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Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)

Sembawang Shipyard

The Sembawang Shipyard is envisioned to be a mixed-used waterfront lifestyle district with a unique maritime character.

Last updated 2 June 2026

Anchoring new aspirations

Join us in imagining how we can transform this area of significance for Singapore as a maritime nation. As operations in the Sembawang Shipyard wind down in 2028, the area is set for transformation into a mixed-use waterfront lifestyle district with rich and unique maritime character!

Sailing through the times

A site of significance in Singapore’s pre- and post-independence history, Sembawang Naval Base was established by the British in 1938. In 1968, Britain transferred the dockyard to Singapore, where it became a commercial shipyard which contributed to the growth of Singapore's maritime industry.

President Sheares officially opened Sembawang Shipyard in 1971.

Black and white photo of a group of officials standing under a "Welcome to Sembawang Shipyard" sign.

Source: NAS

Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the opening of the Premier Dock in 1975. The Premier Dock was constructed to cater to the repair market for very large crude carriers.

Black and white photo of Lee Kuan Yew speaking at a podium in 1969. He is surrounded by other people.

Source: NAS

The shipyard set up its own apprenticeship training centre in 1972. Trainees who completed these apprenticeship programmes formed the backbone of Singapore’s maritime industry in the 1980s and 90s.

Black and white photo of a factory interior with workers. A man in a suit speaks to a worker in a white shirt.

Source: NAS

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Goh Chok Tong at the opening of the Republic Dock in 1990. The Republic Dock was commissioned to accommodate a new influx of wide-beamed vessels in the market.

Black and white photo of three men at a shipyard passing a ship's wheel under an industrial structure. "PUBLIC" is visible on a large ship in the background.

Source: NAS

Sembawang Shipyard has continued to be a major player in Singapore’s maritime industry for over three decades.

Black and white photo of a shipyard with cranes and a large ship.

Source: NAS

Envision future possibilities

The Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) and the Singapore Institute of Planners (SIP) have each developed ideas on how the future of the Sembawang Shipyard area could look like.

W.H.A.R.F 27 by the Singapore Institute of Architects

Map of future housing areas with green connections, roads, industrial zones, and existing housing. Different areas are highlighted with various colors.

Source: Scheme proposed by Singapore Institute of Architects

View larger map

The Waterfront Heritage Arboretum for a Resilient Future (W.H.A.R.F) aims to become a modern mixed-use hub with an industrial wharf character. SIA envisions combining environmental sustainability, cultural preservation and community engagement.

Architectural illustration of a mixed-use development with a cinema, modern buildings, public square and people.

Source: Scheme proposed by Singapore Institute of Architects

A live-in Heritage Waterfront Town by the SIP

Map showing existing and future housing and industrial areas with infrastructure like roads and Park Connector Network(PCN)routes.

Source: Scheme proposed by SIP

View larger map

A district known for its rich maritime history and iconic industrial buildings from the past, SIP envisions Sembawang Shipyard becoming a heritage waterfront town, to set a new standard for liveability, sustainability and heritage conservation.

Aerial view of a modern city with high-rise buildings along a waterfront with a beach and amusement park.

Source: Scheme proposed by SIP

Unlocking new opportunities

We can capitalise on the area’s coastline to bring residents and visitors closer to the water’s edge. The publicly accessible promenades can be designed to have vibrant multi-generational recreational spaces alongside new commercial and cultural uses. There can also be markers and storyboards showcasing the area’s maritime history.

Aerial view of a city plan with waterfront, green spaces, and labeled zones.

Source: Scheme proposed by Singapore Institute of Planners

Conceptual render of waterfront living
1. Discover waterfront living with great facilities and views.
Architectural rendering of a city waterfront, numbered 4-6 with cranes.

Source: Scheme proposed by Singapore Institute of Architects

Conceptual sketch of community hub
4. Explore a community hub with diverse amenities.

Where town meets sea

Urban living by the water’s edge

High-rise housing near water sports, or charming promenades with boathouses along the coast. These are some ideas for waterfront housing complemented with convenient amenities for shopping and dining as well as community facilities, all within a short walk.

Conceptual sketch of a mix of low-rise and high-rise housing developments along the waterfront with a marina.
A mix of low-rise and high-rise housing developments along the waterfront with a marina.

Walkable from heartland to shore

Each neighbourhood could feature distinctive characteristics that integrate urban living with blue and green spaces. The natural terrain of the area presents a unique setting for lush trails and leisurely seaside paths for residents and visitors.

Conceptual 3D of a walkable neighbourhood
A walkable neighbourhood with integrated multi-generational amenities and recreational oppotunities.

Embracing Sembawang’s maritime character

Future plans for the area aim to creatively integrate unique structures of special significance to Singapore’s maritime past with new developments to create a vibrant live, work and play district, with unique spaces for businesses.

King George VI Dock

Architectural rendering of "Anchor Green" development, showing buildings, parkland, and waterfront cranes.
Night view of King George VI Dock maritime museum. Yellow crane, palms, lights, and walking people.

The world’s largest dry dock when it opened in 1938, it measures 305 metres long, 40 metres wide and can contain almost 10 Olympic-size swimming pools. One idea is to turn it into a sunken public plaza for community sports and recreation.

Archival photo of dry dock at Sembawang Shipyard
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Reprinted with permission.

Workshops and Warehouses

Architectural rendering of Dockland East Primary School with cranes, a playground, and children playing.
Rendering of a shopping center with "Love Design" sign, featuring pedestrians, storefronts, palm trees, and skyscrapers under a blue sky.

The former Naval Workshops and other similar buildings’ large, column-free spaces used to house machinery for vital ship components or were utility buildings. These high-ceiling spaces could be suitable as spaces for media production, start-ups and artists, alongside a mall with cafes and co-working spaces.

Archival photo of the former Naval Workshop at Sembawang Shipyard
Source: National Archives (Great Britain)

Sembawang Fire Station

Architectural rendering of a new urban development, including buildings, public space, and pedestrian walkways.
Architectural rendering of a bright, plant-filled atrium with a glass roof and orange support beams. "Shipyard Bonfire" sign visible.

Built in 1938, this Art Deco-Modern building is distinguished by a prominent tower where fire hoses were once hung to dry. The fire station closed in 2005, and the building was conserved two years later. It can be transformed into a community and lifestyle hub to serve as the local community as well as visitors to the Round Island Route.

Archival photo of old fire station at Sembawang Shipyard
Source: National Archives (Great Britain)