Design for new Arts School to reflect vibrancy, originality
By May Wong, Channel NewsAsia




SINGAPORE : Singapore's new Art School has taken shape.

Its steering committee has picked the design from among 29 submissions, and is waiting for the final nod from the government.

Incorporating the lush greenery in its surroundings while displaying boldness and creativity is the aim of the architectural design chosen for the Arts School, located beside Cathay Cinema.

As it is for students between the ages of 13 and 18, the design should also reflect vibrancy and originality.

Rebecca Chew, Principal-Designate, Arts School, said, "This is a very idiosyncratic and beautiful arts school landscape that we're going to build here. On all the trips that I've been out to Chicago, New York, Sydney and recently to Japan, our counterparts abroad have said that our school is unique (in) the way we're using spaces, between the instructional programme and the performing spaces. You'll still have the academic rigour you'll find in schools and yet we can have the spaces in the museum, in the library."

Many who have seen the design, gave the thumbs up.

One person commented, "(It is) very special, you don't see this kind of building very often in Singapore..."

Another added, "It's very beautiful, unique, it's more suitable to the area. They cater it for the more younger generation."

A third noted, "I think it's nice; if I'm one of the students, I think I'd be very interested to go in and explore."

An exhibition at the National Library will give Singaporeans a first glimpse of what the new Arts School will possibly look like when ready in 2008.

It will feature the five shortlisted architectural designs.

The some 2-week long exhibition will allow visitors to see how the school's design was first conceptualised to its development stage. - CNA/ms

Impressive!!!

绿墙阻隔噪音　艺术吸纳人流
　　艺术学校最后蓝图三个月后公布

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


● 黄佩玲

刘庆成（摄）

　　学校的跑道、篮球场和草地等运动休闲设施，设在艺术学校的10楼屋顶，而不是在地面上。

　　绿墙与玻璃间隔的外观，吸纳街上人流的开放式空间，展现创意与生气的建筑设计，这很可能是将在2008年建成的艺术学校的最终设计。

　　坐落在市区里的艺术中心地带，艺术学校特殊的位置，使得它与本地其他中学的设计有别。为了不让繁忙的交通与人流影响学校里的艺术活动，建筑师特地设计了一个布满植物的建筑物外墙，让绿墙起阻隔作用，把噪音挡在外头。

　　由于土地空间有限，学校的跑道、篮球场和草地等运动休闲设施，设在艺术学校的10楼屋顶，而不是在地面上。

　　经过两轮的遴选，新闻、通讯及艺术部在29个提呈的建筑设计当中，选中了新加坡建筑公司WOHA这个别具一格的设计蓝图。WOHA建筑师也是滨海地铁线其中两个地铁站的设计人。

　　遴选委员会已经把WOHA的设计交给政府，有待政府通过和敲定最后的蓝图；审核结果相信会在三个月后公布。

　　为了物色一个够创意的设计，当局也以相当新鲜的方式来遴选设计。与其请建筑师提供一个完整的设计蓝图，当局选择不透露艺术学校的地点，而只是传达艺术学校的精神，并要求建筑师在一张A3的纸张上发挥创意，表达艺术学校的概念。

　　当局是在今年3月开始遴选工作。第一阶段的遴选吸引了29个建筑公司提呈他们的A3创作。之后，再筛选出其中5家公司，提供他们更多详情并设计较具体的建筑蓝图。

　　这5家入选的建筑公司是

WOHA、W Architects、Forum Architects、DP Architects和Architects 61，都是颇有成就的新加坡建筑公司。

　　艺术学校位于客台（Kirk Terrace），坐落在旧国泰大厦前的公园空地，占地1.06公顷；附近有新加坡美术馆、国家图书馆大厦、新加坡管理大学和南洋艺术学院等。

　　新闻、通讯及艺术部即日起至本月27日，在国家图书馆大厦9楼举行“设计新加坡艺术学校展览”，除展出WOHA的设计外，也会展出另4个入围的优秀设计。

新闻、通讯及艺术部高级政务部长巴拉吉医生昨天为展览主持开幕仪式。

http://www.wohadesigns.com/



　

I'm quite excited about this project.

The area outside the Cathay is now looking quite dilapidated with uneven pavements and messy grass...this should spruce it up

Singapore needs more than 2 architecture schools!!!

Will be good for it to have archi...

the exhibition at NLB its quite cool, got the final 5 different designs models including the final chosen design...

Singapore needs more than 2 architecture schools!!!

Will be good for it to have archi...

We have 2 archi schools??

SP and NUS only.

SP and NUS only.

Well, strictly speaking, SP is a school for architectural technologists. Its quite different from what's commonly known as "archi school".

You get my idea.....

