1960s NatSteel building, former Pasir Panjang English School proposed for conservation
SINGAPORE – The first stages of Changi Airport and Singapore's MRT system – which have today become pillars of the country's transport system – opened in the 1980s.
What is not as widely known is that at the core of these projects was steel from the National Iron and Steel Mills – the first factory set up in the Jurong Industrial Estate in 1961.
Known as NatSteel today, the firm has remained at its original location for the past six decades, with its former main office building still standing.
Called the Steel Pavilion, the two-storey building – which is more than six decades old – has been proposed for conservation under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Draft Master Plan 2025, in recognition of NatSteel's contributions to Singapore's economy.
While relatively unknown and sitting in a far-flung part of the island, the Steel Pavilion's proposed conservation is the latest sign of URA's shifting approach towards conservation.
Having kept a significant number of structures from the colonial era – which form the bulk of the country's more than 7,200 conserved buildings and structures – URA has in recent times increasingly looked to conserve heritage markers from the period surrounding Singapore's independence in 1965.
Also proposed for conservation are the former Pasir Panjang English School at 24 Yew Siang Road and 20 buildings at the former Bukit Timah Turf City, which will be redeveloped into a new housing estate, URA said at the draft masterplan exhibition launch on June 25.
The former Pasir Panjang English School, pictured behind its gates on June 21.
ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
These add to five previously announced sites that are also slated for conservation, such as the former Turf City's two grandstands, former housing blocks in Dakota Crescent and Jurong Hill Tower.
URA said the former school is an example of standardised designs for schools built with timber in the 1920s and 1930s, and was one of the first schools in Pasir Panjang when it opened in January 1933.
The school closed in 1986, and its premises were used from 1999 to 2024 by Breakthrough Missions – a drug rehabilitation centre.
URA said it would conserve the former school's U-shaped main building, which stands as an example of the development of Singapore's schools and education system.
Public agencies are considering integrating the building, which is now vacant, into a future residential development.
Meanwhile, URA's proposal to conserve 20 buildings at the former Bukit Timah Turf City – in addition to the former racecourse's North and South grandstands – follows a study that assessed the feasibility of retaining 27 heritage structures at the site.
The internal courtyard of the former Pasir Panjang English School, encircled by a classroom block and greenery.
PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Of the five not earmarked for conservation, two are horse bridges that may be retained but not conserved, while the other three, located in the Fairways Quarters – where Turf Club workers lived – were found to be structurally unsound.
The buildings to be conserved include bungalows that were occupied by the club's management and their families, stables, workers' quarters and the former Dunearn Water Depot, which housed a Water Department district office and flats for the depot's officers.
An artist's impression of the former Pasir Panjang English School restored and adaptively reused as part of a future residential development.
PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
'Taken together, these buildings represent key yet different facets of the former racecourse's history and functional ecosystem,' URA said.
'Repurposing these selected buildings as part of the future housing estate will create a distinctive environment for future residents and communities.'
On June 25, the agency revealed a new thematic framework that will aid its selection of sites and buildings for retention.
The framework groups structures into four themes – economy, housing, social and defence – which represent the building blocks of Singapore's development. It will 'support the identification of selected sites that represent Singapore's history and development over the past 60 years'.
An artist's impression of how the former Fairways Quarters could be integrated to serve as a community-centric node as part of a well-connected and accessible estate.
PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Under 'economy' are infrastructural developments for commercial, industrial, transport and utility purposes that supported Singapore's growth, while 'housing' includes shophouses, high-rise public housing and mixed-use developments.
The 'social' theme – which the former Pasir Panjang English School is classified under – includes medical facilities, schools, places of worship, event venues and sports facilities, while parked under 'defence' are military, law enforcement, fire security and facilities such as army camps and airbases.
URA on June 25 also announced that it had identified three new identity nodes in Siglap, Moonstone Lane Estate and Newton, taking the number of such nodes from 18 to 21.
Identity nodes, which have been earmarked since 2002, are areas with distinctive character and charm that the agency seeks to retain through methods such as rolling out design guidelines for new developments.
URA said Siglap has a laid-back atmosphere that exudes a unique urban charm, while Moonstone Lane Estate's 'intimate waterfront setting and rich multicultural history' will be retained.
It envisages that the upcoming neighbourhood in Newton will be community-centric, with greenery, heritage and identity woven into the area.
Building on the identity nodes, URA in 2022 introduced five identity corridors as part of its long-term plan – a conceptual plan that looks into the country's needs for the next 50 years and beyond, and is reviewed every decade.
