IndexContext of the National LibraryA chapter endsSeasons in SG Context of the National LibraryThe National Library is the knowledge institution of Singapore which archives all the books with relevant knowledge on almost everything. With a huge cultural and literary heritage, it provides trusted references to patrons. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The National Library of Singapore (NLS), located in the National Library Building at 100 Victoria Street, provides individuals and businesses with knowledge and information as it continues to expand its wide range of collections and reference services. The NLS is responsible for preserving the nation's literary, heritage and intellectual memory and making them easily accessible. The Beginnings of the National Library The National Library began in 1823 and was inevitably linked to the founding of Singapore's first major educational institution, The Singapore Institution, now renamed Raffles Institution in honor of the founder of modern Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles. Stamford Raffles worked for the British East India Company, a purely commercial enterprise, but was a self-made man who firmly believed in the opportunities afforded by education and its ability to benefit the poor. Soon after the founding of Singapore, Raffles proposed creating an educational institution and imagined that a library was needed to support the college's educational objectives. Thus, the seeds of the National Library were sown. Early 1823-1845 The Singapore Library was part of the Singapore Institution and the building was completed in 1837. It was only open to students and staff, however the public could use it for the price of 25 cents a month. Due to increasing demands from the public for it to be open beyond school hours, the Singapore Library was established and opened on 22 January 1845. Thus the Singapore Library became Singapore's first subscription library. The new building On 12 October 1887, the governor of Singapore, Sir Frederick Weld, officially opened the new building of the Raffles Library and Museum. Japanese OccupationFor 2 weeks before Singapore fell to the Japanese on 15 February 1942, British and Australian forces occupied the library as a regimental relief station. It was subsequently closed and officially reopened on April 29, 1942, on the occasion of the Japanese emperor's birthday. The Raffles Library and Museum was renamed Syonan Hakubutsu Kan, as the museum, compared to the library, was more important in the pre-war period. The section of the library was known as Syonan Tosyokan and was headed by Marquis Yoshichika Tokugawa who was related to the emperor of Japan, a situation conducive to the preservation of the library and its collections. Post-war years The library was reopened to the public under British administration on 1 December 1945. The perseverance, steadfastness and relative safety of the library during the Japanese occupation consolidated the role and importance of the library, as an emblem of heritage Singapore's cultural heritage is an example of commitment by all to consolidate society through shared knowledge and experience". The National Library @ Stamford Road Lee Kong Chian laid the foundation stone of the National Library in Stamford Road on 15 August 1957. The building of the National Library, which was supposed to reflect the red brick era of British architecture in the 1950s, received mixed reviews. Most criticized the building's aesthetics which were at odds with the architecturedignified and Victorian style of the National Museum. The library building, however, was four times larger than its previous size and provided much-needed space. A chapter ends The iconic red brick National Library on Stamford Road closed its doors for the last time on 31 March 2004, six years after the Government announced that the building would be demolished for urban redevelopment. Given the special place the National Library had in the hearts and minds of many Singaporeans, a year-long series of events was planned to commemorate the closing of one chapter and the beginning of a new one half a century later, the legacy by Lee Kong Chian and support continued with a $60 million donation from the Lee Foundation for the development of the new National Library on Victoria Street. The reference library is named in honor of Lee Kong Chian. National Library Site Plan and Orientation Figure 1: Satellite image of the National Library site plan As you can see from the satellite view of the site above, the entrance to the building faces in the north-east direction. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so the building's entrance will not be exposed to full impact sunlight during the day. National Library Floor Plan Figure 2: National Library Floor Plan (B3-L9) Figure 3: National Library Floor Plan (L10-Roof) The 2 photos above show the National Library floor plans from basement 3 to the roof. As you can see from the photos above, the building resembles a modified square-shaped building from the top view and almost all the exterior facades are made of glass. This allows maximum natural lighting both day and night and consequently the costs of artificial lighting can be reduced. This is considered a passive design which we will talk more about in the passive design section below. Characteristics of Hot and Humid ClimatesClimates around the world are classified