Site Analysis

In Response to the Contextual Element of [HISTORY AND CULTURE] of the site.

An analysis of the site's history and culture revealed 3 key points of focus that were subsequently viewed as the key driving forces of the eventual design.

[-] A SITE OF SIGNIFICANT HERITAGE A COMMUNITY: KAMPONG DALAM PONDOK JAWA

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First established as the land set aside for Sultan Hussein and his 600 family members in 1824, Kampong Glam is a site deeply rooted in Malay and Muslim heritage.

The architectural landscape of Kampong Glam is now dominated by conserved shophouses, but used to feature many buildings of traditional vernacular Malay styles, such as the Rumah Lima houses. The area around Pahang Street and Sultan Gate used to be known as Kampong Dalam. It was so named as relatives close to the royal family formerly lived there.

In the past, a huge field could be found here, often used by neighbouring youths for playing football, and occasionally it was purposed into a makeshift place to dry foodstuff like Ikan Bilis.

Kampong Dalam was home to a close-knit commu-

Cutting into our site was Pondok Jawa, a lodging house of vernacular Rumah Lima architecture for Javanese arrivals and single bachelors of its time.

Pondok Jawa was also a centre for Javanese culture. Regular performances of Wayang Wong, Wayang Kulit and Ketoprak were staged, and people from other parts of Singapore would flock there to attend.

Sadly, Pondok Jawa was not conserved and demolished due to structural safety issues.