Studio Instructor
Jackson, Alex & Adib
Overview
Pasir Panjang Power District(PPPD) was a major electrical contributor to the rapid growth and development of Singapore from 1950s till 1980s. Today, its two power stations with a combined capacity of 390,000 kilowatts are replaced by cleaner and more advanced power stations such as Senoko and Pulau Seraya to drive on Singapore’ next phase of development. With this in view, our studio aims to construct architectural hypotheses of what PPPD can be in the next 20 years. With its unique blend of rich industrial heritage and strategic location by the nation’s southern waterfront, Pasir Panjang Power District possess great potential to be transformed into Singapore next contemporary lifestyle destination – extending its importance from an utilitarian contributor to becoming a major social, economic and cultural exchange district between people, history and places.
Using URA 2019 Draft masterplan as a basis, our studio will embark on design explorations of PPPD in two stages at varying scales. In the first stage, students shall collaborate in teams to investigate and construct speculative masterplan propositions of PPPD for the next 20 years. Proposals should react to the delicate tension between preserving the heritage of the past and celebrating technological progression of the future. Potentials on embracing 4th industrial revolution (4IR) to enhance the masterplanning design and design processes shall be examined in view to alter and reshape the public experiences of a new urban waterfront lifestyle district.
For stage 2, individual student will adopt principles of their stage 1 masterplan design and put forward their architectural vision in reutilising and conserving one of the power stations within PPPD. Students are encouraged to explore architectural strategies and their proposed program/s as an activator in view to enhance social, emotion and physical connectivity between the different site contexts and users. Ideas of identity and memories of past, present, and especially the future should direct stage 2 as a sensitive architectural experimentation.
Objectives
Students are to construct their (Team or Individual) speculative design hypotheses using research-based methodology. Imagination, vision and diversity are highly encouraged within the studio. The relationships between ideas, materials, places, environment, sustainability, political life and the contemporary everyday will be our main focus.
Expectations
Speculative design through iterative experiment on drawings and making is highly encouraged. Fieldtrips, seminars and critical debates through open reviews and tutorials on ideas and techniques will be omnipresent to the studio culture.
