Home is where the heart is and, for millions of people, that has long meant an HDB flat that serves as not just a roof over the head but also a sign of nation-building that has been thriving for 60 years.
That milestone has been marked by the HDB joining Singapore Press Holdings' Photonico platform in a project called Shapes Of Home that traces the evolution of public housing. The initiative involved members of the public taking part in a photo contest to share what home means.
Here are some winning entries.
Main category First Prize winner
Title: Toa Payoh Soul
"Remove colours and, with just lines and architecture, this is the result you get."
This black-and-white photo of Toa Payoh Central took almost 20 hours to post-process. It shows the straight architectural lines of buildings and HDB blocks set against wispy clouds on a sunny day, and was a labour of love by videographer Stefan Tan, who has a particular interest in landscape and architecture photography. (Photographed on June 29, 2015)
Instagram category First Prize winner
Title: Fresh Coat of Paint
Foreign workers giving Block 68 Circuit Road a new coat of paint. This picture was taken on April 1, 2020, just before the circuit breaker, when Covid-19 was at its peak in Singapore.
"Despite that, our dear foreign workers were still hard at work and risking their lives to maintain the beauty of our country by giving our homes a fresh coat of paint. A new, fresh coat of paint provides our HDB towns with a new lease of life, which is crucial especially for older estates such as MacPherson. It will also, in turn, make an estate less mundane as it is forever changing."
Main category Third Prize winner
Title: Future in the Heartlands
Children having an enjoyable time at a large community water park in Yishun as the sun sets. Located beside Block 307 Yishun Central, about 10 minutes' walk from Yishun MRT station, Oasis Waterpark @ Nee Soon East was officially launched last year and took about 10 months to construct. (Photographed on June 30, 2019)
Main category Merit Prize winner
Title: The Urban Wildlife
Two egrets and a heron seen in the canal waters of Sungei Tampines in the evening of April 26, 2020. "During the pandemic when more people choose to stay indoors, there are increasing sights of animals roaming the streets and canals that offer us a rare chance to witness the wildlife in action."
Main category Merit Prize winner
Title: Giant Pretzel at Toa Payoh
A woman with a rainbow-hued umbrella walking along the winding paths in Toa Payoh Crest, which look like a giant pretzel when photographed from above. (Photographed on Oct 10, 2020)
Instagram category Merit Prize winner
A mother helping her child at a playground in Bishan on Oct 10, 2020. "While he was clutching the netting tightly, he realised he needed help from his mother. She held on to him for a while until the boy was confident to do it alone."
Instagram category Merit Prize winner
A morning Eid congregation in a void deck in Jurong West Street 93. Found on the ground level of HDB blocks in Singapore, void decks are open spaces used for community activities. (Photographed on June 25, 2017)
Instagram category Merit Prize winner
Members of the public seen at one of the blocks in Mountbatten Road on Oct 11, 2020. "Love is wonderful, and finding the right one by coincidence is awesome, but finding the one via fate is amazing. Both fate and coincidence are beyond our control. They just happen. Fate is what's meant to be, no matter what you do, and coincidence is a matter of right place, right time. Have you ever known neighbours who became lovers and eventually got together?"
Instagram category Merit Prize winner
Title: Green Viewport
From coast to thickets: The lighthouses that once oversaw the white sands of Pasir Ris have been incorporated into the design language of today’s HDB flats in the area, signifying the old coastal kampung’s transformation into Singapore’s long-term vision of a green, lushly landscaped city. Taken at Block 154 Pasir Ris Street 13. (Photographed on Oct 11, 2020)
More pictures from the winners gallery.