I mean schools that teach archi. Only 2!! :bash:

if everything goes well, this should be how it would looked like...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/5.jpg



there are a total of other four designs on display but don't know why i end up only having 3 in my collection...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/7.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/8.jpg

very modern and clean... looks like a model from those japanese architecture books.

gives a very x'mas feel especially with "white" or "botak" trees :D ;)

:eek:

it sure doesnt look bland!

where can I see the model?

wow..we have one sports school and one art school..and later on..we may have sport college..(if i am not wrong that govt is planning to build one tertiary for those who complete their education after o level or a level). We have already one fully-fledged art university..that is SIA-La Salle Art College (do i have it right?) that offer undergraduate and post-graduate programmes. I am not sure wehther Raffles-La Salle or NAFA are considered as a clique of University that offers Arts programme..

Finally, we have an Art School that offers the train of programme from primary level straight to tertiary education which is offered at La-Salle School..A well-coordinated plan but the question is that the quality of art education would be able to put Singapore on the world map in terms of quality of art education just like one of the world-class Fashion Institute in New York : http://www.fitnyc.edu/. It offers not only fashions but also other programme like photography courses.

FIT's academic programs provide career preparation in more than 30 fields leading to Associate's, Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Below is a list of majors at FIT.

Prospective Students: If you are applying from high school (i.e. you have not attended college before beginning FIT), you will be applying to a two-year associate degree program. You must declare a major. Students seeking admission to one of the Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees must hold an Associate in Applied Science degree from FIT or an equivalent degree from a regionally accredited college.

Associate Degree Programs
Accessories Design
Advertising and Marketing Communications
Communication Design
Display and Exhibit Design
Fashion Design
Fashion Merchandising Management
Fine Arts
Illustration
Interior Design
Jewelry Design
Menswear
Patternmaking Technology
Photography
Production Management: Fashion and Related Industries
Textile Development and Marketing
Textile/Surface Design

Bachelor Degree Programs
Accessories Design
Advertising Design
Advertising and Marketing Communications
Computer Animation and Interactive Media
Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing
Direct Marketing
Fabric Styling
Fashion Design
Fashion Merchandising Management
Fine Arts
Graphic Design
Home Products Development
Illustration
Interior Design
International Trade and Marketing for the Fashion Industries
Packaging Design
Photography
Production Management: Fashion and Related Industries
Restoration
Textile Development and Marketing
Textile/Surface Design
Toy Design
Visual Art Management

Graduate Programs
Art Market: Principles and Practice
Cosmetics and Fragrance Management and Marketing
Exhibition Design
Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice
Global Fashion Management
Illustration

:runaway:

:eek:

it sure doesnt look bland!

where can I see the model?

i dunno... cause i think the exhibition at the NLB is over already... :(

omgggg its super gorgeous!

btw the site is now fenced up....I guess this means goodbye to the small park previously there

Haha...singapore is still becoming a concrete jungle even how much trees we plant....

Very interesting design, I wonder how the building will really look like, the base looks very blur in the model, just a plastic box. The facade too, maybe it'll be real plants!

I'm quite excited about this project.

The area outside the Cathay is now looking quite dilapidated with uneven pavements and messy grass...this should spruce it up

I agree......it will become more hip and happening.....:yes:

No Archi course.... :cry:


Arts Sch would be built on Cathay Apartments site? :eek:

Singapore should have something like the Architectural Association, so people from all of asia will flock here.:D

Not enough archi courses!!!!

^ Yes, we got it.....:)

So it'll be right beside Cathay, interesting.....:yes: Would be interesting to see the final design......hope they choose the nice ones.....:D

^ Yes, we got it.....:)

So it'll be right beside Cathay, interesting.....:yes: Would be interesting to see the final design......hope they choose the nice ones.....:D

Got enough archi courses? :?

O0r are you replying to Cliff?:?

if everything goes well, this should be how it would looked like...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/5.jpg



there are a total of other four designs on display but don't know why i end up only having 3 in my collection...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/7.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/8.jpg

The first picture shows the building like it is wrapped in seaweed, haha like sushi!!!

^ but i think thats the final design... seaweed arts school? haha...

^ Really ah?? :? Good....I like that most....:D

Impressive!!!

绿墙阻隔噪音　艺术吸纳人流
　　艺术学校最后蓝图三个月后公布

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


● 黄佩玲

刘庆成（摄）

　　学校的跑道、篮球场和草地等运动休闲设施，设在艺术学校的10楼屋顶，而不是在地面上。

　　绿墙与玻璃间隔的外观，吸纳街上人流的开放式空间，展现创意与生气的建筑设计，这很可能是将在2008年建成的艺术学校的最终设计。

　　坐落在市区里的艺术中心地带，艺术学校特殊的位置，使得它与本地其他中学的设计有别。为了不让繁忙的交通与人流影响学校里的艺术活动，建筑师特地设计了一个布满植物的建筑物外墙，让绿墙起阻隔作用，把噪音挡在外头。

　　由于土地空间有限，学校的跑道、篮球场和草地等运动休闲设施，设在艺术学校的10楼屋顶，而不是在地面上。

　　经过两轮的遴选，新闻、通讯及艺术部在29个提呈的建筑设计当中，选中了新加坡建筑公司WOHA这个别具一格的设计蓝图。WOHA建筑师也是滨海地铁线其中两个地铁站的设计人。

