A BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER MAY JUN 2011

01
08
12
Richard Rogers Presents
His Best Works
Soul Survivors
Land Use and Property
Information at Your Fingertips
45 Maxwell Road
The URA Centre
Singapore 069118
Tel: +65 6221 6666
Fax: +65 6227 5069
Email: ura_email@ura.gov.sg
Web: 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
COMMITTEE
Lee Kwong Weng (Chairman)
Marc Boey
Choy Chan Pong
Fun Siew Leng
Han Yong Hoe
Richard Hoo
Hwang Yu-Ning
Ler Seng Ann
Ng Lye Hock
Wong Kai Yeng
Ho Moon Shin
EDITORS
Serene Tng
serene_tng@ura.gov.sg
Serene Tan
serene_tan@ura.gov.sg
EDITORIAL
ASSISTANT
Nur Farhana Mohamed Yusoff
nur_farhana_mohamed_yusoff@ura.gov.sg
PHOTOGRAPHY
Lim Chye Leong
Ng Chor Seng
DESIGN
Green 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 WORKS
by Serene Tng
RICHARD
ROGERS
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 URAs
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 Singapores
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.
Were 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 Lloyds 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 worlds 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
01
NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY
FOR WALES
KATSUHISA
KIDO
04
BARAJAS
AIRPORT
TERMINAL 4
KATSUHISA
KIDA
02
LLOYD'S OF
LONDON
RICHARD
BRYANT
05
BORDEAUX
COURTS
COMPLEX
ENTRANCE
KATSUHISA
KIDA
03
CENTRE
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 Richards 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 Lloyds of London building and
Terminal 4 at Barajas Airport, Madrid,
to the innovative Zip-Up House of 1968
and his proposals for Shanghais 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.
01
RICHARD
ROGERS +
ARCHITECTS:
FROM THE
HOUSE TO THE
CITY EXHIBITION
02
LAUNCH OF THE
EXHIBITION ON
20 MAY 2011
01
03
03
SHOWCASING
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. Andrews 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.
URAs 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 URAs 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.
01
BIRD'S EYE VIEW
OF INTEGRATED
DEVELOPMENT
CAPITOL
INVESTMENT
HOLDINGS
PTE LTD
02
DAY VIEW OF
THE GALLERIA
CAPITOL
INVESTMENT
HOLDINGS
PTE LTD
02
08
SOUL
SURVIVORSby 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
URAs 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 Ltd
Architect: Strategic Design International
Engineer: BK Consulting Engineers Pte Ltd
Contractor: Sunray Woodcraft
Construction Pte Ltd
01
MURRAY
TERRACE
02
MURRAY
TERRACE
FACADE
03
LEO 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 architects 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 owners 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.
01
COMPLETED
HOUSE
03
WINDOW
FACADE
05
SWIMMING POOL
AND COURTYARD
02
MAIN HOUSE
LIVING ROOM
04
FLORAL
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 Hee
Architect: RichardHO Architects
Engineer: Tham & Wong LLP
Contractor: U.SAGE Contracts Pte Ltd
ABOUT URAS 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 todays 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 Patricks Road (Grand
Duchess at St Patricks)
+ 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 URAs 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 Authoritys 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 URAs 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 URAs 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 Australias 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, URAs 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 Pacifics 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
01
i LIGHT MARINA
BAY JURGEN
BRINKMANN
02
JELLIGHT BY
AAMER TAHER
AND PASCAL
PETITJEAN
JURGEN
BRINKMANN
ARTISTS SHOWCASE AT LARGEST
ASIA PACIFIC FESTIVAL
by Melissa Lee
i LIGHT
i LIGHT
i LIGHT
03
CC 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 Lim
SECOND
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
Governments 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
01
SHOPHOUSES
ON HAMILTON
ROAD, 1995
03
JALAN BESAR IN
1846. SOURCE:
NATIONAL
MUSEUM OF
SINGAPORE
02
LOW LYING
FIELDS (c.1920)
04
FARM HOUSE
(c.1900)
MANGROVE
SWAMPLAND
CHARMING
DISTRICT
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 Besars 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
05
BRICK KILNS
ON LAVENDER
STREET, 1899.
SOURCE:
SINGAPORE
NATIONAL
ARCHIVES
07
JALAN BESAR
(c.1900)
09
PLANNED 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.
06
KAMPONG
BOYAN (c.1909).
SOURCE:
NATIONAL
ARCHIVES OF
SINGAPORE
08
DRAIN 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
URAs 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 URAs 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 Alberts 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/
RAI LWAY
STATIONS
RETAINED
HISTORIC
R R