Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
A BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTERMAY ⁄ JUN 2011
01
08
12
Richard Rogers Presents His Best Works
Soul Survivors
Land Use and Property Information at Your Fingertips
45 Maxwell RoadThe URA CentreSingapore 069118
Tel: +65 6221 6666Fax: +65 6227 5069Email: [email protected]: www.ura.gov.sg
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior consent of the URA. All rights reserved. To read or subscribe to Skyline, please visit www.ura.gov.sg/skyline.
ADVISORY COMMITTEELee Kwong Weng (Chairman)Marc BoeyChoy Chan PongFun Siew LengHan Yong HoeRichard HooHwang Yu-NingLer Seng AnnNg Lye HockWong Kai YengHo Moon Shin
EDITORSSerene Tng [email protected] Tan [email protected]
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTNur Farhana Mohamed Yusoff [email protected]
PHOTOGRAPHYLim Chye LeongNg Chor Seng
DESIGNGreen House Design + Communications
PUBLISHED BY
CONTENTS
01 Richard Rogers Presents His Best Works
06 Capitol Sale Site
08 Soul Survivors
12 Land Use and Property Information at Your Fingertips
14 i Light Artists Showcase at Largest Asia Pacific Festival
15 Adequate Supply of Land for Second Half of 2011
18 Jalan Besar – From Mangrove Swampland to Charming District
PRESENTS HIS BEST WORKSby Serene Tng
RICHARDROGERS
More than 40 years of Pritzker Prize-winning British Architect Richard Rogers’ best works, together with his partners and collaborators, are now presented in an exclusive exhibition, in collaboration with URA, entitled “Richard Rogers + Architects: From the House to the City.” The exhibition is on till 20 August 2011.
The exhibition is part of URA’s continuing efforts to promote architectural and urban design excellence in Singapore. It provides new opportunities for Singaporeans to rediscover the beauty and importance of quality architecture in Singapore’s urban environment. URA's Chief Executive Officer Ng Lang said: "The importance of good architecture cannot be underestimated. Our buildings and urban environment represent both cultural capital and financial investment. Great architecture creates value and distinction through innovation and creative design. Great architecture also helps us record and remember who we are as a people and a nation. Over the past few years, URA has been proactively encouraging architectural and urban design excellence and this is paying off with more quality designs and a stronger demand for them.”
Richard Rogers said: “Singapore is one of the most important and beautiful urban hubs in the world. We’re delighted to have been given the opportunity to showcase our work in a city that places such a strong emphasis on encouraging good architecture and urban design. Good design can help address many social and environmental concerns and improve the quality of our lives. We hope that this exhibition will highlight and spur on greater discourse on the importance of creating distinctive buildings and public spaces that are fundamental to better living.”
01 MAY ⁄ JUN 2011
Rogers and his partners have played a key role in proactively shaping the quality of architecture and urban design in the UK with landmark projects including Lloyd’s of London, the Millennium Dome (the largest structure of its kind in the world) and Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport in London as well as the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff. Rogers is also well known for high-profile and iconic projects outside the United Kingdom including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, Terminal 4, Barajas Airport in Madrid and Tower 3 of the World Trade Center site in New York. His work – and the work of his practice – has helped shape the development of some of the world’s great cities like Paris, Shanghai, Berlin, Lisbon, New York and Sydney. In the later part of his career, Rogers has devoted much of his time to wider city planning issues he is passionate about, namely architecture, urbanism and sustainability.
MOST INFLUENTIAL ARCHITECT OF OUR TIME
Richard Rogers has gained international acclaim as one of the most influential architects of our time. He is often described as ‘the last humanist’, in his quest and dedication to create beautiful public spaces that encapsulates the diversity and complexity of our contemporary world. He was honoured as the 2007 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
He was knighted in 1991 and made a Life Peer in 1996, one of the highest honours bestowed by the government in the United Kingdom (UK) in recognition of the outstanding contributions of an individual to the country. Rogers was Chief Advisor on Architecture and Urbanism to the former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone and has played an advisory role on design to Boris Johnson, the current Mayor of London.
02
01 02
03
01NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY
FOR WALES
© KATSUHISA KIDO
04BARAJAS
AIRPORT
TERMINAL 4
© KATSUHISA KIDA
02LLOYD'S OF
LONDON
© RICHARD BRYANT
05BORDEAUX
COURTS
COMPLEX
ENTRANCE
© KATSUHISA KIDA
03CENTRE
POMPIDOU
FROM THE
PIAZZA
© KATSUHISA KIDA
He is often described as ‘the last humanist’, in his quest and dedication to create beautiful public spaces that encapsulates the diversity and complexity of our contemporary world.
03
04 05
MAY ⁄ JUN 2011
DELIGHTFUL ARCHITECTURAL JOURNEY
“Richard Rogers + Architects: From the House to the City”, designed by Ab Rogers Design, premiered in Centre Pompidou, Paris, in 2007. The exhibition has since travelled to London, Barcelona, Madrid and Taipei, attracting more than half a million visitors to date. Singapore is its first Southeast Asian venue.