　遴选委员会已经把WOHA的设计交给政府，有待政府通过和敲定最后的蓝图；审核结果相信会在三个月后公布。

　　为了物色一个够创意的设计，当局也以相当新鲜的方式来遴选设计。与其请建筑师提供一个完整的设计蓝图，当局选择不透露艺术学校的地点，而只是传达艺术学校的精神，并要求建筑师在一张A3的纸张上发挥创意，表达艺术学校的概念。

　　当局是在今年3月开始遴选工作。第一阶段的遴选吸引了29个建筑公司提呈他们的A3创作。之后，再筛选出其中5家公司，提供他们更多详情并设计较具体的建筑蓝图。

　　这5家入选的建筑公司是

WOHA、W Architects、Forum Architects、DP Architects和Architects 61，都是颇有成就的新加坡建筑公司。

　　艺术学校位于客台（Kirk Terrace），坐落在旧国泰大厦前的公园空地，占地1.06公顷；附近有新加坡美术馆、国家图书馆大厦、新加坡管理大学和南洋艺术学院等。

　　新闻、通讯及艺术部即日起至本月27日，在国家图书馆大厦9楼举行“设计新加坡艺术学校展览”，除展出WOHA的设计外，也会展出另4个入围的优秀设计。

新闻、通讯及艺术部高级政务部长巴拉吉医生昨天为展览主持开幕仪式。

http://www.wohadesigns.com/



　

the bold paragraph basically means its waiting for approver from the govt..... so should be it... but i also like the other designs too... all got its own uniquenes...

Arts Sch would be built on Cathay Apartments site? :eek:

Cathay apartments?

The site is empty now

I wonder what the heck is wrong with Cathay Apartments????

So many people say it's haunted. :hilarious

22 January 2006

work has started

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/7513/as22018bt.jpg

signboard

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/9741/as2201a5hx.jpg

Construction begins for Singapore's Arts School
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia





SINGAPORE : Construction has begun for Singapore's very first pre-tertiary arts school, and it is going to be more than just a place of study.

It was a ground-breaking moment as Information, Communications and The Arts Minister Lee Boon Yang marked the start of construction at Kirk Terrace.

Once it is completed in 2008, Arts School students will have classrooms beyond the school's boundaries.

Orchard Road is only a few blocks away; museums and arts centres just around the corner.

It is planned this way for students to interact with the environment and in turn inspire or be inspired by those passing by, with public spaces and performances.

And it is all part of a new phase in Singapore's development.

Said Dr Lee, "Singaporeans who are talented in the arts, and culture will have new opportunities to build fulfilling careers and engage audiences both at home and on the international stage.

"The school will present a new education opportunity for our young artistic talents. It will nurture not only future artists and creative professionals, but also professionals in many other fields but each one in view with a passion for the arts."

And the one-hectare school is built with that in mind.

Besides the usual facilities, like classrooms and a soccer field, the S$100 million building will have performing spaces, such as a black box and a theatre, as well as spaces designed for students to exchange ideas.

The arts is integrated into every academic subject; Chemistry might be taught with paintings, for example.

Said Rebecca Chew, principal of The Arts School, "There's a strong demand for that. There are lots of children out there who are talented and gifted who would like to explore the performing arts, be it dance music visual arts and drama -- to have that within their own curriculum. There are lots of kids out there who want to explore different choices where they can use the performing arts more rigorously; have it part of their own education as they grow from 13 years old to 18."

The school will start recruitment camps next year. - CNA /ct

Overwhelming numbers vie for Arts school slots

20 Nov 06

Over 800 pupils apply for auditions to get into school's 200 places in 2008

YOU could say it is 'So you think you want to be an Arts School alumnus?'
Way ahead of its opening in 2008, the Singapore Arts School has received an overwhelming response for its 200 Secondary 1 places.

More than 800 pupils have applied to be auditioned from today.

The first 400 who signed up will get to meet local and international panellists this week to showcase their talents. The other 400 applicants are now on a waiting list and will be auditioned next year.

The range of talents includes pupils strong in music, like singing, piano and guzheng (Chinese zither); adept at various dance forms like ballet, hip-hop, ballroom dancing and Indian classical dance; and good in visual arts such as Japanese manga drawing and oil painting.

Principal Rebecca Chew said the school had been flooded with enquiries from parents since its officials visited 50 primary schools this year.

Once applications for the selection trials were opened, pupils started submitting their portfolios.

'From simple doodling to elaborate oil and acrylic painting, CD-ROMs of drawings to videos of pupils dancing, we see a lot of potential, childlike-ness and imagination in their works,' she said.

She added that all Primary 6 pupils who have signed up will be auditioned - there is no pre-selection of pupils for the trials.

