Singapore – Members of the public will get a chance to re-imagine the future of Paya Lebar Air Base and the surrounding industrial estates as part of the “Runway for Your Imagination” ideas competition. Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), in partnership with the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) and the Singapore Institute of Planners (SIP), the competition encourages members of the public to share their ideas on how the area can be transformed into a highly liveable and sustainable new town that builds on its unique aviation heritage.
“The future relocation of the Paya Lebar Air Base presents an exciting canvas of possibilities for us to create an attractive and sustainable township with inclusive public spaces in Singapore. Through the ideas competition, we hope that members of the public can let their imagination take flight and join us in painting a new vision for this future space – one that is filled with boundless opportunities,” said Mr Lim Eng Hwee, Chief Executive Officer of URA.
In the 1950s, Singapore’s second international airport was built on the site, given its proximity to the town centre. Operating between 1955 and 1981, the former Paya Lebar Airport bore witness to supersonic Concorde flights that flew between London and Singapore in the late 1970s. Many former airport buildings remain today, standing proof of Singapore’s past aviation heritage. After the airport moved to Changi, the site was converted to the Paya Lebar Air Base.
In future, the Paya Lebar Air Base will also relocate. After the relocation, there is scope to comprehensively redevelop the 800 hectares site and its surrounding industrial estates into a highly liveable and sustainable new town with amenities for future residents, as well as a major employment node in the area.
Interested participants can submit proposals for one of three topics in the competition. For the first topic “Concept Master Plan”, participants are to develop overarching ideas and concepts to illustrate the vision of how the air base and the surrounding industrial areas can be redeveloped into a distinctive, highly liveable and sustainable community in the 2030s and beyond. In the second topic “Transforming the Runway”, organisers are looking for concepts that transform the runway into a multi-functional community space for people of all ages and abilities. The third topic “Rejuvenating Paya Lebar Airport” requires participants to design a unique precinct with ideas to re-purpose the former airport buildings, including the terminal, control tower and hangers, for new uses and activities to give them a new lease of life. “The ‘Runway for Your Imagination’ ideas competition is the start of an exciting journey for our local fraternity to partake in the reimagination of a major asset of our city – one rich in heritage, filled with immense transformative potential, and endless possibilities. It is SIA’s pleasure to partner URA and SIP in this grand endeavour to share stories, dreams, and hopes through the design of future of Singapore for Singaporeans in both physical and psychological forms.” said Mr Seah Chee Huang, President of SIA.
Mr Wilfred Loo, President of SIP added, "We look forward to receiving fresh ideas for Paya Lebar Air Base which will elevate to new heights our ways of living, working, recreating and connecting. We hope participants will explore soaring possibilities which will inspire, build and nurture vibrant and resilient communities for future generations in Singapore and the world." Members of the public can take part in either the ‘Open’ or the ‘Tertiary’ category, with attractive cash prizes to be won for winning entries. Interested parties can find out more and sign up for the competition at https://go.gov.sg/runwayforyourimagination. The closing date for submissions is 27 March 2020.