Starting with Richard’s early projects with the well-known British architect Norman Foster (together with Wendy Foster and Su Rogers) in the 1960s and the Pompidou Centre, Paris with Italian architect Renzo Piano in the 1970s, and covering significant projects from the Lloyd’s of London building and Terminal 4 at Barajas Airport, Madrid, to the innovative Zip-Up House of 1968 and his proposals for Shanghai’s Lu Jia Zui urban development, the exhibition offers an enlightening and insightful journey into how architecture has shaped cities and transformed lives around the world.
Influenced by the “English School” of the 1970s in his buildings, and by the Italian approach to cities, Rogers’ architectural and urban philosophy is based on his belief in a civil society and the relationship between the built environment and social inclusion. The exhibition also illustrates the concern for ecologically sustainable development which has shaped Rogers’ work since the beginning of his career.
The exhibition showcases 57 exciting projects around the world, arranged according to seven architectural themes. These are illustrated through an extensive array of 180 photographs, 250 drawings, 20 slideshows, 75 models and specially commissioned films. Beyond these, two other sections – Early Projects and Work in Progress show some of Rogers’ revolutionary early work like a prototype of a Zip-Up House and the house in Wimbledon, London for his parents from the 1960s as well as a detailed review of recent and current projects by the team of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.
04
“Richard Rogers + Architects: From the House to the City” is exhibited at the atrium on the first storey of The URA Centre from 21 May to 20 August 2011. Opening hours are: Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 7.00pm; Saturday, 8.30am – 4.30pm. Closed on Sundays and public holidays. Admission is free.
01RICHARD
ROGERS +
ARCHITECTS:
FROM THE
HOUSE TO THE
CITY EXHIBITION
02LAUNCH OF THE
EXHIBITION ON
20 MAY 2011
01
03
03SHOWCASING
ROGERS'
EXCITING
PROJECTS
AROUND THE
WORLD
05 MAY ⁄ JUN 2011
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Some of the exhibition highlights include:
+ Original film footage from the 1970s showing the construction of the Centre Pompidou, Paris
+ 10 new projects being shown for the first time in Singapore
+ An exclusive video interview with Richard Rogers discussing his early works, inspiration and influences
+ An interactive model of the Shanghai Pudong Masterplan
+ A 35-metre-long timeline incorporating all key works of Richard Rogers and his partners covering more than four decades
02
WHERE IS THIS?
Come down to The URA Centre and identify which development this pink structure is associated with and stand a chance to win a specially autographed copy of ‘From the House to the City’ exhibition book. We have three copies to give away! Go to www.ura.gov.sg and send us your answers by 20 August 2011. We will notify winners via email.
06
The much-loved Capitol Theatre, Capitol Building and Stamford House will be transformed into a new lifestyle destination in the Civic District, to be completed by 2014. Skyline goes behind the scenes to look at the process involved in selecting the winning scheme for this strategic sale site.
CONCEPT & PRICE REVENUE TENDER by Serene Tng
01
07 MAY ⁄ JUN 2011
The Capitol Sale Site occupies a prime location in the heart of the city, directly opposite St. Andrew’s Cathedral and Raffles City Shopping Centre. The 1.43 ha site has a prominent frontage facing Stamford Road and North Bridge Road, and includes three historically and architecturally significant conservation buildings, popular among Singaporeans – the Capitol Theatre, the Capitol Building and Stamford House.
URA’s vision for development of the site is to build on its illustrious history and transform it into a new lifestyle destination within the city with a complementary mix of hotel, retail and F&B uses. The former Capitol Theatre will be refurbished into an exciting and vibrant arts or entertainment-related performance venue, to add to the flourishing arts and cultural Civic District and the nearby Bras Basah.Bugis precinct.
CONCEPT AND PRICE REVENUE TENDER SYSTEM
To realise the vision for the site, a Concept and Price Revenue tender system was adopted for its sale to ensure that the future development meets the high standards expected in terms of the overall placement of uses, concept, and quality of architecture together with the sensitive adaptive reuse of the conserved buildings.
While most Government land sale sites are sold through the competitive price-only tender system, the Government has been using innovative tender systems, such as the Concept and Price Revenue and Fixed-Price Request-for-Proposal tenders for selected strategic sites to raise the standards of architectural designs and encourage more unique business concepts. The results are more distinctive developments that will add value to our city, enhance its character and contribute to more attractive offerings.
Since 2005, four Government sale sites have been sold through the Concept and Price Revenue tender system. They are the Urban Entertainment Centre sale site (Iluma), the Collyer Quay sale site (Fullerton Heritage), the Beach Road sale site (South Beach) and the subject Capitol site at Stamford Road/North Bridge Road.
These Concept and Price Revenue tenders have attracted good quality tender submissions from both local and overseas developers and consultants. The winning proposals for these sale sites had also substantially satisfied the evaluation criteria and contributed positively to the quality of our built environment.
