A government programme of estate renewal enabled redevelopment of the cramped, poorly ventilated market and sub-standard flats at Geylang Serai. The market was redesigned to integrate a food centre and other commercial facilities into an iconic landmark. Inspired by traditional Malay houses with their post-and-lintel structure and pitched roofs, it retains a human scale, with steel structural members painted to resemble wood. Five 19-storey residential blocks stand behind, with planted courtyards between them. Intricate geometric patterning from the old flats has been reinvented and used throughout the new development, retaining a nostalgic feeling. A multi-storey car park with landscaped roof acts as a buffer against the market’s noise and smells.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture