Writers: Justin Zhuang and Serene Tng | Photographers: Chee Boon Pin and Jazpar Yeo
Working in partnership with the community, many unique characters of neighbourhoods and heritage buildings have been retained while adapting them to new uses as part and parcel of the Master Plan. Communities are also increasingly playing active roles in sharing stories about buildings and organising activities to keep people engaged to these areas.
Residents and tenants of two different neighbourhoods reflect on what these areas mean to them and how they are keeping memories alive.
The Jalan Besar Conservation Area has a rich history with an eclectic mix of landmarks and shophouses of diverse architectural styles that reflect the growth and progress of urban development in the area. It was first given conservation status in 1991, when 445 buildings were gazetted for conservation. Public engagements were carried out at various phases of its conservation journey where another 51 buildings and two structures were conserved in 2010. In 2018, URA conserved an additional eight buildings along Balestier Road and Lavender Street to add to the critical mass of conserved buildings and complete the streetscape.
A key landmark is the prominent two-storey building at 593 Serangoon Road, which has been operating as the Singapore Institute of Science (SIS) since 1940.
With its rows of teak workbenches and glass shelves displaying ammeters and other chunky apparatuses, the SIS is far from the image of a modern and sleek science laboratory. But the institute’s chief executive, Thomas Jacob, insists in keeping the retro-looking setting.
Not only are the furnishings working fine, they were the same pieces Thomas as a student of this private education institute used between 1966 and 1968. He is one of thousands of students – including his children – who have conducted science experiments on these workbenches and sat on these stools for classes since 1952. That was when the SIS moved into the second-floor of this shophouse at 593 Serangoon Road.
“A lot of people have told me to throw the furniture… (but) they are important because they provide an emotional tie to the place.” says the 66-year-old who has spent almost half his life working in the SIS. In 1989, Thomas joined the institute and became its CEO in 2002.
He is not oblivious to the need for renewal. While Thomas had to bear with the heat as a student, he points out that the institute is fully air-conditioned today. “Where the equipment and apparatus have to be changed, we have renewed them as required, he says. “In that sense, we cannot avoid change.”
Thomas Jacob, CEO of the Singapore Institute of Science in one of the classrooms where some of the furniture has been kept.
This delicate balancing act of retaining the past while staying relevant to the present has played out in SIS’s neighbourhood of Jalan Besar too. His neighbour, the over 100-year-old Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, is still standing proud and recently added a towering 12-storey nursing home continuing its original use while expanding to accommodate new uses.
The two-storey building has an unusual curved frontage that makes it a unique icon for Jalan Besar. “When you talk to somebody about the institute, they will say, ‘Oh, the building with a semi-circular front’,” says Thomas. He recalls how a fellow bus passenger once identified his destination as the stop after the “semi-circular building”. “Most people who pass this area identify it with the building too.”
The landmark Singapore Institute of Science building at 593 Serangoon Road in the Jalan Besar neighbourhood.
Beyond its distinct architecture, 593 Serangoon Road has become a landmark because it has “continuity”, says heritage blogger Jerome Lim. The shophouse has been around for decades and so have its people. The grandparents of the current owner, Teng Tieu Guan, used to operate the Sin Peng coffee shop in the ground floor unit. In the 1970s, they converted it into a bar that is still running today.
“It’s a permanent fixture that many people identify with, and it transcends generations,” says Jerome. He is familiar with the building because his father also studied in the SIS, which was one of the first private education institutions in Singapore to hold science laboratory classes.
Such stories are also important in giving the neighbourhood its identity besides conserving buildings. This is why Jerome has been blogging about places in Singapore and also conducts tours of them. He also points to ground-up initiatives such as My Community, which has helped the estate of Queenstown stand out by conducting regular heritage tours and even developing a museum dedicated to its past.
“Buildings come alive when people know about history and the stories connected with them,” says Jerome who is also currently a member of URA’s Heritage and Identity Partnership. Together with 18 other individuals from diverse backgrounds and specialists, he has been sharing his views on how to better shape and promote Singapore’s built heritage and identity.
One effort he hopes to see more of is involving the youth in learning about the heritage and identity of places. “They are our future and if they can identify with a place, there is a greater chance of preserving unique aspects of a neighbourhood,” he says. “It will also give them a greater sense of belonging to Singapore, a sense of rootedness to a place.”
An understanding of the past may also inspire new ideas to help the neighbourhood stay relevant. Amongst the emergence of many hip cafes and hotels in Jalan Besar, Jerome says the revival of Kam Leng Hotel is a standout example. This hotel along Jalan Besar Road started in 1927 and was mysteriously abandoned in the 1970s. It was reopened in 2012 as a boutique hotel. The new owners retained its heritage by keeping the name and creatively restoring the original décor.
