DS5 - Final Project Stage 1 - Grp 5 Part 1

Group 5 - Bukit Merah Analysis Chin Jing Jie (S10227358) Chong Rinzen (S10222011) Goh Wen Bin Luke (S10196805) Leong Wai En Eileen (S10219050) Wang Yupeng (S10221947)

Content Page: 1.

Site Analysis (Macro Scale) a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k. l.

2.

Overview Location Sun & Wind path Transportation Nodes Traffic Flow (Morning & Night peak hour) Land use Conservation Area Hardscape & softscape Formal & Informal activities Demographics Urban Section 1 & 2 History (Heritage and Culture, Building)

Site Analysis (Micro Scale) a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i.

Site boundary Guidelines of Site 1 & 2 Views from site Human Movement Scent & Sound Significant Buildings Sun Shading Site 1 section 1 & 2 Site 2 section 1 & 2

3.

Client & User research a. b.

4.

Data Synthesis a. b. c. d.

5.

Client (Nation Council of Social Services) Persona Profiles

SWOT Analysis Direct Input /Perception/ HMW Vision Statement Individual Reflection

References

Site Analysis (Macro)

Regional Positioning:

Central Region

Planning Area: Bukit Merah

Subzones: Tiong Bahru, Kampong Tiong Bahru, Telok Blangah Rise, Everton Park

Location: Site Boundary 1

Site 1

2

Site 2

The site parcel sits within the bukit merah planning area.

1 2

Sun & Wind Path: Site Boundary 1

Site 1

2

Site 2 Sun Path Wind Path

1 2

Sun path does not change throughout the year as Singapore is located on the equator, Wind blows from a northeastern direction or a southern direction through the year. Depending on monsoon winds.

Transportation Nodes: Site Boundary 1

Site 1

2

Site 2 MRT station Bus stop

Bus stops are scattered throughout the parcel giving ample option for transport, without chosen sites sandwiching the Kampong Bahru Bus Terminal.

Tiong Bahru Station is the only station within our site parcel, however there are many surrounding our parcel like Havelock, Outram Park, and future Cantonment Station.

1 2

Traffic flow (AM peak hour) Site Boundary 1

Site 1

2

Site 2

Morning traffic is relatively clear on the expressways, with most of the congestion centering around the junctions and expressway exits.

1 2

Traffic flow (PM peak hour): Site Boundary 1

Site 1

2

Site 2

Evening traffic is moderately to heavily congested throughout the entire parcel with very little low traffic areas.

1 2

Land Use: Place of Worship Residential w Commercial Residential Reserve Site Educational Institution Open Space Parks Commercial & Residential Commercial Hotel Business Utility

Conservation Areas: Site Boundary 1

Site 1

2

Site 2 Conservation areas

URA takes into consideration the historical significance of each conservation district, the context of the surrounding developments and the long-term plans for the area.

More guidelines can be found here https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporat e/Get-Involved/Conserve-Built-H eritage/Explore-Our-Built-Heritag e/Conservation-Areas

1 2

Softscape: Site Boundary 1

Site 1

2

Site 2 Parks Heritage Tree

Parks in our parcel include Tiong Ba Rhu Park, Kim Pong Park, Kim Tian Park, Bukit Purmei Hillock Park, and the Railway Corridor.

1 2

Hardscape (Facilities): Utilities Commercial

Others

Leisure

Activities (Formal):

Paint it forward, Art Jam 2023 Annual Chinese New Year Celebration

Become a forest explorer 2023

Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail

Activities (Informal):

People sitting and eating lunch @ Tiong bahru market

Eating and talking @ Tiong Bahru Bakery

Eating at a hawker centre during lunch hour

Children playing basketball in an open courtyard

Strolling at a nearby park

Waiting for food to be served

Demographics (Population):

In the Bukit Merah Planning Area, the population has been on a decrease from 157122 in 2010 to 151250 in 2020.

In our parcel, the population in most of the subzones (Kampong Tiong Bahru, Telok Blangah Rise and Everton Park) have steadily decreased over the years.

In a span of 10 years, about 6000 people have left the area.

However for Tiong Bahru Subzone, it increased from 8440 to 12890 in the span of 10 years.