Pupils at the two-day selection trials will go through an individual interview and an audition. They will also be involved in group workshops that cover art forms like music and theatre, and attend creative writing sessions.

This two-day, non-residential camp, called the Talent Academy, will expose pupils to diverse art forms.

When the school opens its doors to Sec 1 and 2 students in 2008, it will offer a six-year integrated arts and academic curriculum leading to an International Baccalaureate diploma.

In the first two years, students take courses in four arts disciplines: dance, music, theatre and visual arts. They will then specialise in one of these from Year 3.

Parents seemed happy. Among them was Ms Kristin Van Burm, 45, a manager whose 12-year-old daughter, Rajali Rajkumar, is talented in contemporary and fusion dance, and is also interested in speech and drama.

Ms Van Burm said: 'The best thing is she will be able to go to university after six years, so if she decides that she no longer wants to dance, she can study something else because she will already have the foundation to do so.'

Another parent, piano teacher Connie Chung, 37, has two sons, aged 12 and 13, who play the violin. Both will be attending the trials.

The elder boy, Theodore, who is in Sec 1 this year, said he was very keen even though he may have to repeat lower secondary if he is selected.

Two other schools that cater to special talents have opened in Singapore in recent years.

The Singapore Sports School, opened in 2004, nurtures young sporting talent. The National University of Singapore High School of Mathematics and Science opened in January last year and seeks to groom a talent pool in science and maths.

By Jane Ng

Are there any updates on the construction of this one? It was a massive round hole when I left Singapore in the summer, I'd be interested to see how far it has progressed since then.

^^
I havent seen anything rise above the hoardings yet...

101 kids chosen for Arts School

30 Dec 06

Some impress audition judges despite lack of training; most are from visual arts and music

http://straitstimes.asiaone.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20061229/ST_IMAGES_NDJNOFFER_8t.jpg

ABOUT 100 12-year-olds who are talented in music and the arts have been offered places at the Singapore Arts School, a year ahead of its opening in 2008.
These students will spend a year in their respective secondary schools from next month, before transferring to the Arts School in 2008 if they take up the offers. They will continue classes in Secondary 2 at the new school.

The 101 pupils, who have till Jan 12 to accept the offer, were chosen from the 267 Primary 6 pupils who auditioned at a two-day selection camp last month.

Among the selected pupils are those talented in ballroom dancing, hip hop, Western and Chinese instruments, visual arts and theatre.

The majority are from the visual arts and music departments.

Principal Rebecca Chew said she was particularly pleased that quite a few who were picked did not have formal training in their chosen art form, but were spotted because of their potential.

'For instance, there was this regular, mischievous-looking boy who auditioned for dance and gave a hip hop performance. He has not had lessons but he showed a natural body coordination and fluidity in his movements and was rated highly by local and overseas judges.

'That's the kind of potential we're looking for,' she said.

But some of them have had years of experience in their art as well, like 12-year-old classical Indian dancer Iswarya Jayakumar.

She has been taking lessons since she was three and has had more than 150 performances both here and overseas. Most of her performances are solos and she has been performing since she was five.

Her dance experience alone filled 14 pages of a resume she submitted to the school.

Said Iswarya, who hopes to be a professional dance choreographer: 'I love it because every dance tells a story and I have to show it through my facial expressions. The dance looks very graceful but you have to be very flexible to dance it.'

Her father, operations executive Jayakumar Manickam, 42, said she has been preparing herself for the auditions since they heard about the Arts School in 2004. The girl has also been practising every day for at least an hour for as long as she can remember.

More than 800 pupils applied to be auditioned and half of them have been put on a waiting list. They will get their chance next year during the March holidays.

When the school opens its doors to Secondary 1 and 2 students in 2008, it will offer a six-year integrated arts and academic curriculum leading to an International Baccalaureate diploma.

In the first two years, students take courses in four arts disciplines - dance, music, theatre and visual arts. They will specialise in one of these from the third year.

Students will pay $350 a month for the first four years and $450 a month in the fifth and sixth year.

Of the other specialised secondary schools, the Singapore Sports School charges $500 a month while the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science charges $250 a month.

The Arts School will offer its own scholarships and bursaries in addition to available Education Ministry Edusave schemes.

Said an Arts School spokesman: 'No deserving student will be deprived of a place in the school due to financial reasons.'


By Jane Ng

The first picture shows the building like it is wrapped in seaweed, haha like sushi!!!

would like to ask...so is e final design the 1 shown in the 1st pic?
hows the construction of the site now?further progress?

I think it ought to start rising soon if it is to meet its completion date...I hazard that it should rise by Q1 this year.

The site is very large and probably took a while because they had to cut the slope and build a retaining wall I guess.

Passed by the site earlier. The steel is starting to rise above the fencing.

The place will be quite interesting after it's finished.....:yes:

Agree it will be architecturally delightful and will help one forget ugly eyesores like Paradiz Centre & Parklane. Instead, attention will be refocussed to it and the LaSalle School, and hopefully all the conservation buildings.