A total of 14 tenders were received from 10 tenderers. Three concept proposals were shortlisted to proceed to the second stage of tender evaluation. These were submitted by Capitol Investment Holdings Pte Ltd, CapitaLand and CapitaMall Asia and Gaw Capital Partners. The tender was awarded to a consortium comprising joint venture partners Chesham Properties Pte Ltd, Perennial Real Estate Pte Ltd and Top Global Ltd (Capitol Investment Holdings Pte Ltd), in October 2010. All 14 concept proposals were shown in a public exhibition at The URA Centre from 31 March to 20 April 2011 as
STAGE 1
Under the Concept and
Price Revenue tender
system, tenderers are
required to submit their
concept proposals and
tender prices in two
separate envelopes. At the
first stage of the tender
evaluation, the concept
proposals submitted are
evaluated against the
evaluation criteria set out
in the tender conditions.
These include factors
such as the quality of
architecture, placement
of uses, business concepts
and track record of
the developers.
STAGE 2
Tenderers with concept
proposals that have
substantially satisfied
the evaluation criteria
are then short-listed to
proceed to the second
stage of tender evaluation
where the corresponding
price envelopes are
opened. The site is then
awarded to the tenderer
with the highest bid
among the tenderers
with short-listed concept
proposals. The price
envelopes of the non-
shortlisted tenderers are
returned unopened.
part of URA’s continuous efforts to raise understanding and appreciation of good architecture and urban design excellence in Singapore. Close to 10,000 visited the three-week exhibition.
01BIRD'S EYE VIEW
OF INTEGRATED
DEVELOPMENT
© CAPITOL INVESTMENT HOLDINGS PTE LTD
02DAY VIEW OF
THE GALLERIA
© CAPITOL INVESTMENT HOLDINGS PTE LTD
02
08
SOUL SURVIVORS by Serene Tng
01
One is a rare Art Deco style bungalow and the other is a cluster of 14 vintage shophouses. Both have been lovingly restored, right down to the intricate mouldings and unique lion head motifs. Skyline rediscovers the extensive efforts that went into restoring these historic gems in a third of a four-part series on URA’s 2010 Architectural Heritage Award winners.
2 TO 28 MURRAY STREET
Rescued from decades of neglect, this cluster of 14 three-storey shophouses was beautifully restored into a modern, commercial space with a new lease of life. “Although it was in a state of disrepair before restoration, it presented us an opportunity to transform not just one shophouse unit but an entire row of 14 units into a modern commercial outfit while retaining its original character at the same time,” said owner Peter Wittendorp, and architect Philip Lee.
Working against the constraint of time and space was the main challenge. Peter and Philip shared: “We discovered that some of the pillars were not straight but tilted in different angles and hence not perpendicular to the floor. These could not be removed because they were structural but re-plastered to minimise the visual tilt. Some existing windows were similarly not aligned to close fit with the frames as were some doors with their door frames. These were painstakingly removed and adjusted to fit to accommodate the peculiarities of the building… all these technicalities were unexpected but were handled without major problems.”
Taking full advantage of the many windows, high ceilings and balconies of the existing property, dark and congested internal spaces were redesigned into large amalgamated spaces to support the needs of new offices. This involved removing individual staircases leading to the separate units and adding two new lift lobbies to allow for improved vertical access.
On the second storey of the conserved property, a rear slab was added to create more usable communal spaces. A centralised area housing the air-conditioning condensers and water tanks at this level cleverly integrated modern amenities into the old architecture.
Stroll along these shophouses and one will notice the many unique details that were retained, like the lion head motif, claw-like protrusions on the sides of the building, octagonal-shaped columns and intricately latticed ventilation panels. Among the most distinctive is an exterior wall featuring a mixture of plastered and exposed bricks. Hidden under several layers of paint, the wall was meticulously repaired and cleaned to reveal the splendour of the original fair-faced brick wall underneath.
“Conservation is in a way a kind of self-discovery – a look back on our historical roots and development. It was like removing excesses and what we discovered below all the layers of grime and dirt was the original fair-faced brick wall finish. It was like a gem hidden in the mud. It was indeed a most rewarding revelation and experience,” said Peter and Philip.
09 MAY ⁄ JUN 2011
Owner: AEW Asia Pte LtdArchitect: Strategic Design InternationalEngineer: BK Consulting Engineers Pte LtdContractor: Sunray Woodcraft Construction Pte Ltd
01MURRAY
TERRACE
02MURRAY
TERRACE
FACADE
03LEO BURNETT
ADVERTISING
02 03
Conservation is in a way a kind of self-discovery – a look back on our historical roots and development. It was like removing excesses and what we discovered below all the layers of grime and dirt was the original fair-faced brick wall finish. It was like a gem hidden in the mud. It was indeed a most rewarding revelation and experience.PETER WITTENDORP AND PHILIP LEE
10
25 CHAPEL ROAD
A legacy from grandparents to children, this charming and rare single-storey Art Deco style bungalow has been revived at the owners’ and architect’s initiative because they value its significance. Said owners Linda Lee and Lydia Lee: “It was the house both of us were born and brought up in. Naturally it meant a lot to us and to our family and we would like this history to be passed on to our next generation, especially when the architecture of the house is so unique and rare.” Now sporting a new wing with more room and an in-vogue lap pool, this is a one of-a-kind gem.
