SINGAPORE — A decade in the making, the jewel that will crown the reinvigorated Civic District — adding to the likes of The Arts House, The Esplanade, and the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall — is ready to welcome its first visitors.

On Nov 24, the National Gallery Singapore art museum, which is located across two national monuments, the old Supreme Court and City Hall, will open to much fanfare over two weeks, or a “multi-sensory art extravaganza” as the organisers called it.

The museum today (Nov 3) announced the slew of activities that will herald its opening. Kicking off with an art carnival on the weekend of Nov 27 to 29, the celebrations will feature more than 20 free indoor and outdoor events, including a grand outdoor visual projection of the best Singapore artworks.

At the carnival, families can visit five thematic tents which were inspired by iconic works of art and will house interactive installations, community art workshops, and food and beverage offerings.

When night falls, the museum’s facade will come to life with a light and sound show combining 40 art-works from the national collection.

Throughout the celebrations from Nov 24 to Dec 6, all members of the public can also visit the museum’s galleries for free, and take part in the talks, screenings and performances. After this period, Singaporeans and permanent residents will continue to enjoy free admission to the museum while foreigners pay S$20 each for entry.

To help visitors navigate the 64,000 sq m space chock-full of art is a new museum app called the Gallery Explorer. Co-developed with technology company Accenture, the interactive app will offer a preview of up to 100 works and offer thematic tours.

Other features of the app include personal tour customisation, interactive elements through social media and a real-time “trending” feature highlighting the most talked about artworks in the gallery. The app is available for free download from Nov 18 on Apple’s app store and subsequently, Google Play Store.

The last time there was so much buzz about the opening of an arts institution was when The Esplanade opened its doors in 2002. National Gallery Singapore chief executive officer Chong Siak Ching said she hoped to emulate the performing arts centre’s success.

“Look at what (The Esplanande) has done — it has promoted a lot of groups, generating local productions and bringing in international ones as well. We hope to do that as well,” Ms Chong said.

She added: “(The National Gallery Singapore) has been 10 years in the making and to open in the year we are celebrating SG50, it’s really a gift to the nation.”

The completed museum is regarded as the final piece of the puzzle in the Civic District, where the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, and the Asian Civilisations Museum had recently undergone makeovers. “We can help catalyse a seamless Civic District experience,” said Ms Chong.

Built to the tune of S$532 million, plans to transform the former Supreme Court building and City Hall into a new art museum were announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his National Day Rally speech in 2005.

Designed by French architectural firm Studio Milou, construction began in 2011. The museum’s two cornerstone permanent galleries — the DBS Singapore Gallery and the UOB Southeast Asia Gallery — highlight its vision of supporting art from Singapore as well as the region, with a total of 800 pieces across both galleries alone. The museum will also house spaces for special local and international exhibitions, an art education centre and F&B and shopping outlets.

Around 120,000 people are expected to drop by the National Gallery Singapore’s opening celebrations, organisers said. Those planning to enter the museum premises, especially during the weekend art carnival, are encouraged to book their free entry tickets online to avoid queueing, as the museum can only accommodate around 8,000 people at any one time.

“We are anticipating a lot of people coming,” said Ms Katharyn Peh, the museum’s head of Visitor Experience. “It’s a nationwide kind of celebration.”