Agree it will be architecturally delightful and will help one forget ugly eyesores like Paradiz Centre & Parklane. Instead, attention will be refocussed to it and the LaSalle School, and hopefully all the conservation buildings.

Hopefully it forces the Selegie area to revamp.....:yes:

Hopefully it forces the Selegie area to revamp.....:yes:

I'm sure slowly, steadily and surely the area will be revamped. We'll soon have Capitaland's Wilkie Edge coming up around the same time or earlier.

I'm sure slowly, steadily and surely the area will be revamped. We'll soon have Capitaland's Wilkie Edge coming up around the same time or earlier.

There's a few buildings with their unique character in the area. The 'Banquet' lone shophouse, David Elias Buildings (spelled with a 's' :lol: ), the current SIC campus (1950s building), and 2 colonial buildings behind David Elias.

The old Salmon Maternity home, 1930s styled, opposite the presby church.

And the old Selegie Integrated School (I think) last used as NAFA campus, which looks like a block of flats. AND the now demolished Short Street flats, built in 1950s. Sad.... could had converted them into a hostel.

I saw that the Salmon Maternity home - it looks freshly repainted. Have a pic that I'll post when I upload it.

All in all...the government is injecting youth into that region. More schools and student housing are planned for that area.

It's been progressing well. Photo taken on 30th December:
http://ssc.singapenguin.net/07/071230_school_of_the_arts01.jpg

http://ssc.singapenguin.net/07/071230_school_of_the_arts02.jpg

You cannot see it yet on those pics, but I've been there again since then and they started placing the overhanging steel frames supporting the structure, as can be seen on this rendering:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/SAC/2.jpg

^^ woah...nice building. the connected walkway seems interesting. but to walk around in the midst of all the traffic fumes is not so healthy.

great design for that area. It wil really inject life and atmosphere bring all the complains from cathay building next door to a stop.... more vibancy

Its actually a very massive building. But at least it blocks out the Paradiz Centre which is very uninspiring

Its actually a very massive building. But at least it blocks out the Paradiz Centre which is very uninspiring

paradiz is upgrading also. refreshed look.

21 June 2008

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/arts2106.jpg

Those girders are amazing!

The developments seems a bit slow for the school. Any other new developments in that area?

I do feel that its progress has been slow.

The developments seems a bit slow for the school. Any other new developments in that area?

Look out for the empty plot of land where the Short Street flats used to be (beside the LaSalle campus). There were also some plans for that large traingular plot of land bounded by Selegie Rd/Middle Rd/Prinsep Street. I believe all these are for education-related facilities.

Over at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, there will be a new public recreation space designed by SCDA.

11 Oct 2008

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/artschool.jpg

A bit slow on the progress. Can they top it out by end of the year???

A bit slow on the progress. Can they top it out by end of the year???

nah...dun think it is poosible.
and the singapore's academic yr usually starts in august. so i suppose it is ok to be completed b4 tat.

2 March 2009

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/arts0203.jpg

This building site is really huge ... considering in Prime district.

Just wondering why they need such a big plot of land for an arts school? Seems like the gov is planning big growth in areas of the arts and design.

But i'm happy it's there, brings more vibe to the community. Certainly, that area has shaped up over time (though in a short time) to be an educational / cultural enclave... esp with the commercialization of "Old School" (saw the CNA documentary, was damn cool).

It is not just an arts school, and i think the massiveness of the building is also due to the various rooms for repetition. There is also a theatre and a black box .. An example will be La Salle School. Tht school is huge too. ANyway, this projet is SUPER SLOW. They should even changed the name to top 2009 then . (It is past 2009 now) 2008 is gone.

But i'm happy it's there, brings more vibe to the community. Certainly, that area has shaped up over time (though in a short time) to be an educational / cultural enclave... esp with the commercialization of "Old School" (saw the CNA documentary, was damn cool).

It was a concerted planning decision to transform this area into an educational/cultural youth zone in the city, near places like the museums. Here is an interesting article posted a while back:

Old district a hive of activity

15 Sep 08

The Bras Basah-Bugis hub didn't happen by chance; it was painstaking planning

By Tan Dawn Wei
http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20080913/ST_IMAGES_LASALLEA.jpg

It didn't seem that long ago that Bugis Street was home to a colourful assortment of street hawkers, showy transvestites and gawking Western tourists instead of the pasar malam maze it is today.
Or that mechanics were using a 19th-century chapel at the junction of Middle Road and Waterloo Street as a workshop before it was spruced up nicely and became an art gallery, Sculpture Square.

Lecture halls, libraries and classrooms now sit on what was once a much-loved green lung - Bras Basah Park - in the heart of town at the Singapore Management University (SMU).

Over the past two decades, Bras Basah and Bugis have seen a transformation that has delivered buzz and vibrancy, but also heartache and controversy.

While not everyone will agree with how the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) - the main agency behind the lengthy facelift - has cleaned up the area, there is recognition that the metamorphosis didn't happen by chance; it involved painstaking planning.