Raised on brick piers, this striking bungalow built in the early 1900s has many unique and distinguishing features which were mostly repaired and reinstated with great care by the project team. They include the intricate floral mouldings along the sides of the external walls, colourful Peranakan glazed pattern tiled risers on both flights of steps leading to the house, the authentic well-seasoned timber floor tiles inside the house and the intricate ironmongery locksets on its many windows and doors. Another outstanding characteristic of the house is its polygonal open-verandah that overlooks the front yard. The owners made a worthy decision to keep the unusual patterned, coloured cork flooring at the verandah, an original feature of the bungalow. This warm touch has added another layer of history to the venerated property.
To meet the owner’s requirements for more space suited to modern family lifestyles, the original quartered layout of the conserved house was reconfigured into a single-volume living and dining area after a dividing wall was carefully removed.
01COMPLETED
HOUSE
03WINDOW
FACADE
05SWIMMING POOL
AND COURTYARD
02MAIN HOUSE
LIVING ROOM
04FLORAL
PLASTERWORK
01
02
05
11 MAY ⁄ JUN 2011
A stretch of timber laid perpendicularly to the timber flooring remains a visual reminder of the original configuration of the house.
A new wing featuring five ensuite bedrooms, a covered patio and a 12-metre lap pool was successfully added without overpowering the old house. Although distinctive in styles, the two resonate in harmony with each other. Services like the air-conditioning condensers, dryer and washing machine were tucked discretely under the raised floor extension of the house. The result is a rare gem resuscitated through sensitive and careful restoration into a charming contemporary family home, brimming with past memories.
On the significance of restoring the bungalow, the architect Richard Ho said: “The restoration of the bungalow is important because architecture tells the many layers of stories of a nation's people – history is not just about GDP and economic miracles. It is the lives of the people and the buildings they inhabit that give a nation its soul. We are only caretakers for our nation's legacy so that future generations will understand the stories and struggles that get us to where we are today – and architecture is the most cogent and immediate form of connection to that history. Without this connection through conservation, we will be a people with amnesia.”
Owner: Tan Swee HeeArchitect: RichardHO ArchitectsEngineer: Tham & Wong LLPContractor: U.SAGE Contracts Pte Ltd
ABOUT URA’S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE AWARD
Introduced in 1995, the URA Architectural Heritage Award is given out yearly to promote quality restoration of monuments and buildings with preservation and conservation status in Singapore. The award recognises owners, professionals and contractors who have gone the extra mile to lovingly restore their heritage buildings to their former glory for today’s use. The 2010 URA Architectural Heritage Awards have been awarded to:
+ 3 Sentosa Gateway (St James Power Station)
+ 2-28 Murray Street (Murray Terrace)
+ 124, 126 & 126A St Patrick’s Road (Grand Duchess at St Patrick’s)
+ 25 Chapel Road
+ 55 Spottiswoode Park Road
+ 55 Blair Road
+ 68 Cairnhill Road
+ 36 and 38 Armenian Street
03
04
LAND USE AND PROPERTY INFORMATION
AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
12
by Valerie Yeo and Nur Farhana Binte Mohamed Yusoff
Searching for information on land use and transacted prices of private housing projects in Singapore has now been made easier with URA’s Master Plan and property market mobile applications. Both were among the top noteworthy applications in the iTunes lifestyle category within a week of their releases.
MASTER PLAN ON THE GO
Developed by URA, the Master Plan 2008 mobile application (app) allows the public to view and search the Master Plan with ease on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The Master Plan is a statutory land use plan that guides Singapore's physical development over the next 10 to 15 years. Released in December 2010, it is the first geospatial iPad app developed by a Singapore government agency.
The public can now easily access the Master Plan at the touch of their fingertips to obtain the permissible land use and density for land parcels in Singapore. Special and Detailed Controls Plans like the Activity Generating Uses Plan, Building Height Plan, Landed Housing Areas Plan, Parks & Waterbodies Plan, Street Block Plans, Urban Design Areas Plan, Conservation Areas & Monuments Plan, are also available. A ‘Find Location’ function enables users to search for an address by building name, house block number, road name or postal code. Users can also find their current location on the plan. There are also comprehensive map legends with colour codes and descriptions to help users interpret the plans.
Apart from the Master Plan 2008 and the Special and Detailed Controls Plans, the public can also view street directory information from the Singapore Land Authority’s One Map and road data overlaid on satellite and aerial imagery of Singapore.
