Singapore has a rich brutalist heritage, and People’s Park Complex is one of the most iconic brutal buildings in the city. The high-rise complex has seen better days, but is still striking on the chinatown skyline. The sheer scale and stark aesthetic have made the building famous on social media. I also lived in the building for a few years!
The complex is comprised of a 6 storey retail podium, with a 25 storey residential slab block on top. When the development was completed in 1967, the mixed-use typology with a tower above an atrium podium was considered innovative. Famed Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki visited the site during construction, and he exclaimed that “we theorised [about metabolism] and you people are getting it built!”
As with many brutalist buildings across the world, Singapore’s brutal masterpieces are under threat. Singapore’s leasehold land tenure system, high property prices and rapid development often make demolition and redevelopment more economically feasible than conservation. This erases under-appreciated modern history, and is bad for the environment.
What if People’s Park Complex (which was named because the site used to be a public park) could be reinvigorated by turning the podium rooftop into a new public park for the city? This would provide necessary green relief for the city, reduce the urban heat island effect, and soften the brutal image of the building with greenery! Proceeds from the public amenity could be used to refurbish the rest of the building, ensuring its continued relevance.
Images by Jonathan Choe