That recognition got a boost in July this year, when the URA won an Award for Excellence for Asia Pacific from a US-based non-profit education and research organisation, Urban Land Institute.

Entries were judged on their financial viability, the resourceful use of land, design, relevance to contemporary issues, and sensitivity to the community and environment.

Previous winners included Roppongi Hills in Tokyo and Shanghai's Xintiandi.

In 2006, URA also won the overall award from the same institute for its conservation programme.

The planners are naturally proud of what they've done for the area; they have even given it a hip moniker: Bras Basah.Bugis.

Today, crumbling bungalows and shophouses have been turned into housing for arts groups, shops and restaurants; old schools have been adapted for museums; and new educational institutions have moved into the neighbourhood, injecting some 12,000 students who have brought a youthful verve to this part of town.

How it became an arts, entertainment and learning hub goes back to 1991, when a URA concept plan which outlines broad strategies for the next 40 to 50 years mapped out this vision for Bras Basah and Bugis.

There were only a handful of arts facilities in the area then. URA also found that provisions of these facilities in Singapore were much lower than in other developed countries, and demand for them was increasing.

It knew too it didn't want to grow another cultural district somewhere else, out of the blue.

'We know that the hardware should be clustered. You don't get energy and synergy if you have a museum here, a museum there,' said Ms Fun Siew Leng, the agency's director of urban planning and design.

It got to work, restoring terrace houses and bungalows along Waterloo Street over five years at a cost of $7 million, and handing them to the National Arts Council (NAC), which rented them out at 10 per cent of the market rate to arts groups.

It also made the area pedestrian-friendly, converting a section of Waterloo Street into a no-car zone, and improved connectivity with four - soon to be five - MRT stations serving the area.

Then it set about wooing educational institutions, offering prime land to SMU, Lasalle College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa) and School of the Arts (Sota).

Had things taken a different turn, SMU would have ended up in Marina South. When it made the decision to be a city university some 10 years ago, URA found it two sites on that reclaimed land.

'The reason we didn't take that on was that Marina South would take 50 years to be fully developed and while we're going to be the only cluster of activity in the midst of nothing, that's not going to fly,' said Professor Tan Chin Tiong, the school's deputy president.

The finance and management-focused university grabbed the chance to be in the city, which benefits its students, given its close proximity to the business district.

And the authorities were only too happy to have them there, so that the young energy would rejuvenate the city.

What's more, the area also held memories as a school cluster - St Joseph's Institution (SJI), Raffles Institution, Raffles Girls' School, Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) were all there before.

URA carved out 5ha for SMU, which Ms Fun called 'a bold decision'.

'This was prime real estate.'

It went further by asking the Housing Board to convert a few blocks of Singapore Improvement Trust walk-up flats at Prinsep Street into student hostels, because it wanted students to have the experience of living in the city.

When Lasalle's student population grew too big for its suburban campus at Goodman Road in the east, it was offered a piece of land in Rochor.

Moving into the city from what provost and chief academic officer Venka Purushothaman describes as 'an artist colony' was a huge step.

'It was a paradigm shift for us philosophically. Previously, people made it a point to go to the old campus. We organised activities that really fostered a particular type of community spirit. Now being a city campus, we're challenged by the potential out there. There's so much around us,' he said.

For its new campus, it deliberately chose an architectural design that allowed the public to mill around and engage in the school's activities.

Elderly residents of the area, traders from Sim Lim Square and businessmen from Little India have become regular visitors to the school, walking through its concourse, often stopping to see what's on show.

In June, when it held its degree graduation show, close to 200 people visited every day for more than a week.

'They've all of a sudden been given the opportunity to grapple with contemporary art. I'd say we've gotten closer to our vision of art for the public,' said MrPurushothaman.

Commercial schools also bought into URA's vision very quickly - there are now 105 of them in the neighbourhood.

One of the dream tools in executing URA's grand plan for the area has been the Government Land Sales programme.

'We're very lucky the state owns a lot of land. We can then sell land based on what uses we want for it,' said Ms Fun.

About 90 per cent of Singapore's land is in government hands.

Ms Fun admitted to being the object of envy by foreign counterparts who have plans but no land.

One of the first sites sold under the scheme was Bugis Junction in 1989, which had to follow government guidelines to retain some heritage flavour by incorporating shophouses into the mall.

When the URA put a plot across from Bugis Junction up for tender in 2005, it used what it calls a 'two-envelope' system for the first time: picking out developers whose concepts gelled with its vision, then awarding it to the highest bidder.

The new entertainment centre that is being built on it, Iluma, has devoted 60 per cent of its space to theme restaurants, a multiplex and other entertainment businesses.

Another development, South Beach, was also picked based on the two-envelope system last year. Besides two towers, it will restore the military buildings of the old Beach Road Camp.

The authorities understand that a vibrant city needs the arts and a lively culture to be exciting.