13 MAY ⁄ JUN 2011
(1) The prices of transacted private residential units are obtained from URA’s monthly survey of developers and caveats lodged with the Singapore Land Authority for property sales. Rental information is obtained from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. This information is currently available free of charge on URA online at http://www.ura.gov.sg/propertyinfo/#
PROPERTY MARKET MOBILE APP
Hot on the heels of the Master Plan app is another one on “Property Market Information, Singapore” released on 13 April 2011. This mobile app offers home buyers ready access to property market information on the go from their iPhones and iPads and is part of URA’s efforts to enhance the transparency of the property market. This new service will provide home-buyers with accurate and comprehensive information on private housing projects and encourage them to look at all available market information before making a purchase decision.
The public can access transaction prices and rentals(1) for different private housing projects by project name, street name and postal district. Users can also see and compare the prices of all private residential units transacted in a particular area or within a certain radius of a showflat on a map. To provide greater access to this property market information, there are plans to make this same application available on Android phones in the fourth quarter of 2011.
eSERVICES ENHANCED
In addition to this mobile application, URA has also enhanced its Property Market Information eServices by introducing data analysis tools. Some of the key features of the enhanced eServices include a new map-based search function and new features for plotting graphs with property data. Users can also use the eServices to access different sets of information, including prices and rents, with a single search.
These latest free Master Plan and property market apps add to a slew of nine other mobile services developed by URA so far. All these mobile applications are available at http://www.ura.gov.sg/mobile/
Watch this space for more mobile apps to come.
14
Vivid Sydney is Australia’s major international lighting festival. The latest festival featured immersive light projections, musical performances and a display of interactive light sculptures. Artists from around the world use this platform to exchange new ideas and celebrate Sydney as the creative hub of the Asia Pacific.
In addition to the Singapore artists, two other artists who featured in “i Light Marina Bay”, – Cornelia Erdmann (Hong Kong) and Zymrite Hoxhaj (Germany) – were also invited to Vivid Sydney. “The i Light Marina Bay event brought a whole new experience to Marina Bay, delighting visitors with many interesting and vibrant light art installations that lined the waterfront. We are pleased that the i Light Marina Bay festival has made it possible for
the cultural exchange of artistic ideas to jazz up our urban spaces, and now, to showcase local artists and their creations in an international arena,” said Ng Lang, URA’s Chief Executive Officer.
“i Light Marina Bay” was one of the anchor events of “Marina Bay Invitations 2010”, which was organised by URA to promote Marina Bay as a vibrant venue and enable people to enjoy more of Marina Bay. With the positive response towards the inaugural event, i Light is planned to return to Marina Bay for a second run in 2012. For those who missed the 2010 festival, details of the light artworks are available at www.ilightmarinabay.sg
Four Singapore artists, who took part in the inaugural “i Light Marina Bay” sustainable light art festival in 2010, were invited to showcase their light art works at Vivid Sydney – Asia Pacific’s largest light and music festival.
The international festival “Vivid Sydney”, which was held from 27 May to 13 June 2011, featured Singapore installations for the first time. The four artists – Edwin Cheng, Angela Chong, architect Aamer Taher and renowned sculptor Sun Yu Li – had, together with other artists, created a number of sustainable light art works as part of “i Light Marina Bay”, which attracted more than 400,000 visitors to the waterfront at Marina Bay waterfront in October last year.
01
02 03
01i LIGHT MARINA
BAY ©© JURGEN BRINKMANN
02JELLIGHT BY
AAMER TAHER
AND PASCAL
PETITJEAN
©© JURGEN BRINKMANN
ARTISTS SHOWCASE AT LARGEST ASIA PACIFIC FESTIVAL by Melissa Lee
i LIGHTi LIGHTi LIGHT03CC BY ANGELA
CHONG
©© JURGEN BRINKMANN
15 MAY ⁄ JUN 2011
SUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF PRIVATE HOUSING
The demand for private housing has remained strong with developers having sold around 4,200 private residential units in the first quarter of 2011. Developers have also continued to acquire land for residential development. To ensure that there is sufficient land supplied to meet this demand, 17 private residential sites
(1) Outside Central Region refers to areas located outside of the Central Region. The Central Region covers the postal districts 9, 10, 11, Downtown Core Planning Area and Sentosa. The Rest of Central Region refers to the areas within the Central Region but is outside of the postal districts 9, 10, 11, the Downtown Core Planning Area and Sentosa. The Core Central Region refers to the postal district areas 9, 10 and 11, Downtown Core and Sentosa. A map showing these areas is available at http://spring.ura.gov.sg/lad/ore/login/map_ccr.pdf
(2) These comprise supply from new development and redevelopment projects with planning approvals, i.e. either a Provisional Permission (PP) or Written Permission (WP).
have been injected into the 2H2011 GLS Programme Confirmed List. They can yield a supply of about 8,100 residential units, comparable to the supply from the Confirmed List in the first half of 2011 GLS Programme. Most of the private residential sites, including 4 Executive Condominium (EC) sites, are located in the Outside Central Region(1) or in locations in the Rest of Central Region where more affordable private housing is expected to be built.
To ensure adequate supply of private residential, commercial and hotel sites to meet demand, the second half of the 2011 (2H2011) Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme saw a total of 43 sites made available on the Confirmed and Reserve Lists.
