Members of the public will get the opportunity to imagine how to re-make the heritage-rich Pasir Panjang Power District from today. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Singapore Land Authority (SLA) are on the lookout for proposals to transform the Power District into a waterfront lifestyle destination, while celebrating its unique industrial heritage.
The Power District is located within the larger Pasir Panjang area, together with the Pasir Panjang Terminal and nearby power generation facilities. The disused Power District was built over the 1950s and 1960s to supply Singapore’s burgeoning power needs then, its buildings reflective of Singapore’s early industrial history and the architecture of the time. It is an area rich with potential for the injection of new and exciting uses, which can help kick-start the rejuvenation of the Greater Southern Waterfront. Located next to Labrador Nature Reserve, it will also be linked to the rest of the Greater Southern Waterfront by the new Pasir Panjang linear park that will stretch from West Coast Park to Labrador Park.
To capture public aspirations and draw fresh new ideas from the public for the site for the next 15 to 20 years, URA and SLA have launched an ideas competition titled ‘Power Up Pasir Panjang’ today. Winning entries stand to clinch attractive prizes. Ideas and concepts from these entries may also be drawn on and distilled into design principles to guide the future development of the site.
There are two main topics from which the public can choose. The first, ‘Reimagining the Power District’, challenges participants to come up with a master plan that would rejuvenate the Power District. The master plan should include ideas to enliven the power station buildings (power stations ‘A’ and ‘B’ and ancillary buildings and structures) and the surrounding open areas, as well as consider the site’s waterfront setting, industrial heritage and proximity to the adjacent Labrador Nature Reserve.
The second, ‘Repurposing a Heritage Power House’, seeks creative ways to adaptively reuse Power Station ‘A’ that also celebrate its rich industrial past. For more on the topics and prizes, see Annex A [PDF, 220kb].
Topic 1 will be opened to all members of the public under the ‘Open’ category, while students from Universities and Polytechnics will be able to take part under the ‘Tertiary’ category. Topic 2 will be opened to professionals who are architecturally-trained, under the ‘Professional’ category, while students from Universities and Polytechnics in design-related fields can take part under the ‘Tertiary’ category. Prizes will be awarded to the top three ideas for each category. Relevant qualifying submissions will also be exhibited in a public exhibition later this year.
“We welcome the chance to partner the public in rejuvenating the Pasir Panjang Power District, an important part of Singapore’s industrial history. Through this competition, we hope to seek out fresh ideas that will do justice to this unique site and bring it into the future in creative ways,” said Lim Eng Hwee, Chief Executive Officer of URA.
“Many of our State properties including Pasir Panjang Power Station ‘A’ are iconic and have a rich history. This distinct red-brick building has also seen a lot of interest for event use. Through this partnership with the public, we hope to be able to introduce innovative ways to repurpose and adapt the use of this property for the public and community to enjoy,” said Tan Boon Khai, Chief Executive of SLA. To find out more and sign up for the ideas competition, visit https://ura.sg/powerdistrict from 30 April to 25 June 2019.