At each corridor, the agency aims to strengthen the identity and character of areas along it, while improving walking and cycling infrastructure.
Upgrades to three corridors have been planned based on public engagements.
At the Historic East corridor, which covers Geylang and Changi, a new pedestrian mall will be developed along East Coast Road, near where it intersects with Joo Chiat Road. The pedestrian mall will stretch between i12 Katong shopping centre and Katong V mall.
URA said the mall could include landscaping, seating, recreational spaces for visitors, as well as for community events and activities.
As for the Kallang River corridor, public agencies are planning a new waterfront park between Serangoon Road and Bendemeer Road.
The upcoming park at Kallang River could serve as a pit stop for cyclists travelling from Bishan to the city along the Kallang Park Connector, and as a new community space for local residents and visitors.
PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Improvements will also be made to the riverbank fronting St Andrew's Village, with the possibility of outdoor classrooms for students from nearby schools.
New cycling paths along the riverbank fronting St Andrew's Village will connect to the Kallang Park Connector, enhance connectivity in the area and allow more people to enjoy the waterfront.
PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
At the Inner Ring corridor, which links fringe districts around the city centre, a stretch of Zion Road between Ganges Avenue and River Valley Road will be repurposed to accommodate wider walking and cycling paths.
Am artist's impression of the stretch of Zion Road that will be repurposed for wider walking and cycling paths.
PHOTO: NATIONAL PARKS BOARD
By 2030, new cycling paths will also be added to the western stretch of this corridor, between Outram and Orchard, and the eastern stretch, along Lavender Street and between Kallang Road and Balestier Road.
Ng Keng Gene is a correspondent at The Straits Times, reporting on issues relating to land use, urban planning and heritage.
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
SG60: Reading between the lines of the Draft Master Plan 2025
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Even as it tackles hard economic questions, the Draft Master Plan 2025 doesn't lose sight of softer, human-scale priorities. Singapore's urban and economic planning has long been pragmatic, but the Draft Master Plan 2025 signals something new: boldness. In response to shifting global and domestic fundamentals, the plan reframes land use through emerging tools such as polycentric gateway corridors, and a more agile, layered approach to decentralisation. This isn't a wholesale reinvention, but a quiet recalibration, adapting Singapore's planning ethos to meet an era of slower growth, more complex trade-offs, and heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Decentralisation under pressure The once-ambitious model of decentralising offices beyond the Central Business District (CBD) is slowing. As companies right-size and consolidate their operations, many are returning to the city core, drawn by cost-efficiency, branding visibility, and a concentration of talent and services. The traditional rental premium once commanded by the CBD has eroded, narrowing the cost differential and weakening the incentive to decentralise – unless firms are tightly woven into local supply chains or talent pools. This trend is not entirely new, but Covid-19 accelerated it. Hybrid work has reduced the average office footprint per firm. Large tenants are less willing to anchor fringe locations unless there are compelling ecosystem advantages. Meanwhile, commercial confidence has been tempered by global uncertainty, from US-China tensions to regional trade realignments. In this context, even flagship decentralisation projects are evolving. Jurong Lake District, once envisioned as a major commercial node, saw the planned commercial quantum of the white site on the reserve list reduced by 30 per cent. While the long-term vision remains, near-term market sentiment is clearly influencing land release strategies. The return – and repositioning – of industrial land Beyond the commercial office market, Singapore's industrial landscape is entering a new chapter. Since 2022, roughly 36 hectares of industrial land have been returned to the state annually, a scale not seen since the 2015-2017 wave that preceded the last Master Plan. Then, as now, this land return reflects deeper structural shifts. Manufacturing is becoming less land-hungry. As companies digitalise and relocate lower-value operations to neighbouring countries, plots once allocated for logistics, clean tech or light manufacturing are being reassessed. The Draft Master Plan 2025 aims to stay ahead of this curve. While there are no radical rezoning moves in the downtown, the government is signalling flexibility. Incentives such as the CBD Incentive Scheme and the Strategic Development Incentive Scheme make it easier for older office buildings to be converted into mixed-use formats, shrinking pure office space while boosting residential and lifestyle offerings. The shift is also evident in the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme. There are no new confirmed downtown office sites, and only three white sites remain on the reserve list. This absence is likely intentional – a quiet nudge for landlords to explore adaptive reuse