Drawing a detailed panoramic view of a city is difficult enough by sight.

British architectural artist Stephen Wiltshire will be in Singapore later this month to do just that, but entirely from memory.

The 40-year-old completed a 10m-long drawing of the Victoria Harbour area in Hong Kong in 2005, and has sketched cities such as Jerusalem and New York - all from memory.

Diagnosed with autism when he was three years old, he is a savant with exceptional talent in art, music and memory.

During his visit here with his sister, Mr Wiltshire will go on a tour of the city with members of the Singapore Tourism Board, visiting attractions such as Chinatown and the Marina Bay area. He will also take in an aerial view of the city on a helicopter ride sponsored by the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

He will then recreate the cityscape on a giant canvas at the main atrium of Paragon.

People can watch him in action and view an exhibition of some of his other drawings at the mall from July 16 to 20.

It will be Mr Wiltshire's first trip to Singapore. "I am very excited to see the Singapore skyline for the first time from a helicopter and to do some sightseeing," he said. "I will try the chicken rice too."

Mr Wiltshire was commissioned to create the artwork by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) to mark its 30th anniversary this year.

A campaign, called See The Big Picture, which highlights SPH's evolution from its incorporation in August 1984 as a print company to being a multimedia conglomerate with extensive reach in print, online, digital, broadcast, events and out-of-home platforms, is also being held as part of the celebrations.

SPH chief executive Alan Chan said the campaign not only depicts a panoramic view of Singapore, but also showcases the reach of SPH's multimedia solutions. "Advertisers can effectively reach out and engage a wide base of clients and readers, using our integrated marketing approach on various media platforms to help them see the big picture."

Mr Wiltshire's visit and exhibition are part of a series of activities to mark the anniversary, which so far includes the SPH Lucky 30 Draw and the launch of SPH Walk of Giants, an elevated boardwalk at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

When completed, Mr Wiltshire's artwork will be displayed at the Urban Redevelopment Authority Singapore City Gallery until it is formally presented to President Tony Tan Keng Yam in September, as a gift to Singapore for the nation's 50th birthday next year.

joseow@sph.com.sg