Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) will help Singapore meet its future housing demand and create districts with distinct identities based on the site’s rich heritage and distinctive characteristics. Besides housing new kinds of developments to meet the increasingly diverse needs of the population, the town can contribute to a stronger sense of ownership and belonging among its inhabitants too.
PLAB’s unique past as an air base will be integral to its future development. Existing infrastructure, including a runway, bunkers and other historic buildings, could form the foundation of its transformation through adaptive reuse. A network of parks and waterways threading through the existing green and blue spaces could embed the town in nature.
Each of these districts can be centred around a key heritage feature. Many of the former airport buildings such as the passenger terminal buildings, control tower and aircraft hangars remain today, but have been repurposed for other uses. This Old Town district can help integrate the heritage buildings with new developments.
Local destinations of interest that promote interaction among residents and foster strong social bonds within and across neighbourhoods.
As PLAB’s development stretches over a long period, spaces of different scales can be set aside as flexible zones. This makes sure there will be room for future developments and to meet unexpected needs.
Each neighbourhood and district can be planned to have adaptable sites for localised community needs. Within each neighbourhood, such smaller flexible spaces are envisioned to be used to test out temporary community programmes, serve as pop-up spaces, and change based on what the local community needs over time.
"Runway for Your Imagination" Ideas Competition
Between 2019-2020, URA, Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) and Singapore Institute of Planners (SIP) launched an Ideas Competition called “Runway for Your Imagination” inviting design professionals, students and members of the public to contribute fresh ideas of what they wish to see at the redeveloped PLAB in future. Read about their interesting ideas here.
SIA / SIP Consultancy
Find out more about a second Concept Master Plan from the SIA and SIP here.