Demographics (Population):

In Tiong Bahru Subzone, the 30-39 y/os and 40-49 y/os are the largest age groups with 1000 males and 1200 females for 30-39 and 1110 males and 1150 females for 40-49.

There is a higher percentage of females in Tiong Bahru Subzone with 53.5% female and 46.5% male.

In Kampong Tiong Bahru Subzone, the 60-69 y/os is the largest age group with 810 males and 760 females.

There is a fairly even percentage of males and females in Kampong Tiong Bahru at 50.7% females and 49.3% male.

Demographics (Population):

In Telok Blangah Rise Subzone, the 60-69 y/os is the largest age group with 1960 males and 1190 females.

In Everton Park Subzone, the 40-49 y/os is the largest age group with 600 males and 680 females.

There is a higher percentage of females in Telok Blangah Rise Subzone with 52.8% female and 47.2% male.

There is a higher percentage of females in Everton Park Subzone with 52.8% female and 47.2% male.

Demographics (Ethnic):

The 2 graphs shows that at the parcel, there are a higher number of Chineses and lower number of Malays compared to the whole of Singapore.

This shows that our parcel is richer in chinese culture compared to the culture of other races. Our parcel is also not as racially diverse in comparison to the whole of Singapore.

Parcel: Section 1

Kampong Silat Flats

Tiong Bahru Market

Wat Ananda Metyarama SGH

Bukit Teresa Kampong Bahru Road Road

Spooner Road

Blair Road

Parcel: Section 2

Rail Corridor PSA Keppel DistriPark

Keppel Viaduct (Toll Road)

Pre War Flats

Tan Boon Liat Building Tiong Bahru Plaza

St Teresa Church

Kampong Bahru Road

Jalan Bukit Merah

CTE

Overall History:

1970-1980 Spooner Road Estate

1300 - Telok Blangah

1844-1846Jalan Bukit Merah

1900-1902Rail Corridor

1920- Tiong Bahru

History timeline

1902- St Matthew’s Church

1926- Radin 1908 - Tang Geh 1923 - Zhangde Mas Primary Beo Temple Primary

1821 - SGH 1920- Qi Tian Gong

1920s- Wat Ananda Metyarama

1924Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road

1933- CHIJ Theresa Convent

1937-1941 Tiong Bahru Pre1929Church of St war flats Teresa

1934Carmelite Monastery

1959- CHIJ Kellock Convent

1976- Tan Boon Liat building

1949-19521951 - Tiong Kampong Silat flats Bahru Market

1994- Tiong Bahru Plaza

2016Kampong Bahru Terminal

Jalan Bukit Merah History: The earliest Bukit Merah can be found on the survey map of Singapore island by John Turnbull Thomson which was published in 1844 and 1846 which presented Bukit Merah as a forest located on the outskirts of Singapore Town. In 1943, the map of Syonanto revealed at least 7 hills in the area spreading across the Telok Blangah sub-district. During the 19th century, plots of land in Bukit Merah were purchased by Seah Eu Chin known as the “Gambier King” to cultivate gambier. The area flourished in gambier and pepper plantations but it soon depleted as it was used for firewood.

So, Bukit Merah lost its agricultural value after the 1880s and became a land with numerous hills, lowlands and swamps.

The present site of Bukit Merah Town Centre and bus interchange was once known as Beehoon Plain as early Hokkien immigrants used to dry their beehoon back in the 1920s. The site became rubbish plain subsequently as it was used as a dumping ground and was nicknamed as poon saw pore which meant ʻrubbish hill’. Bukit Merah also has a history of brickworks which war hero Lim Bo Seng’s father used to own a brick factory there in the 1920s. Villages with dotted with attap hunts were common before the construction of 21 blocks of 7-storey government flats in 1955.

Today, Bukit Merah has popular spots like Mount Faber and Telok Blangah Hill Park and Henderson Waves.

Jalan Bukit merah in 1950s

Tiong Bahru History: Tiong Bahru is the oldest housing estate in Singapore, and the name actually means ʻnew cemetery’ - Tiong means ʻend’ in Hokkien dialect and bahru means ʻnew’ in malay as it used to be a burial ground. Early maps showed that TIong Bahru appeared to be hilly with Pearl’s Hill, Mount Farquhar and Mount D’ Anguilla as it highest points and swathes of lowlands and swampy areas in the low-lying areas. Apart from being used as a burial ground, the area in the early days was used for cultivations, and by military personnel from the Sepoy Lines fortification at Pearl’s Hill.