“What’s nice to see is some of these buildings being repurposed or used in a similar way and more hip,” says Jerome. “It’s a transformation, an evolution. What it shows is you can’t expect everything to be the same all the time.”
As headquarters of the Far East Command, Seletar was home to one of the most important Royal Air Force (RAF) stations in the Far East that guarded vital trade and transport routes. Originally an area with mangrove swamps, coconut and rubber plantations, the Straits Settlement government bought about 240 hectares of land in 1923 and gave it to the British RAF as a site for its military air base in Singapore and officially opened in 1930.
The base also served a dual function as Singapore’s first civil airport before the completion of Kallang Airport in 1937 and hosted many aviation luminaries including Kingsford-Smith and Amy Johnson, famous aviators who stopped over in Singapore on their record breaking flights.
As the birthplace of Singapore’s air defence, with buildings and bungalows which remain today that are reminiscent of the colonial era, Seletar plays an important role in retelling a key facet of Singapore’s military history.
“It was like a ‘Little England’,” recalls George Pasqual who moved into the nearby Seletar Hills Estate some 50 years ago. That was when the British military withdrew from Singapore in 1971 and the base split into two. While the eastern end remained a military facility that was overseen by the Singapore Armed Forces, the western side was used by commercial aircraft and the residences leased out to civilians. But with few roads leading into the base, it remained hidden from most Singaporeans.
“There was a kind of exclusiveness (to the base),” adds George. “It was completely cut off from the public.”
Today, Seletar is alive with visitors, particularly on the weekends. They come to hang out at cafes and restaurants at The Oval, a sprawling lifestyle hub that is the epicentre of the Seletar Aerospace Park. The 320-hectare park was started by the Economic Development Board and JTC Corporation (JTC) in 2006 to revive the once sleepy airbase into a thriving aviation industrial hub.
The rejuvenation has retained much of Seletar’s rich aviation history, including its airport and the 32 colonial-era black and white bungalows that make up The Oval. Enhancements to the neighbourhood have also been made by creative interpretations of Seletar’s past. For instance, JTC has installed colonial-style lamp posts and bus shelters that resemble the wings of the British Supermarine Spitfire aircraft. The agency is also working with the National Parks Board (NParks) to landscape the area with species that are relevant to its history, such as the Flame of the Forest which has been planted in Seletar since the RAF established its base.
Residents like George welcome the increasing recognition of their neighbourhood’s heritage. He is part of the Seletar Hills Estate Residents’ Association (SHERA), which was set up in 1967 to represent the interests of the estate’s residents. Some five years ago, SHERA’s current vice-chairman, Ginger Tiah, reached out to JTC to propose promoting Seletar’s storied past amidst the many new developments that were coming up. “We wanted to have a little museum or shophouse where we can show residents this is what happened in the base,” explains Ginger, a resident of Seletar Hills Estate since the 1980s. “It’s to keep the history of this site alive. Nobody realises how important this area is!”
This kick started a conversation with various government agencies that has continued since. One outcome is an upcoming trail along the Round Island Route that will go through Seletar Aerospace Park and also highlight the area’s history. Working with the National Heritage Board and NParks, SHERA contributed its historical knowledge of the area based on two books it had produced: Down the Seletar River: Discovering A Hidden Treasure of Singapore (2013) and Uncovering Seletar (2018).
From left: George Pasqual (member), Ginger Tiah (vice-chairman), and Percival Jeyapal (chairman) of the Seletar Hills Residents' Association at The Oval in Seletar Aerospace Park.
The transformation of Seletar has brought out new opportunities to share its heritage with more, say Ginger. For instance, the adaptive reuse of conserved black and white bungalows for food and beverage establishments in The Oval have provided residents new amenities for enjoy the rustic setting. It has even attracted visitors who are surprised that such a place exists in highly urbanised Singapore.
“Otherwise nobody would come to visit here,” she says. “It’s good that we’re bringing new life into these buildings. When you think years ago it was a commander’s house, look at what it is now!”
As the Seletar Aerospace Park continues to grow in the coming years, JTC will collaborate closely with community partners such as SHERA to shape the park’s development. Ginger and George hope SHERA can play a bigger role in shaping its development. This includes participating in the drawing up of future plans beyond giving feedback. One thing they are sure of is that Seletar must never lose its laidback charm.
“(It’s where) people can get away from the urbanised areas… and you have some place like this that you can relax,” says George. “This is the spirit of Seletar!”