The 2H2011 GLS Programme has a total of 30 sites for residential development, including 4 EC sites and 1 commercial & residential site, which can generate about 14,200 private residential units (including 2,300 EC units).
In addition to this supply of private residential units, there is also a strong supply of private residential units in the pipeline(2). As at first quarter of 2011, there are about 68,890 private residential units in the pipeline, of which 34,270 units were still unsold. Taking into consideration the potential supply from recently sold GLS sites and sites from the Confirmed List of 2H2011, the total supply of units available for sale may be as high as 53,000 units over the next few years.
ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF LAND FOR
by Galen LimSECOND OF 2011 HALF
LAND PANEL
AT PAYA LEBAR
CENTRAL FOR
COMMERCIAL USE
16
STEADY SUPPLY OF OFFICE SPACE
To ensure a steady supply of office space and to keep up with the development momentum to transform Paya Lebar Central into a vibrant commercial hub, the Sims Avenue / Tanjong Katong Road site will be transferred to the Confirmed List for sale in July 2011.
Over at Sengkang West Avenue / Fernvale Road, a commercial site will be placed on the Confirmed List, to offer amenities like food and beverage outlets and shops for the residents in the area.
NEW SITES IN THE GOVERNMENT LAND SALES PROGRAMME FOR 2ND HALF OF 2011
A White site at Marina View will be made available on the Reserve List of the 2H2011 GLS Programme. This will provide the opportunity for the market to initiate more office space, in particular prime office space in the Central Business District, for development, if needed. More supply of commercial sites can be expected from the development of 6 plots of land at Marina Bay and Ophir Road / Rochor Road, to be jointly developed by M+S Pte Ltd. These land parcels can potentially yield a combined Gross Floor Area (GFA) of about 500,000 sqm to support further growth of our financial sector.
As at the first quarter of 2011, there is about 994,000 sqm GFA of office space in the pipeline from various Government and private land sources. Of these, about 705,000 sqm GFA of office space is expected to be completed between the second quarter of 2011 and 2013. There is also a pipeline supply of 394,200 sqm GFA of Business Park space as at the first quarter of 2011.
S/N LOCATION SITE AREA (ha)
PROPOSED GPR
ESTIMATED NO. OF HOUSING UNITS(i)
ESTIMATED NO. OF HOTEL ROOMS(i)
ESTIMATED COMMERCIAL SPACE (sqm)(i)
ESTIMATED LAUNCH DATE(ii)
SALES AGENT
CONFIRMED LIST
Residential Sites
1 Upper Serangoon Road / Sungei Pinang
2.46 3.5 860 0 0 Jul-11 HDB
2 Jalan Loyang Besar / Pasir Ris Rise
1.68 2.1 355 0 0 Aug-11 URA
3 Flora Drive 2.95 1.4 415 0 0 Aug-11 URA
4 Yishun Avenue 7 / Canberra Drive (EC)
2.89 2.5 725 0 0 Aug-11 HDB
5 Pasir Ris Drive 3 / Pasir Ris Rise (EC)
1.86 2.1 390 0 0 Aug-11 HDB
6 Chestnut Avenue 1.81 2.1 380 0 0 Sep-11 URA
7 Punggol Central / Edgedale Plains
2.03 3.0 610 0 0 Sep-11 HDB
8 Yishun Avenue 1 / Miltonia Close
1.69 2.1 355 0 0 Sep-11 HDB
9 Punggol Central / Punggol Place
1.80 3.0 540 0 0 Oct-11 HDB
10 Chestnut Avenue / Almond Avenue
1.25 Landed 35 0 0 Oct-11 URA
11 Mount Vernon Road 2.02 3.5 785 0 0 Nov-11 URA
12 Florence Road / Simon Lane
1.70 2.1 360 0 0 Nov-11 URA
13 Jalan Lempeng 2.45 2.8 685 0 0 Nov-11 HDB
14 Jervois Road 0.88 1.4 140 0 0 Dec-11 URA
15 Bedok South Avenue 3 2.84 2.1 595 0 0 Dec-11 URA
Commercial Sites
16 Sengkang West Avenue / Fernvale Road
0.88 3.0 0 0 26,400 Nov-11 HDB
Residential Sites
Commercial Sites
CONFIRMED LIST
17 MAY ⁄ JUN 2011
STABLE, SUSTAINABLE PROPERTY MARKET
The GLS Programme is regularly reviewed to ensure that there is sufficient supply of land to meet demand for economic growth and to maintain a stable and sustainable property market. Sites in the GLS Programme are released through two main systems – the Confirmed List and the Reserve List. Confirmed List sites are released on a fixed, pre-determined date; while a site on the Reserve List will only be released for sale if the criteria for triggering the sale of the site are met(3).
NEW SITES IN THE GOVERNMENT LAND SALES PROGRAMME FOR 2ND HALF OF 2011
(3) The Government will put up a Reserve List site for public tender if it receives an application from a developer who commits, by signing an agreement and paying a deposit of 3% of the bid price, to bid for the site at or above the minimum price which is acceptable to the Government. The Government will also consider launching a Reserve List site for sale if it receives sufficient market interest for the site. A site is deemed to have received sufficient market interest if more than one unrelated party submit minimum prices that are close to the Government’s Reserve Price for the site within a reasonable period.