While visiting this quaint community, notice the mix of old and new generation, older residents lived in shophouses and flats here for decades and the younger generation flock here for food,shops and culture.

The neighbourhood is one of the hippest places in Singapore and also a places steeped in fascinating history.

It undergo a transformation from swamp to swank began in the 1930s, and some of the landmarks still stand today. In recent years, TIong Bahru has experienced further gentrification, with many trendy tenants moving in. With many new amenities for the younger generation like cafes, retails and leisure activities. One of the popular landmarks is the Qi Tian Gong Temple.

Telok Blangah History: The settlement of the aforementioned Malay chieftains lay at the foot of a rolling hill range known as Tulloh Blangah Hills which consists of kampungs and a village along jogging paths. The hill went through some changes under the british added a signal station, flagstaff and observatory and renamed to Charles Edward Faber of Madras Engineers. Mount Faber served as a fort from late 1850s to 1885.

In 1905, Mount Faber forest was a water source for Tanjong Pagar Dock Company which was a third of an olympic standard pool and was rediscovered in 2014. There is also the shrine of Radin Mas it was said that the legendary Javannese princess lived in a village in Telok Blangah which still stands as a reminder of a time when Singapore fell under the ambit of the Javanese Majappahit empire (1293-1527) In 1965, it was transformed into a park for the public which is still popular today for the southwestern coast and island views and accessible to Sentosa via cable car Labrador Park historical landmarks houses multiple structures which serve as reminders of the area’s 700-year history.

Spooner Road Estate History: An estate that is not familiar to the everyday Singaporean.

Spooner road is built in the mid 1970s-1980s and home to only 2 blocks of flat which is Kemuning (Orange Jasmine) and Melati (Arabian Jasmine). This estate was named after Charles Edwin Spooner, General Manager of the FMS railways through Penang and Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.

These flats are isolated along with a structure named the “M.R Running bungalow”, used to be a home to Malaysian railway workers in the 1980s. The 2 blocks look quite stuck in time and deprived of the HDB upgrading as they were only handed over to Singapore in 2011. After the flats got returned, they are now homes to several low-income families to provide temporary housing before they are able to secure permanent options.

The M.R Running Bungalow was built in 1930s, which is currently known as New Hope Community Services, a transitional shelter providing housing support to ease male ex-convicts back into society. They provide counselling, life and job skills training and savings programmes.

Rail Corridor History: Rail corridor was built in 1900-1902 that cuts through the island under the British Colonial rule. In 1918, Singapore railway land was leased for 999 years to the Federated Malay States government. Different extensions were added to connect to Tanjong Pagar Docks, all the wharves and the Johor link which was built in the 1920s. The southern end was then taken for the construction of the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in 1932 which was also a reclaimed swampland. Due to its distance between the harbour the station was mainly used for transporting goods and trading.

After the separation with a Malaysia in 1965, the control of the corridor was still under the Malaysian government.

During the late 1960s, Singapore concentrated the trade on container ports and the goods from Malaysia lost its significance along with the rail corridor. In 1990, Points of Agreement was signed between the Singaporean and Malaysia governments which shifted the control for the corridor back to Singapore. As part of the agreement, Singapore removed the tracks and ancillary structures of the railway returning it to Malaysia. Finally the corridor was opened to public in 2012 and striped its former infrastructure lacking basic access and connectivity to the city.

Public Transportation:

Kampong Bahru Bus Terminal New bridge road bus terminal was built in the 1970s to serve bus services terminating at the south end of New Bridge Road. Due to many bus routes around that area being withdrawn or amended there was many duplicated routes with the MRT lines.

It was then relocated to Kampong Bahru Bus Terminal in 2018, which was formerly owned by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTM). The old site was cleared for the expansion of SGH.

Places of Worship:

Carmelite Monastery Carmelite Monastery’s beginnings trace back to 1934, when Bishop Adrien Devals sent an invitation to the Carmel of Bangkok, requesting the establishment of a Carmelite Monastery in Singapore.

