Students win with ways to transform railway station

Straits Times 17 Apr 13;

EIGHT students came up with an idea to have a food alley plus bicycle and walking paths, among other features, to create a sense of nostalgia near the railway platform at the Tanjong Pagar railway station.

For their creativity, the Dunman High students bagged the top prize at the Urban Redevelopment Authority's annual Challenge for the Urban and Built Environment competition and won $2,000 in cash and book vouchers.

Republic Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic took the second and third places, winning $1,500 and $1,000 respectively.

Into its fourth year, the Challenge aims to give students an experience of urban planning and inspire them to become architects, urban designers and planners.

The theme involved the Rail Corridor which is a 25.3km stretch from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar.

The students were tasked with planning the site that comprised Tanjong Pagar railway station and the old railway yard for public housing and neighbourhood parks, as well as give ideas on future uses for the area.

Students had to create a site model and master plan of their ideas and present their projects to a panel of judges. Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin was the guest of honour at yesterday's awards ceremony.

The URA said that some of the concepts from the groups may be incorporated into the design brief of site planning in future.

Student Beatriz Goh, 16, who is part of the Dunman High School winning team, said: "We're happy about the win because our hard work has paid off."

LIM YI HAN

Students propose ideas for Rail Corridor
Kok Xing Hui Today Online 17 Apr 13;

SINGAPORE — Five public housing blocks, linked via a skybridge surrounding a landscape garden, with a boardwalk linking the estate to the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, and one of its blocks featuring a sloping design such that it stands no taller than the surrounding shophouses at its lowest height.

This proposal by eight Dunman High School students won the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) competition, which invited students to come up with plans for a site comprising the station and the old railway yard.

The Challenge for the Urban and Built Environment competition saw 120 junior colleges and polytechnics students from 16 teams take part. The teams were tasked to plan the site for public housing and neighbourhood parks, as well as integrate ideas for the Rail Corridor and new uses for the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and other ex-KTM buildings into their plans.

The winning team proposed an “inclusive village that teems with vitality, while retaining its unique historical charm”. The proposal featured a landscape garden for community activities, and a food alley alongside the railway platform of the station, which would have its façade preserved and old canteen restored.

“I believe that our project can appeal to both the young and old,” said Beatriz Goh, a year 5 student on the team. “We want to create a very strong sense of community within this area. The whole place is linked up – past, present, old and new. Everything is one big family.”

Republic Polytechnic won the second prize for their environmentally-friendly design. All their proposed housing blocks come with urban farming on the rooftops, vertical greenery to help with thermal regulation and reduce energy load, and the railway station would house a farmers’ market among bars and restaurants.

The first, second and third place teams won S$2,000, S$1,500 and S$1,000 worth of cash and book vouchers respectively. There were also three merit awards and 10 commendation awards. Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin gave out the awards to the students.

All ideas from the public for the 25.3km Rail Corridor, including the ones proposed in this competition, will serve as an inspiration for the design scope for the next phase of development, said the URA.

40 student projects are on display at the URA Centre Atrium from now to May 15. Admission is free.