
Call Me in the Future, on the other hand, features your future self in a telephone booth where you can ask them what future Singapore is like, and even personal questions about your own success—don’t ask whether housing will be cheaper; I tried it and my future self ended the call on me.
In the Library Superstore, your exhibition guide will have six features to aid you in your exploration. I would highlight the book explosion feature where you can scan a book and not only read the synopsis but also be given a rotation of book recommendations. This feature is still in its experimental stages, so it might not recognise every book correctly, but it is still a fun feature to play with.
Once it’s time to leave the exhibition, a customised bookmark will be printed for you, with a QR code to download your trailer from Windows in the Sky. The QR will be valid for 8 hours, so it would be best to download as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Overall I would give the exhibition a 7/10. While there are captivating visuals in the exhibition screenings, it did feel a little empty as once the video is over you are required to move on to the next section immediately. This exhibition is also not one where visitors can freely roam around, with the Library Superstore being the only exception.
The amount of customisation put into the exhibition was very well thought out and offered me a sense of welcome every step of the way. My avatar slowly became an Easter egg and I was looking forward to in every new part of the exhibition as we moved along.
Even if some sections felt rushed or disorienting, the exhibition was a reminder that the heart of the show is about how each of us imagines Singapore’s tomorrow. Not about a perfect journey, but one that nudges you to think about your own role in shaping the future.
SG60 Heart&Soul Exhibition: Visitor Information
Admission is free, and access to the ticketed experience is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The ticketed experience runs for approximately 60-90 minutes and is recommended for visitors aged 7 and above. Children under the age of 7 may undergo the experience accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Ticketed experience (Free admission)
Location: Orchard Library, entry at Level 4 of orchardgateway
Mondays: 9am – 6pm & Tuesdays to Sundays: 9am – 9pm
Non-ticketed installation series (Free admission)
Location: Non-ticketed installation series at Level 1 Atria of Orchard Central and orchardgateway
Daily: 9am – 10pm
Exhibition Duration: 26 Aug to 31 Dec 2025
You can book your tickets for the SG60 Heart&Soul Experience here.
Contributed by Alexis Lee
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