The bishop provided the sisters who travelled from Bangkok with a small monastery on top of a hill called Bukit Teresa in Kampong Bahru. The monastery was officially established on 11 May 1938.

During the Second World War, the British converted the monastery into part of an anti-aircraft base. The monastery was later occupied by the Japanese.

Places of Worship (Churches):

St Matthews Church

Church of St Teresa Singapore

St Matthew's Church was founded on 29 September 1902, beginning as a Cantonese-speaking Chinese congregation under St. Peter's Church. It was originally located at Neil Road with an extended kindergarten. In 2006, it was moved to Tiong Bahru when its first location was meant for construction of a new MRT station (Outram)

The Church of Saint Teresa was originally constructed for the spiritual needs of the Hokkien-speaking Catholics living in the town area. The magnificent edifice testifies to the religious and architectural contributions of Catholic missionaries, and also the growth of the local Chinese Catholic community in the early twentieth century.

Places of Worship (Temples):

Tang Gah Beo Temple/ Dong Yue Miao

Tiong Bahru Qi Tian Gong (齐天宫)

A national monument, first built in 1908, it was gazetted as such in June 2014. It is Singapore's only Daoist temple dedicated to the East Peak Emperor.

Architecturally, it borrows heavily from Fujian and Chaozhou styles, with courtyards and annexes.

The Tiong Bahru Qi Tian Gong (齐天宫), more popularly known as the Tiong Bahru Monkey God Temple, was founded in 1920 in a small attap hut located within a taro garden just across Eng Hoon Street. It moved to its current location in 1938. It was the first temple to dedicate itself to Sun Wu Kong (孙 悟空), the Monkey King.

On the day of the Monkey God’s birthday, which takes place on the 16th day of the 8th lunar month, believers stream in for help and the ritual begins.

Mediums go into a trance during which new idols, new altars and even new offices are blessed for luck.

Places of Worship (Temples):

Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road (Silat Road Temple)

Wat Ananda Metyarama (Thai Buddhist Temple)

During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, Silat Road Temple served as a refuge for war widows and orphans. The temple also provided accommodation to new immigrants.

Founded in the 1920s, Wat Ananda Metyarama Thai Buddhist Temple is one of the oldest Thai Theravada Buddhist temples in Singapore. Originally situated at 83 Silat Road, Wat Ananda Metyarama is the oldest Theravada Buddhist tradition Temple in Singapore.

In 1999, the temple was designated a historic site by the National Heritage Board. With its rich history and heritage, the Silat Road Sikh temple continues to play an important social and religious function for the Sikh community, ensuring their cultural and religious roots are preserved in this multicultural, multi-racial country.

On the 5th of January 2014, the new Temple building (previously monk quarters) was officially opened.. The new building features a Dhamma Hall, Mediation Hall, Cultural Centre (Museum), Conference Room, Dining Hall, Rest Area, Sunday Class and the Monks abode.

Commercial:

Tiong Bahru Market

Tiong Bahru Plaza

Tiong Bahru Market opened in 1951 as Seng Poh Road Market to allow for cooked food stalls. Many of the vendors of the markets were stallholders of an earlier “temporary” market which was built in 1940. The market also acted as Polling Centre for the 1951 Legislative Council elections and the 1953 City Council elections. In the 1960s, political rallies were held there.

Tiong Bahru Plaza was completed in late 1994 as the first shopping mall in Tiong Bahru and Bukit Merah.

Like a typical mall at that time, it had a cinema, a department store, a supermarket, a food court, and more than 100 specialty shops.

A new centre was built in 2004-2006 which was endowed with user-friendly features with lifts, escalators and bigger stalls. Parts of the new building also incorporated an Art Deco style to complement the architecture of the surrounding estate.

Tiong Bahru Plaza has undergone several asset enhancement and refurbishment works and the last major refurbishment was completed in December 2016. The mall is also awarded the BCA Green Mark Platinum certification for its environmentally friendly features.

Commercial:

Tan Boon Liat Building Tan Boon Liat Building was built in 1976 as a replacement industrial building to the 50-year-old two-storey warehouse which burnt down in 1961 under the same company Tan Boon Liat & Co. Ltd. Over the years, the building became home to a wide variety of industrial uses. Around 2009, the building organically evolved into an unofficial furniture mall and it continues to have a sizeable number of showrooms for modern furniture brands as well as stores selling antique pieces sourced from around the world.