and a cue to the market that office decentralisation will now take a more tempered, organic form. Bishan returns to the spotlight One of the most intriguing updates is the re-designation of Bishan as a sub-regional centre, a role proposed initially in the 1991 Concept Plan. Back then, the idea was radical: decentralise Singapore's economic core and anchor new business activity in the heartlands. Today, Bishan already boasts strong transport connectivity, public agencies and community infrastructure that serve the broader Toa Payoh-Ang Mo Kio region. Its central location and direct access to Raffles Place via MRT make it an ideal candidate for polycentric growth. Together with Novena, Serangoon, and Toa Payoh, Bishan helps form a north-east arc of business activity – a 'string of pearls' that mirrors the southern belt stretching from Alexandra to one-north. Beyond convenience, this distributed model reflects a future in which live-work-play ecosystems are embedded into the islandwide urban fabric, rather than concentrated in a single hub. Vertical zoning: The next planning frontier Among the more speculative but intriguing concepts to emerge from the 2022 Long-Term Plan Review is the idea of 'vertical zoning'. The notion, layering light industry on the lower floors, offices above that, and residences at the top, was not formally proposed in the Draft Master Plan 2025. Still, it offers a glimpse of how Singapore might evolve its planning logic in response to changing economic and spatial realities. Seen in this light, vertical zoning is a conceptual provocation that asks whether future urban productivity might come not from expanding outwards, but from layering uses in smarter, more synergistic ways. If Singapore is serious about remaining spatially efficient and economically agile, this could be a frontier worth exploring further. While no specific developments have been announced, the pilot in Woodlands, which raises the allowable proportion of non-industrial uses from 40 to 70 per cent, may be an early signal of willingness to experiment. It echoes previous 'Business White' trials, which allowed greater flexibility in land use within designated business zones. If taken seriously, vertical zoning could represent a significant shift away from the traditional horizontal separation of uses that has long defined Singapore's land planning. It reflects a recognition that manufacturing today is cleaner and quieter, and that modern services are increasingly mobile and less reliant on sprawling floor plates. Sustainable and inclusive urban living In line with Singapore's push for environmental sustainability, new housing areas are being explored across the island, with a strong emphasis on reusing existing brownfield sites. Spaces such as Bukit Timah Turf Club, the old Keppel Golf Course, and the soon-to-be-vacated Paya Lebar Airbase are being considered for redevelopment into vibrant residential neighbourhoods. Besides building homes, these plans also aim to create active, socially connected communities, with shared amenities that support everyday life and bring people together. Many of these developments reflect a move towards vertical zoning, where housing is thoughtfully layered with community spaces and lifestyle facilities. A key planning principle is accessibility: Most residents will be within a 10-minute walk of parks, shops, schools, and essential services. As part of the broader 'live-work-play' vision, new opportunities for city and fringe-city living are also being introduced. Areas around Newton MRT station, Paterson Road near Orchard, and Dover-Medway near one-north have been earmarked for mixed-use development that balances inclusivity, sustainability and a strong sense of community. These well-connected neighbourhoods offer a good mix of amenities and entertainment, making them ideal for both families and working professionals. For instance, the idea of a new Village Square at Newton and a vibrant mixed-use hub at Paterson would help bridge luxury housing with the retail and activity of Orchard Road. The Draft Master Plan 2025 also puts greater emphasis on senior-friendly housing, including more assisted-living options and active-ageing centres to support older residents in living independently and meaningfully. Whether you're young or old, working or retired, the evolving urban plan seeks to make neighbourhoods more livable, connected and future-ready for everyone. Softer touch Even as it tackles hard economic questions, the Draft Master Plan 2025 doesn't lose sight of softer, human-scale priorities. Included among the proposals are plans for green connectors, heritage trails, repurposed viaducts, and playful public spaces. These aren't decorative add-ons; they are essential components of a livable, imageable city. Such spaces encourage social connection, promote mental well-being, and help Singapore remain globally competitive as a place to live, not just work. The Draft Master Plan 2025: A vision in transition More than a technical update, the Draft Master Plan 2025 reflects a society in flux, one that is learning from past successes, adapting to a slower-growth environment, and daring to imagine a more resilient, layered future. It is not a call to transform everything, but an invitation to reimagine selectively. To rethink what should be intensified, repurposed, or left open-ended. In that spirit, it strikes a balance: between continuity and change, between pragmatism and vision.
