16 Dakota Crescent

Block 16

About

Dakota Crescent, one of Singapore’s oldest public housing estates, was built by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) in 1958 to address overcrowding in the city centre and provide affordable homes to improve living standards of residents. Located off Old Airport Road, the estate is characterised by its distinctive low-rise blocks comprising a variety of two-, three-, and seven-storey blocks.

The History

The site reflects the government’s post-war response to meet the population’s needs for affordable mass housing with proper sanitation facilities. The estate is also significant as it reflects the evolution of public housing in Singapore before our nation’s independence. It was one of the last estates that SIT built before HDB took over Singapore’s public housing development in 1960.

The Dakota Crescent estate and road were named after Douglas DC-3 Dakota, a passenger aircraft of the 1930s, which often took off from and landed at the former Kallang Airport runway along Old Airport Road, when Singapore was under British colonial rule.

The Buildings

Among the cluster of six Dakota Crescent estate blocks, four of them were thoughtfully and spaciously laid out to form a square courtyard that is well-shaded and set apart from the busy Old Airport Road. The blocks were carefully placed at a distance from each other, striking a balance between privacy and the creation of a cosy common space at the courtyard, which often attracted the community to gather. Meanwhile, the other two blocks had a waterfront view along Geylang River.

The architecture of each block, while simple in form, is elegant and well-considered in its proportions and visual balance. Unique to this estate are the seven-storey blocks which feature a curved footprint, likened to the shape of a butterfly or ‘pi’ symbol. Due to Singapore’s tropical climate, balconies were designed so that the main living areas were set back and sheltered from the sun. The balconies were carefully composed, with some protruding from the facade, while others were recessed to subtly enhance the solid-and-void effect.

In addition, visual contrast is offered by slender mild steel railings at some of the balconies. Patterned ventilation screens also add interesting juxtapositions with the concrete walls. The skilful design of the blocks, together with the original fair-faced brickwork, give the estate a distinct character.

Located at the courtyard is the Dove playground which has been retained – a well-loved community space which continues to delight visitors both young and old from all over the island, even allowing older residents to re-live their childhood experiences from yester-years. Altogether, a familiar sense of belonging is created by the combination of the distinctive architecture of the buildings, spatial quality of the courtyard, the Dove playground as well as the commemorative social memories they evoke.

The Legacy

URA will be proposing to conserve a cluster of six blocks at Dakota Crescent estate – comprising four seven-storey blocks, one three-storey block, and one two-storey block – which were retained after future plans for the site were announced in 2017. This cluster of six blocks surrounds the estate’s courtyard where the Dove playground is located. All the building types found in the estate are represented in this cluster to help serve as endearing landmarks that will recall social memories for residents. Two SIT projects built around the same era i.e. the Tiong Bahru and Kampong Silat estates, have been conserved in part in earlier years to commemorate Singapore’s public housing story.

Guidelines and Procedures

All proposed works will need to comply with the Conservation Guidelines and the Specific Restoration Guidelines (SRG). Conservation Permission is required before all additions & alteration works and operations of new use can begin.

Residential Fronts are characterised by timber casement windows flanking a double-leafed timber door. All buildings with residential front which is existing and/or identified in the 'Specific Restoration Guidelines', regardless of land use zoning, shall be retained and restored.

• Any proposed additions and alterations to this conserved building are subject to evaluation. Please submit your proposal for URA's review.

• Apply for Specific Restoration Guidelines (SRG)

• Submission Process for Works

Explore Street View

The building can be found at this street.