Residential:

Pre-War Flats Tiong Bahru

Kampong Silat Flats

These Tiong Bahru Flats are currently the only flats from the pre-war housing scheme planned and designed by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) that are still standing today.

The flats located at Silat Avenue were mostly built between 1949 and 1952 by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), making them the second oldest surviving public housing estate in Singapore after the Tiong Bahru pre-war flats

Built between 1937 and 1941, the flats were designed in the architectural language of Streamline Moderne.

They used modern materials, such as hollow concrete blocks and steel windows and were planned such that residents could enjoy plenty of light and air.

The flats were designed in a squarish, Art-Deco style, with architectural adaptations for Singapore’s tropical climate. The curved concrete shades along the buildings’ facades shielded the flats from direct sunlight, and allowed windows to be opened during heavy thunderstorms

Hospital:

Singapore General Hospital SGH was founded in 1821 when the first general hospital was located in the cantonment for troops near the Singapore River, after relocating it finally settled at Sepoy Lines In Outram Road in 1882. SGh began with 800 beds in 3 different blocks ( Bowyer, Stanley, Norris), today only bowyer block with its distinctive clock tower has been designated as a national monument.

Currently, after renovation in 1981 it has 8 block complex with other external facilities. Subsequently, SGH would be redeveloped into 3 interconnected zones which comprises of patient care, research and education which will be implemented in the future nearer to the MRT station.

Schools:

CHIJ Theresa Convent The school was founded in 1933 with just 25 students which rented Hood Lodge at Kampong Bahru Road which offered lessons in both english and tamil. In 1942, unable to make ends meet the school almost had to close down and moved to their second home.

In 1968, St Theresa’s wanted to focus more on Secondary Education so the shut the Primary section to improved its quality of education. In 2014 it celebrated the 160 years anniversary of the IJ community till today its still a secondary school.

CHIJ Kellock Convent The school started in 1959. It started out as the our lady of lourdes school at Ophir Road which then shifted to Victoria Street. Today, CHIJ Kellock is known as the youngest school among the 11 CHIJ schools in SIngapore and a primary school to all convent girls.

Schools:

Radin Mas Primary School

Zhangde Primary School

The name Radin Mas came from the princess Radin Mas Ayu was the only daughter of Lord Pengiran Agong of Java and a beautiful court dancer. After the death of his wife he married the daughter who lived at the foot of Mount Faber which the main building was converted into the school in 1926. Radin Mas started as a boys school with 40 students.

In 1984, the school got relocated to its current location at bukit purmei ave which became a co-ed school and 1215 students with a steady increase.

The school began in 1923 as a small attap house known as Chiang Teck School and was founded by Cai Ke Xie. In 1984, it moved to Jalan Bukit Merah and changed its name to Zhangde Primary. In 2006, it moved to its current location in Jalan Membina and converted into single session till today as primary school which the enrolment increasing every yea.r

Building Style (Tiong Bahru): Tiong Bahru well known as one of Singapore’s historic districts which reminds most people of the word ʻold’.

The area is made of a mix of vintage buildings and sky-high condos. Most buildings in the era are dated back to pre-war era to provide for housing. After SIT started acquiring land to further develop the estate.

Chief architect from 1934 to 1941, the church designs were based off a modified form of Streamline Moderne style of architecture which was later a larger Art Deco movement which featured sleeker, smoother designs than its pre-war predecessors. The style was inspired by the industrial age that spanned most of 1920s - 1930s. Back then modes of transport were limited so driving or take a ship seemed like a luxury.

Therefore, the buildings here resembled ships, planes automobiles and trains which is more evident in blk 81 and 82 along Tiong Poh Road known by locals as ʻaeroplane blocks’ due to its horizontal layout which resembles aeroplane wings.

Examples of streamline moderne buildings are smooth,curved corners, long horizontal and vertical lines, nautical elements, flat rooftops, spiral staircases and sleek functionality of theres lines was a departure from the intricate and flamboyant decoration found in early stages of Art Deco movement.