Iconic brick-faced Tampines HDB project will be painted to fix water seepage; plan criticised
Professional evaluations now support painting over the brick surfaces, Tampines Town Council said.
An iconic eight-block public housing project in Tampines, known for its distinctive brick facade, is set for a repair-and-paint project that has sparked criticism over concerns about losing the buildings' unique identity. Residents of the eight blocks – numbered 497A to D, 497F to H and 497J on Tampines Street 45 – are voting on one of three colour schemes to address water seepage issues.
The poll ran from August 31 to September 13, with proposals including a scheme that closely matches the original colour palette, another that retains the palette with variations, and a complete overhaul of the blocks' appearance. While some residents prefer not to radically change the blocks' colours, others and experts argue against painting over the exposed brick facade.
Professor Yeo Kang Shua from the Singapore University of Technology and Design stated that even though the buildings are not formally conserved, their brickwork has value and recognisable architectural character. Tampines Town Council acknowledged residents' varied opinions, noting that while preserving the exposed brickwork preserves more of it, it also leads to recurring seepage and inconvenience.
Architectural photographer Darren Soh called for localized repairs on brick deterioration instead of painting the entire facade, arguing that a complete paint-over would "wipe out the spirit and essence of the estate". Heritage advocates hope to avoid a complete paint-over and stress the historical significance of the 620-unit project, which was the first under the HDB's Design and Build scheme in 1992. While some residents do not see water seepage as an issue, most oppose a full color overhaul.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