(i) The actual number of housing units, hotel rooms and commercial space could be different from the estimated quantum depending on the actual plans of the developers in terms of mix of uses and the size of the housing units and hotel rooms.
(ii) Refers to the estimated date the detailed conditions of sale will be available and applications can be submitted.
(iii) In general, White sites can be developed for commercial, residential or hotel developments, or a mix of such uses. The use quantum in this table is just an estimate based on possible mix of uses allow within the sites.
In total, the 2H2011 GLS Programme consists of 19 Confirmed List sites and 24 Reserve List sites. These sites can collectively provide a potential yield of about 14,200 private residential units (including 2,300 Executive Condominium units), 268,000 sqm GFA of commercial space and 3,700 hotel rooms.
S/N LOCATION SITE AREA (ha)
PROPOSED GPR
ESTIMATED NO. OF HOUSING UNITS(i)
ESTIMATED NO. OF HOTEL ROOMS(i)
ESTIMATED COMMERCIAL SPACE (sqm)(i)
ESTIMATED LAUNCH DATE(ii)
SALES AGENT
RESERVED LIST
Residential Sites
17 Bishan Street 14 1.12 4.9 610 0 0 Sep-11 HDB
18 Fernvale Lane (EC) 2.20 3.5 770 0 0 Oct-11 HDB
19 Upper Serangoon Road / Pheng Geck Avenue (Parcel B)
0.47 3.5 185 0 0 Dec-11 URA
20 Boon Lay Way 1.40 4.2 590 0 0 Dec-11 URA
White Sites(3)
21 Marina View / Union Street
0.78 13.0 0 0 101,400 Oct-11 URA
22 Thomson Road / Irrawaddy Road
0.66 4.2 0 210 19,400 Nov-11 URA
Hotel Sites
23 Rangoon Road / Farrer Park Station Road
0.30 4.2 0 270 1,890 Nov-11 URA
Residential Sites
White Sites(iii)
Hotel Sites
RESERVED LIST
18
JALAN BESAR
01SHOPHOUSES
ON HAMILTON
ROAD, 1995
03JALAN BESAR IN
1846. SOURCE: NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE
02LOW LYING
FIELDS (c.1920)
04FARM HOUSE
(c.1900)
MANGROVE SWAMPLAND
CHARMINGDISTRICT
FROM
TO
by Woo Pui Leng
01
02
19 MAY ⁄ JUN 2011
Jalan Besar is much loved for its casual charm, striking shophouses, eclectic style and famous landmarks. In a recent short book, Associate Professor Woo Pui Leng presents an in-depth study of Jalan Besar’s physical transformation. Skyline brings you a three-part insight of this study. In this first article, Professor Woo traces the transformation of the land in Jalan Besar.
Jalan Besar was where I lived between the 1950s and 1980s, in a shophouse built by my grandfather (Figure 01). In 1991, the district was identified as one of the secondary settlements for conservation. My mother moved out in 1995 so that the buildings could be restored, and that was when I began this study.
My study explains the urban history of Jalan Besar through its physical transformation. The Jalan Besar today is very different from the rural landscape of more than one and a half century ago. But it is the land, buildings, and spaces that give the area its identity. These are the physical elements that connect us with the past,
enrich our present experiences, and hopefully guide us in the planning and development of the area.
JUST A MANGROVE MARSH
Picture a time when Singapore was an island of jungles and plantations. When Rochor Canal was the edge of the city and when Jalan Besar was just a mangrove marsh with snipes and snakes (Figure 02). Today, it is an urban area with shopping malls and skyscrapers. But it still gives the impression of an old mixed district that conveys a feeling of casual urban life.
Two rivers – Rochor and Kallang rivers – determined the landform of the Jalan Besar district. Where they
converged is the vast area from Little India to Kallang Bahru. For a longest time in history, Jalan Besar was a swampland. The northern part of the district with drier land was the first to be transformed through agriculture (Figure 03).
Jungles on the edge of town were cut down for the development of estate-type plantation. When land was sold in 1841, the plantation was subdivided into oblique farm lots and evolved into streets and blocks. The area near Lavender Street was developed as Chinese vegetable gardens in the 1830s (Figure 04). The southern part had remained swampy with mangroves, low-lying fields, and waterways.
04
03
20
05BRICK KILNS
ON LAVENDER
STREET, 1899.
SOURCE: SINGAPORE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
07JALAN BESAR
(c.1900)
09PLANNED OPEN
SPACE IN THE
1930S. SOURCE: BASED ON MAP REPRINT FROM MAPS OF THE ORIENT
The swamps contained valuable raw materials and fuel. Industrialisation of Singapore began in Jalan Besar with the construction of the earliest brick kilns in 1830s (Figure 05). The kilns disappeared in the 1920s as the mangrove was being depleted. But other industries like the sawmills, and oil mills continued into the 1950s. The fields attracted animal grazing with the growth of cattle trade in the 1880s.