Business Times
7 days ago
- Business Times
Government to simplify change-of-use process for some commercial spaces: Chee Hong Tat
[SINGAPORE] The government intends to cut some real estate-related red tape for businesses, starting with streamlining its change-of-use process, said National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat. During an interview with the media on Tuesday (Aug 5), Chee said businesses currently require the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) permission for change of uses within commercial spaces in JTC business parks, as well as community centres managed by the People's Association. This process takes about two weeks and costs S$500. URA's permission is required for land-based solar farm projects as well, with its application costing S$3,500, said Chee. 'We are working on streamlining the process, such that URA's permission will no longer be required for such proposals,' he said. 'Business owners will just need to obtain the respective landowners' consent and comply with the relevant authority's requirements for their proposals.' At the same time, the Ministry of National Development will propose a new legislation to formalise the Business Improvement District (BID) programme. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Tuesday, 12 pm Property Insights Get an exclusive analysis of real estate and property news in Singapore and beyond. Sign Up Sign Up Since 2017, URA's BID programme has been piloted in areas such as the Singapore River, Marina Bay, Raffles Place and Tanjong Pagar. It aims to encourage stakeholders to take greater ownership to make the area more vibrant and attractive. Under the programme, the government provides seed funding of up to S$500,000 per annum, through a dollar-for-dollar match for membership fees collected. The money then goes towards stakeholder-led place management initiatives, including targeted marketing, hospitality and events. Given the pilot's positive feedback so far, Chee said the authorities hope to formalise the BID model and scale up to more precincts across Singapore, collaborating with businesses to drive place management efforts. 'This will make our precincts livelier, bring businesses more footfall and benefit our community with more lifestyle options,' he said. 'This includes working with the businesses via the BID model to revitalise our nightlife industry.' Chee added: 'Reviewing our rules and processes is an ongoing process that we will do, and I hope to work closely with the industry to find out which other areas we can help them in, to simplify our rules and processes, to cut red tape, and to bring down processing time and costs for businesses.' Earlier in June, the government also revealed plans under the Draft Master Plan 2025 to review Singapore's industrial land use zone guidelines , to better respond to evolving business needs. Chee said then that moving away from mono-use zones to mixed-use districts will give developers greater flexibility on industrial land and enhance Singapore's economic competitiveness. More business-white sites will be introduced around key transport nodes in the Jurong and Tuas industrial estates, on top of existing sites in Woodlands, URA added, in the Draft Master Plan 2025.
Business Times
05-08-2025
- Business Times
SG60: Reading between the lines of the Draft Master Plan 2025
SINGAPORE'S urban and economic planning has long been pragmatic, but the Draft Master Plan 2025 signals something new: boldness. In response to shifting global and domestic fundamentals, the plan reframes land use through emerging tools such as polycentric gateway corridors, and a more agile, layered approach to decentralisation. This isn't a wholesale reinvention, but a quiet recalibration, adapting Singapore's planning ethos to meet an era of slower growth, more complex trade-offs, and heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Decentralisation under pressure The once-ambitious model of decentralising offices beyond the Central Business District (CBD) is slowing. As companies right-size and consolidate their operations, many are returning to the city core, drawn by cost-efficiency, branding visibility, and a concentration of talent and services. The traditional rental premium once commanded by the CBD has eroded, narrowing the cost differential and weakening the incentive to decentralise – unless firms are tightly woven into local supply chains or talent pools. This trend is not entirely new, but Covid-19 accelerated it. Hybrid work has reduced the average office footprint per firm. Large tenants are less willing to anchor fringe locations unless there are compelling ecosystem advantages. Meanwhile, commercial confidence has been tempered by global uncertainty, from US-China tensions to regional trade realignments. In this context, even flagship decentralisation projects are evolving. Jurong Lake District, once envisioned as a major commercial node, saw the planned commercial quantum of the white site on the reserve list reduced by 30 per cent. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Tuesday, 12 pm Property Insights Get an exclusive analysis of real estate and property news in Singapore and beyond. Sign Up Sign Up While the long-term vision remains, near-term market sentiment is clearly influencing land release strategies. The return – and repositioning – of industrial land Beyond the commercial office market, Singapore's industrial landscape is entering a new chapter. Since 2022, roughly 36 hectares of industrial land have been returned to the state annually, a scale not seen since the 2015-2017 wave that preceded the last Master Plan. Then, as now, this land return reflects deeper structural shifts. Manufacturing is becoming less land-hungry. As companies digitalise and relocate lower-value operations to neighbouring countries, plots once allocated for logistics, clean tech or light manufacturing are being reassessed. The Draft Master Plan 2025 aims to stay ahead of this curve. While there are no radical rezoning moves in the downtown, the government is signalling