The strategy seems to have worked: Attendance at performances and activities organised by the 14 arts group tenants in the area trebled from 50,000 in 1996 to 150,000 in 2006.

Visitors to the National Museum also went up from 250,000 to more than 700,000 after its refurbishment in 2006.

Businesses have responded, with cafes, restaurants and shops springing up from Bugis Village to Selegie, many targeting young people.

Still, not everyone has brought out their pom-poms over what planners and developers have done to the place.

Ask any heritage or architectural buff and they will say there have been as many misses as there have been hits along the way.

The demolition of the old Cathay Building, Raffles Girls' School and of course the much-loved National Library has given many people heartache.

Chijmes, too, was mired in controversy when the authorities turned CHIJ's chapel and school building into commercial space for restaurants, bars and party facilities. Some old girls were most unhappy about it.

Mr Dinesh Naidu, who is writing a book on Singapore's modern architecture from the 1920s to the 1970s, observed that the authorities seem to have stopped at Chijmes.

'Some of these were silent lessons that were learnt. Tao Nan School and SJI were put to more appropriate uses,' he said.

Tao Nan School at Armenian Street was converted into the Asian Civilisations Museum and now the Peranakan Museum, while SJI houses the Singapore Art Museum.

The latest addition has been the former Catholic High Primary School, which has become 8Q sam, an extended contemporary art wing of the art museum since last month.

When large, modern buildings for SMU, Nafa and the National Library mushroomed, they too drew flak for their size, scale and conventional designs, which some felt sat badly with their architecturally rich neighbours and the area's heritage.

But what do you do when the island is small and sometimes the only way is up?

Even then, URA said it has made it a point to keep buildings in the foothills of Fort Canning Park low - not more than five storeys - to maintain a view to and from the historical hill.

Ms Fun admits the tearing down of the National Library at Stamford Road in 2004 could possibly have been the planning authority's worst public relations nightmare to date for the area.

'We didn't expect reaction to be so strong,' she said, adding that it was clear that the red-bricked landmark had to make way for the Fort Canning tunnel.

That decision prompted great debate, which made it into Parliament.

'It would be worse if people were indifferent.'

Still, stakeholders have nothing but praise for the way the area has turned out.

Schools say there is greater synergy among them and the community: SMU's dance, music and drama classes use adjunct faculty made up of arts practitioners in the neighbourhood; Lasalle students have utilised performance spaces at the Drama Centre in the National Library and Waterloo Street, while the museums have become classrooms.

SMU's Prof Tan says the school may even tap on the expertise of its neighbours by collaborating on offering arts and entertainment management programmes.

The area ticks because of a crucial design guideline too: making buildings open and accessible.

'It has got a bit of urban block layout and good pedestrian connections. There are ample covered linkways to encourage people to walk. That's where porosity is important - pedestrians can see through and walk through buildings,' said Mr Wong Mun Summ, founding director of award-winning architecture firm Woha Designs.

The firm is behind many buildings in the area, including Odeon Towers, Sota, Iluma and Bras Basah MRT Station.

But more can be done to create activities on the street level, he said.

'There are efforts being made in SMU to have more kiosks and activities on ground level. It would be good to have more student activities there. While the basement is a good way of connecting various buildings on campus, it has taken away visible activities on the ground level.'

Also on his wish list: more streets, like Waterloo and Queen streets, pedestrianised.

The area could do with more pockets of parks that young people could use for outdoor art, sports, even flea markets, said Mr Naidu.

'For student areas to really work, there needs to be cheap space,' he said.

And don't make the area too thematised.

'It's a good thing it's not overtly produced for tourists and the neighbourhood is layered with buildings of different periods,' he said.

NAC's deputy director for resource development, Mr Russell Lim, thinks there are good opportunities for public-private partnerships in the area of the arts.

The council has already brokered a deal between Paradiz Centre and The Little Arts Academy - an initiative of The Business Times Budding Artists Fund providing arts education to children between five and 12 - to house its school in the complex from November.

'Arts groups will have a home and commercial landlords get some benefits by having more visitors,' said Mr Lim.

With most of the infrastructure and players in place after nearly two decades, the job next is to get the 'software' going, said Ms Fun.

'We're groping a bit. I'm trained as an architect,' she conceded.

'But we're open. The next part is, how do you infuse the area with more life and vitality?'

School of the Arts to be situated at Zubir Said Drive

8 May 09

SINGAPORE : The School of the Arts (SOTA) will have a permanent address from next year.

It will be situated at No 1, Zubir Said Drive, a new road next to The Cathay at Dhoby Ghaut.

Making the announcement was acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew, at the school's Awards Day ceremony.

He said that the name of the street commemorates the late composer of Singapore's National Anthem, and is a fitting tribute to an early pioneer of the arts in Singapore.

Mr Lui said in recent years, Singapore has witnessed the growth of the arts and a renewed emphasis on culture in Singapore.