according to the Köppen climate classification system. Ratings in this system are based on average temperature and precipitation on a monthly and annual basis. Humid tropical climates have distinctive characteristics other than temperature and precipitation. Humid tropical climates have distinct locations and abundant plant and animal life. Temperature Rainforests are warm with temperatures staying around 80 degrees Fahrenheit year-round and fluctuating little during any given month or year. Greater fluctuations occur in daily temperature than in monthly or annual temperature. Areas with a humid tropical climate never experience frost. Location Latitude is a determining factor in the existence of tropical climates. All humid tropical climates are near the equator between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn or at latitudes ranging from 10 degrees south to 25 degrees north. Climate Conditions of the National Library The National Library is located in Singapore and the building experiences a hot and humid climate. The characteristics of a warm and humid climate are as follows: General Climatic Conditions Singapore is located near the equator and experiences a typically tropical climate with abundant rainfall, high and uniform temperatures, high humidity all year round and many of its climate variables, like temperature and relative humidity, they do not show large variations from one month to the next. Furthermore, many other variables show notable diurnal or daily variations from hour to hour, indicating the strong influence that solar heating has on the local climate. The seasons in Singapore, there are two monsoon seasons separated by intermonsoon periods. The northeast monsoon occurs from December to early March and the monsoon ofsouth-west from June to September. The main weather systems affecting Singapore that can lead to heavy rainfall are: monsoon surges, or strong wind episodes in the northeast monsoon flow that cause large rainfall events; Sumatran squalls, an organized line of thunderstorms traveling eastward across Singapore, developing over the island. of Sumatra or Strait of Malacca to the west of us; Afternoon and evening thunderstorms caused by strong surface heating and the sea breeze circulation that develops in the afternoon. The occurrence of these events at different times of the year is illustrated in the following table. Figure 4: Table showing different weather systems throughout the year and meteorological characteristics PrecipitationPrecipitation is abundant in Singapore and it rains on average 167 days* per year. Much of the rain is heavy and accompanied by thunder. [*A day is considered “rainy” if the total rainfall for that day is equal to or greater than 0.2 mm.] Figure 5: Number of rainy days during the year Figure 6: Amount of rain during the year Figure 7: Amount of rainfall in a day and its trend throughout the year Although there is no distinct dry or wet season in Singapore, there are monthly variations in rainfall. The heaviest rainfall occurs from November to January during the humid phase of the northeast monsoon season (Figures 5 – 7), when the main tropical rain belt (the Intertropical Convergence Zone, ITCZ) is positioned close to us . The driest month is February, which occurs during the dry phase of the northeast monsoon, when the rain band has moved further south to hit Java. Rainfall in Singapore occurs more frequently during the day, particularly in the afternoon, when solar heating is strongest. In terms of rainfall distribution in Singapore, rainfall is highest in the northern and western parts and decreases towards the eastern part of the island. TemperatureFigure 8: Categorization of maximum and minimum temperatures in SG throughout the year figure 9: Temperature ranges during the day throughout the year Compared to countries in temperate regions, temperatures in Singapore are very low from month to month and even from day to day. The daily temperature range includes a minimum of around 23-25ºC during the night and a maximum of around 31-33ºC during the day. May and June have the highest average monthly temperature (24-hour average of 27.8ºC) and December and January are the warmest months. colder (24-hour average of 26.0ºC). Singapore, being an island, also has a coastal climate and the sea has a moderating influence on Singapore's climate. This is because water has a greater heat capacity than the earth's surface and a greater amount of heat is needed to raise the temperature of the sea. In the afternoon, conditions on the coast are often tempered by sea breezes. The presence of significant wind speeds, precipitation, and cloud cover are the most important natural influences in mitigating tropical heat. Humidity Relative humidity shows a fairly uniform trend throughout the year and does not vary much from month to month (Fig 10). Its daily variation is slightly more notable, with values ​​ranging from over 90% in the morning just before dawn and dropping to around 60% by mid-afternoon on days when it isn't raining. The average annual relative humidity is 83.9%. Periodically, relative humidity often reaches 100% and is due to prolonged periods of rain. Figure 10: Hourly variation of relative humidity for each month (1981-2010) Surface wind Figure 11: Annual wind rose (m/s) (1981-2010) The most important winds in Singapore come from the north-east and the south , reflecting the dominance of.