The waterways attracted two villages. Kampong Kapur, named after lime used in betel nut chewing, was a 19th century Malay village in the vicinity of present day Desker Road and Veerasamy Road. Kampong Boyan, at the juncture of Rochor Canal and Syed Alwi Road, was an early 20th century Boyanese community that continued into the 1920s (Figure 06).
ONE CANAL, FOUR STREETS
One canal and four streets were critical in the urbanisation of Jalan Besar. Rochor Canal was a waterway constructed in 1821 for drainage and transportation. Serangoon Road was the first arterial road built across the island in the 1820s. Lavender Street already existed in the 1830s. Named as 'Rochor Road' in an 1846 map by early surveyor John Turnbull Thomson, it was renamed in 1858 as a cynical suggestion to the stench of urine and nightsoil used in nearby farms. Syed Alwi Road, built in the 1850s, was the street that connected Kampong Glam with Little India across the Rochor Canal.
06KAMPONG
BOYAN (c.1909).
SOURCE: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
08DRAIN NEXT
TO THE JALAN
BESAR STADIUM,
1995
05
06
07
21 MAY ⁄ JUN 2011
The construction of Jalan Besar (the street) was completed in the 1880s. The street made a bent to the north near Lavender Street because of the presence of a large property at the time of construction. The end of Jalan Besar was lined with Kapor Trees (Ceiba pentandra) in the 1900s. Also known as Silk-cotton Trees, they were planted for their commercial value including stuffing for pillows. They gave this stretch of the street a distinctive appearance. The trees survived the Second World War, but were cut down with the building of shophouses after the war (Figure 07).
Within the armature of early routes, the swamp was reclaimed with dumping refuse between 1840s and 1920s. The impact of land reclamation is clearly visible in the construction of drains and streets. Two open drains – a large one next to the Jalan Besar Stadium, and a smaller one in Kelantan Road – still exist (Figure 08). Older streets like Cuff and Veerasamy Roads, evolved from farm lots, were oblique in layout. The ones built after land reclamation, like Desker and Rowell Roads, were laid out in orthogonal manner.
With the completion of land reclamation in the 1920s, three areas were planned for housing and development with different open space designs in the 1930s. The area of Kampong Kapur included municipal housing and two open squares. Jalan Besar Stadium and the adjacent playing field were at the centre of shophouse development and municipal housing. The area between Petain Road and Lavender Street was designed with four linear open spaces (Figure 09).
NOT JUST NOSTALGIA
Jalan Besar has come a long way from its days as a mangrove swamp. This study is not about nostalgic recollection. The aim is to discover something new about a place that we all know so well. This article presents the underlying landform and early transformation of Jalan Besar. The next article will discuss the development and design of shophouses in Jalan Besar.
This research, the subject matter in being so close to my own experience, has not been easy in its closure. I am indebted to my family, and grateful to my friends and students. This research is made possible with the support of URA’s Architecture and Urban Design Excellence Promotion Programme, which offers funding for different and creative initiatives that promote architecture and urban design excellence in Singapore. The National Museum and the National Archives have also provided invaluable assistance.
08
09
The city, however, does not tell its past, but contains it like the lines of a hand.ITALO CALVINO, INVISIBLE CITIES, 1972
THE AUTHOR
Woo Pui Leng, a Singapore registered architect, is Associate Professor at the School of Architecture, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she teaches courses in architectural design and urban theory. Jalan Besar was where she lived between the 1950s and 1980s. This work forms part of her research in urban morphology and architectural typology. In addition to this recent short book, “The Urban History of Jalan Besar”, Prof Woo has also shared her study insights at URA’s speaker series in April 2011, attended by 110 heritage enthusiasts, professionals and tour guides.
To make Singapore a great city to live, work and play in.
The historic Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Timah Railway Stations have been retained for current and future generations to enjoy. The landmark Tanjong Pagar Railway Station stands out for its grand facade influenced by both the Neo-Classical and Art Deco architectural styles. In the past, when railway travelling was considered a luxury, this station gave a sense of elegance and grandeur. The Bukit Timah Railway Station near King Albert’s Park was one of the smaller stations built to serve the suburban parts of Singapore. The simple brick building with an open sided waiting hall is the only remaining station of this kind. An endearing local landmark, this single storey building follows the style of the traditional small town stations that were common in the United Kingdom and Malaya in the 1930s. Tanjong Pagar Railway Station has been gazetted as a National Monument, while the Bukit Timah Railway Station has been gazetted as a conserved building.
The return of the former railway land presents a unique opportunity for a comprehensive review of the plans for the land together with the surrounding areas. Stretching approximately 26 km as an almost seamless corridor from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar, the former railway line can be joined in future to the larger park connector network and the future 150 km round island route. Send us your ideas on how we can shape the future development plans for the rail corridor at http://www.ura.gov.sg/railcorridor/
RAILWAY STATIONS RETAINED
HISTORICRR
