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08-04-13, 12:10
http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/monday/premium/singapore/story/first-glimpse-lifestyle-town-hub-design-20130401
First glimpse of lifestyle town hub design
Tampines hub to have less retail space, more family-friendly facilities
Published on Apr 01, 2013
By Lim Yi Han And Charissa Yong
http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/monday/sites/straitstimes.com/files/imagecache/story-gallery-featured/ST_20130401_CYBUKIT01A841_3592312e.jpg
THE design for the new Tampines Town Hub was unveiled yesterday.
But even as residents received their first glimpse of Singapore's first integrated lifestyle town hub, efforts to preserve the area's history were launched.
Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday that the ground-breaking ceremony for the hub will be held in two months' time, and that more details will be announced then.
Mr Heng, who is a Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC, said about 15,000 residents have given ideas and feedback over the past 18 months.
Many of their ideas, collected through face-to-face interviews, phone surveys and focus group discussions, went into the design of the hub.
Mr Heng said: "This town hub... has to reflect the community's aspirations and values.
"It's not going to be another commercial development, but rather, it will be an important community space for residents to come together."
For example, retail space has been "significantly cut down".
"They wanted a space for which the entire family can come together, three generations, four generations, so the Hub has been designed with those facilities in mind.
"They also want to have, of course, a hawker centre, and not just expensive restaurants, and we will have that," Mr Heng added.
Announced in 2011, the Tampines Town Hub will occupy 5.7ha of state land, or about seven football fields, on the site of the existing Tampines Stadium and Sports Hall.
When completed, it will also incorporate Singapore's first regional sports centre.
Yesterday, Tampines residents were invited to share their memories of the area as part of the two-year-old Singapore Memory Project.
For example, they could scan their old photographs at a booth or pen down their memories on cards.
Led by the National Library Board, the project aims to preserve and provide access to photos, videos and other material that document Singapore's history.
Mr Gene Tan, director of National Library, added: "Moving forward for this year, we are hoping to capture deeper and more connected memories - memories of families, friends and people's relationships with each other."
At Bukit Panjang yesterday, there was a similar drive to encourage residents to chip in with their memories of growing up and living in the area.
Known as Project Corridor, the initiative called for residents to contribute old photos and memorabilia, such as theatre ticket stubs and pamphlets, which will be displayed online.
The pilot project was organised by the Bukit Panjang Residents' Committees and the Housing Board, and supported by the National Archives, in response to a survey done last year.
While there have been similar national projects from the National Heritage Board, Project Corridor is one of the few community efforts about a specific neighbourhood.
Similar ones include the Queenstown walking trail, launched in 2007.
Dr Teo Ho Pin, MP for Bukit Panjang, said: "We wanted to develop a sense of belonging among our residents. It's important to know the history of Bukit Panjang, how it has grown from a village to a modern new town."
Garden worker Lucy Pang recalls catching movies with her friends at Sin Wah Theatre, the only roofed cinema in the area back in the 1970s.
"Things here have changed a lot since then. It's very different now," the 64-year-old said in Mandarin when she saw a photograph of the old building yesterday.
Residents told The Straits Times that the items on display yesterday, such as old bus tickets, brought back fond memories.
The items will be used in an art installation in Bukit Panjang later this year, said an HDB spokesman.
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[email protected]
First glimpse of lifestyle town hub design
Tampines hub to have less retail space, more family-friendly facilities
Published on Apr 01, 2013
By Lim Yi Han And Charissa Yong
http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/monday/sites/straitstimes.com/files/imagecache/story-gallery-featured/ST_20130401_CYBUKIT01A841_3592312e.jpg
THE design for the new Tampines Town Hub was unveiled yesterday.
But even as residents received their first glimpse of Singapore's first integrated lifestyle town hub, efforts to preserve the area's history were launched.
Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday that the ground-breaking ceremony for the hub will be held in two months' time, and that more details will be announced then.
Mr Heng, who is a Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC, said about 15,000 residents have given ideas and feedback over the past 18 months.
Many of their ideas, collected through face-to-face interviews, phone surveys and focus group discussions, went into the design of the hub.
Mr Heng said: "This town hub... has to reflect the community's aspirations and values.
"It's not going to be another commercial development, but rather, it will be an important community space for residents to come together."
For example, retail space has been "significantly cut down".
"They wanted a space for which the entire family can come together, three generations, four generations, so the Hub has been designed with those facilities in mind.
"They also want to have, of course, a hawker centre, and not just expensive restaurants, and we will have that," Mr Heng added.
Announced in 2011, the Tampines Town Hub will occupy 5.7ha of state land, or about seven football fields, on the site of the existing Tampines Stadium and Sports Hall.
When completed, it will also incorporate Singapore's first regional sports centre.
Yesterday, Tampines residents were invited to share their memories of the area as part of the two-year-old Singapore Memory Project.
For example, they could scan their old photographs at a booth or pen down their memories on cards.
Led by the National Library Board, the project aims to preserve and provide access to photos, videos and other material that document Singapore's history.
Mr Gene Tan, director of National Library, added: "Moving forward for this year, we are hoping to capture deeper and more connected memories - memories of families, friends and people's relationships with each other."
At Bukit Panjang yesterday, there was a similar drive to encourage residents to chip in with their memories of growing up and living in the area.
Known as Project Corridor, the initiative called for residents to contribute old photos and memorabilia, such as theatre ticket stubs and pamphlets, which will be displayed online.
The pilot project was organised by the Bukit Panjang Residents' Committees and the Housing Board, and supported by the National Archives, in response to a survey done last year.
While there have been similar national projects from the National Heritage Board, Project Corridor is one of the few community efforts about a specific neighbourhood.
Similar ones include the Queenstown walking trail, launched in 2007.
Dr Teo Ho Pin, MP for Bukit Panjang, said: "We wanted to develop a sense of belonging among our residents. It's important to know the history of Bukit Panjang, how it has grown from a village to a modern new town."
Garden worker Lucy Pang recalls catching movies with her friends at Sin Wah Theatre, the only roofed cinema in the area back in the 1970s.
"Things here have changed a lot since then. It's very different now," the 64-year-old said in Mandarin when she saw a photograph of the old building yesterday.
Residents told The Straits Times that the items on display yesterday, such as old bus tickets, brought back fond memories.
The items will be used in an art installation in Bukit Panjang later this year, said an HDB spokesman.
[email protected]
[email protected]