A Proposal for an Integrated Island: Designing an alternative master plan for Kallang Peninsula

Abstract

The Kallang Peninsula is prominently located to the east of Rochor+, at the confluence of the Rochor and Kallang Rivers. The site is spatially perceived as an island because it is not embedded in the urban context and is surrounded by the waterbodies and large infrastructure. On the Kallang peninsula, like in many other places in Singapore, a former shipyard and a kampong were removed in the 1970s, as part of the land reclamation and slum clearance programme. Since then, the cleared site has been a post-industrial brownfield, and remains one of the last of the larger unbuilt land reserves in the central region of Singapore. Due to its central location and beautiful green waterfront, the peninsula has informally become a popular green space for recreation. At the same time, it is one of the focal areas for future densification and has been slated for redevelopment. The current plan envisages conventional, largely monofunctional high-end and insular high-rise estates with over 4,000 residential units that will evenly occupy the entire peninsula. The following design project, on the other hand, proposes an alternative strategy for densification that not only preserves, but also complements the existing green space as a precious resource and attractive public space in the area. This proposal, moreover, better embeds the new development into the surrounding urban context.