With the growing importance of Singapore's creative industries, Mr Lui added SOTA students are entering an exciting new phase of the country's development, one where there will be new opportunities to build fulfilling careers.


http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/427873/1/.html

They should change the name of this blog.. Its not - to be completed in 2008. It is mid 2009 already.

11 July 2009

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/arts1107.jpg

This is turning out as one big scary building.

This is turning out as one big scary building.

its like a giant decepticon!

It should look less intimidating once the hoarding is off. Glad to see that some trees within the former pocket park have been retained with the development. I'm hoping for a large public plaza through the ground floor of this building to provide connectivity between Cathay and Selegie.

It's like a huge Cadillac about to roll over the city ^ ^

http://www.onlinecarcorral.com/Cars/caddyDeVille/deVille_1.jpg

haha. totally.

the bridges that connects the towers might give those 'fear of heights' pple a scare.

26 November 2009

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/sota.jpg

The model at URA Gallery

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/mod7.jpg

wow. is the rood open to the public?

School of the Arts' new S$145-million campus opens

4 Jan 2010

SINGAPORE: The New Year has heralded a fresh start for two of Singapore's four specialised independent schools.

The School of the Arts (SOTA) moved into its spanking new 145-million-dollar permanent campus at Dhoby Ghaut, while the School of Science and Technology started its first day of classes on Monday.

Students of the SOTA appeared happy to be starting the school year in the state-of-the-art building.

The SOTA opened two years ago and was operating from temporary premises in the former LaSalle College of the Arts premises at Goodman Road.

The SOTA has proved a hit with the youths. In 2009, there were over 1,000 applicants for only 200 places. Three-quarters of the students are girls.

14-year-old Thaddaeus Low is one of the few boys specialising in dance, despite being teased by friends.

Thaddaeus said: "Some of them are quiet, you know, about me dancing because it is a typical stereotype, but most of my close friends are very supportive.

"I used to be very tense, but in this school, the teachers told me and they corrected me and I think I'm slowly improving."

Students at the SOTA go through a six-year integrated arts and academic curriculum leading to an International Baccalaureate diploma. This is Singapore's first dedicated arts school at the pre-tertiary level.

But the government also wants students in mainstream schools to have more contact with the arts.

Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew said: "I think going forward we will continue to make sure that it is not just the SOTA, but how we can grow the amount of time that is spent on the arts in a number of mainstream schools, bearing in mind that this is the direction that MOE wants to move to as well.

"... A much tighter integration between the standard academic curriculum and the arts curriculum, exposing more students to what the arts can bring and how it can help in the creative process and creative thinking."

But even though the SOTA is all about nurturing the next generation of arts practitioners in Singapore, the public will also get to enjoy the school's facilities. For instance, arts practitioners can rent facilities like the recital hall and theatre, which are still under construction. And public performances will be held throughout the year at the concourse.

Innovation is also key at the new School of Science and Technology. The first batch of 200 students spent Monday morning designing bridges as they got to know each other in a relaxed environment.

The school offers a four-year programme leading to the O-levels. It is currently operating out of a temporary site along Clementi Avenue 6, until its permanent home at Clementi Road opens in 2012.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1028500/1/.html

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/sota2.jpg

it looks as if more are to be done there...

woah, it is big considering it takes only 200 students.
Nicely situated in the city.




26 November 2009

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/sota.jpg

The model at URA Gallery

I was there on Wednesday night but strangely it is still hoarded up at street level. Nevertheless, it was brightly lit up and from what could be seen through the hoardings, the entrance looks grand and dramatic. I hope the plaza in front of it will contribute to a vibrant street scene. I feel that the treatment of the public space in front of Cathay is wanting.

I was looking at it from the crossroad across the Cathay the other day, and funnily enough, from that angle, I think it blends better with the old cinema entrance than the new Cathay building does itself.
Overall the architecture is still massive and kind of threatening, but it does bring a lot of character to the cityscape.

Some updates from Flickr, credits to chooyutshing:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25802865@N08/4580046322/sizes/l/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25802865@N08/4580046312/sizes/l/

Some updates from Flickr, credits to chooyutshing:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25802865@N08/4580046322/sizes/l/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25802865@N08/4580046312/sizes/l/

Thanks for the pics, man! Anyway, went pass this place last week. It is one massive building! One would never expect that to be a school from the first glance. :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25802865@N08/4580046312/sizes/l/

This pic illustrates exactly what I meant about blending with the old Cathay.
It's a really strange building. I'll call it "Modernist-Art-Deco-Urban-Decay Style".
I like it ;-)
Hoping for a nice street level here. There's potential to add a lot of vibrancy to the area.

Agreed, it has this monolithic quality that is reminiscent to the former Cathay building.

Beautiful school! WOHA really did a good job on disigning this building!

I went to the open house and, well, it looks like a slightly pimped garage inside. Disappointing, considering the architecture and look from the outside is very nice. It wouldn't exactly reel me in if I was a soon-to-be student.