flexibility. Incentives such as the CBD Incentive Scheme and the Strategic Development Incentive Scheme make it easier for older office buildings to be converted into mixed-use formats, shrinking pure office space while boosting residential and lifestyle offerings. The shift is also evident in the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme. There are no new confirmed downtown office sites, and only three white sites remain on the reserve list. This absence is likely intentional – a quiet nudge for landlords to explore adaptive reuse and a cue to the market that office decentralisation will now take a more tempered, organic form. Bishan returns to the spotlight One of the most intriguing updates is the re-designation of Bishan as a sub-regional centre, a role proposed initially in the 1991 Concept Plan. Back then, the idea was radical: decentralise Singapore's economic core and anchor new business activity in the heartlands. Today, Bishan already boasts strong transport connectivity, public agencies and community infrastructure that serve the broader Toa Payoh-Ang Mo Kio region. Its central location and direct access to Raffles Place via MRT make it an ideal candidate for polycentric growth. Together with Novena, Serangoon, and Toa Payoh, Bishan helps form a north-east arc of business activity – a 'string of pearls' that mirrors the southern belt stretching from Alexandra to one-north. Beyond convenience, this distributed model reflects a future in which live-work-play ecosystems are embedded into the islandwide urban fabric, rather than concentrated in a single hub. Vertical zoning: The next planning frontier Among the more speculative but intriguing concepts to emerge from the 2022 Long-Term Plan Review is the idea of 'vertical zoning'. The notion, layering light industry on the lower floors, offices above that, and residences at the top, was not formally proposed in the Draft Master Plan 2025. Still, it offers a glimpse of how Singapore might evolve its planning logic in response to changing economic and spatial realities. Seen in this light, vertical zoning is a conceptual provocation that asks whether future urban productivity might come not from expanding outwards, but from layering uses in smarter, more synergistic ways. If Singapore is serious about remaining spatially efficient and economically agile, this could be a frontier worth exploring further. While no specific developments have been announced, the pilot in Woodlands, which raises the allowable proportion of non-industrial uses from 40 to 70 per cent, may be an early signal of willingness to experiment. It echoes previous 'Business White' trials, which allowed greater flexibility in land use within designated business zones. If taken seriously, vertical zoning could represent a significant shift away from the traditional horizontal separation of uses that has long defined Singapore's land planning. It reflects a recognition that manufacturing today is cleaner and quieter, and that modern services are increasingly mobile and less reliant on sprawling floor plates. Sustainable and inclusive urban living In line with Singapore's push for environmental sustainability, new housing areas are being explored across the island, with a strong emphasis on reusing existing brownfield sites. Spaces such as Bukit Timah Turf Club, the old Keppel Golf Course, and the soon-to-be-vacated Paya Lebar Airbase are being considered for redevelopment into vibrant residential neighbourhoods. Besides building homes, these plans also aim to create active, socially connected communities, with shared amenities that support everyday life and bring people together. Many of these developments reflect a move towards vertical zoning, where housing is thoughtfully layered with community spaces and lifestyle facilities. A key planning principle is accessibility: Most residents will be within a 10-minute walk of parks, shops, schools, and essential services. As part of the broader 'live-work-play' vision, new opportunities for city and fringe-city living are also being introduced. Areas around Newton MRT station, Paterson Road near Orchard, and Dover-Medway near one-north have been earmarked for mixed-use development that balances inclusivity, sustainability and a strong sense of community. These well-connected neighbourhoods offer a good mix of amenities and entertainment, making them ideal for both families and working professionals. For instance, the idea of a new Village Square at Newton and a vibrant mixed-use hub at Paterson would help bridge luxury housing with the retail and activity of Orchard Road. The Draft Master Plan 2025 also puts greater emphasis on senior-friendly housing, including more assisted-living options and active-ageing centres to support older residents in living independently and meaningfully. Whether you're young or old, working or retired, the evolving urban plan seeks to make neighbourhoods more livable, connected and future-ready for everyone. Softer touch Even as it tackles hard economic questions, the Draft Master Plan 2025 doesn't lose sight of softer, human-scale priorities. Included among the proposals are plans for green connectors, heritage trails, repurposed viaducts, and playful public spaces. These aren't decorative add-ons; they are essential components of a livable, imageable city. Such spaces encourage social connection, promote mental well-being, and help Singapore remain globally competitive as a place to live, not just work. The Draft Master Plan 2025: A vision in transition More than a technical update, the Draft Master Plan 2025 reflects a society in flux, one that is learning from past successes, adapting to a slower-growth environment, and daring to imagine a more resilient, layered future. It is not a call to transform everything, but an invitation to reimagine selectively. To rethink what should be intensified, repurposed, or left open-ended. In that spirit, it strikes a balance: between continuity and change, between pragmatism and vision. The writer is head of research and consultancy, South-east Asia, at JLL
