“Charmingly Changi” an ideas competition for Changi Point

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) today launched “Charmingly Changi”, an ideas competition calling for creative ideas from the public to enhance the rustic charm of Changi Point.

Changi Point is an established recreational coastal district with its holiday bungalows, sea-facing chalets, sports clubs and coastal boardwalk, and it is also the gateway to Pulau Ubin. Surrounded by lush landscape, it is an idyllic place of respite where nature lovers enjoy the rustic charm, rich heritage and recreational spaces along the coast. The area is well known for its cluster of buildings constructed by the British as a military base from around the late-1920s. Changi Point is also part of the Greater Rustic Coast, which comprises a 50km continuous and accessible belt of greenery, rich heritage and recreational spaces along Singapore’s northern coast.

Building on this unique identity, the ideas competition aims to engage the community for creative ideas to enhance the tranquillity of Changi Point as a unique heritage and recreational node along the Greater Rustic Coast, and to create inclusive community spaces in the area. The area for the ideas competition is approximately 42 ha within Changi Point, bounded by Loyang Avenue and Changi Air Base (West) to the south and Changi Golf Club to the east. The agencies are also calling for ideas to strengthen connectivity to the coastline to improve public access to the beachfronts, and suggestions for the adaptive reuse of State properties such as the Old Changi Hospital and the former barrack buildings along Hendon Road. More information on the location and background of Changi Point can be found in Annex A [PDF, 118kb].

Chief Executive of SLA Colin Low said, “There are a number of State properties built from the late 1920s, located in Changi Point which have been tenanted for F&B, recreation, hotel and residential use. Through this ideas competition, we are hoping to get fresh proposals and concepts for the adaptive use of the State properties, and capture public aspirations to enhance the recreational offerings in the area.”

Chief Executive Officer of URA Lim Eng Hwee said, “Input from the public and stakeholders are important ingredients that help us shape and deliver plans that are more relevant and inclusive. The “Charmingly Changi” ideas competition builds on our earlier engagements, and represents another step forward to explore creative and suitable ways to guide the use and activation of buildings and spaces at Changi Point. We look forward to receiving good ideas to enhance the rustic charm of Changi Point and to bring this endearing node closer to people of all walks of life.”

Individuals or teams can participate in the ideas competition. There are two competition topics. The first is a ‘Concept Master Plan for Changi Point’, which challenges participants to formulate a concept master plan to guide the enhancement of Changi Point. Participants must demonstrate the balance between retaining the quiet and laid-back character of the area and at the same time, enabling enhancements that will increase the attractiveness of Changi Point. The master plan shall provide a strategy to differentiate Changi Point from other recreational or lifestyle nodes in Singapore, incorporating concepts for the adaptive reuse of buildings, inclusion of community spaces and improvement of public accessibility and infrastructure.

The second topic is for the ‘Repurposing of Old Changi Hospital’, which seeks innovative ideas for the adaptive reuse of Old Changi Hospital, to give it a new lease of life while retaining the architectural features of the buildings.

Suitable ideas and concepts from the competition will be distilled into the design principles and planning parameters for the site. For more information on the competition and prizes, see Annex B [PDF, 156kb].

Participants will be grouped into two categories. The ‘Tertiary’ category, which is open to students from tertiary institutions in design-related disciplines; and the ‘Open’ category, which is open to participants from all other backgrounds. 

Updated as of 8 Jun 2021: The competition submission deadline was extended to 23 Jun 2021.

Updated as of 7 May 2021: The ‘Tertiary’ category is open to tertiary students from all disciplines.