Introduction to Tiong Bahru

Artists' impression of Tiong Bahru

Tiong Bahru is one of the many neighbourhoods in Singapore that has undergone urban renewal. A significant part of the Tiong Bahru Estate in Singapore has been conserved for its unique architectural styles and historical value, yet I believe that additional steps can be taken to ensure the conservation of Tiong Bahru, in order to preserve its culture and identity as part of Singapore. Conservation is defined as prevention of the loss of something, and its preservation.

Tiong Bahru Estate was the first housing estate project undertaken by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), and it remains the only housing estate that was not built by the Housing Development Board (HDB) still existing in Singapore today. Although some part of the estate was demolished, there remains 20 blocks of pre-war SIT flats.

Pre-war SIT flats

These flats, together with 36 blocks of shophouses within the estate, were conserved by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2003. Homeowners have to apply for permission from URA to renovate their homes, and guidelines ensure that the outer façade of the buildings remain similar to their original appearances.
At first glance, these buildings look very different from the standard HDB housing estates found all over Singapore. These are not conventional boxy HDB flats found all over Singapore; instead they were designed in the Art Deco style of architecture.

Art Deco-style shophouses

Even the street names within the Tiong Bahru Estate carry special meaning, because the streets are named after different early Chinese settlers, such as Tiong Poh Road and Eng Hoon Road, etc.

Unique road names

Other features within the Tiong Bahru Estate also hold significance. For example, the Tiong Bahru Market was originally the first market to be built in Singapore, in 1955. Previously, hawkers sold food on the roadsides illegally, until they petitioned to the government to build a market. The original market has since been renovated, yet the food found in the market remains unchanged, and many famous hawker stalls are found there.

Tiong Bahru Market

Another important feature of Tiong Bahru would be the bird-singing aviaries, where bird-singing competitions used to be held in its heyday.

Bird-song competitions in the past

Many competitors would bring their birds and it livened up the atmosphere greatly. People also met there to listen to bird-song and chat with others over a cup of Kopi-O. However, all this disappeared when the bird singing aviaries were demolished to make way for the Link Hotel. Although a new aviary has been built someplace else, it was not successful in bringing people together there again, and the new aviaries remain quiet.

New aviaries