SLA launches tender for pre-WWII heritage bungalows in Adam Park
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The black-and-white Art Deco-style bungalow cluster, which is zoned for residential use, has a 30-year leasehold tenure.
PHOTO: SLA
SINGAPORE – The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) launched a tender on Feb 3 for a cluster of 19 residential pre-World War II heritage bungalows in Adam Park which had previously been used as a prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore.
Located off Adam Road and near amenities in Dunearn Road, the black-and-white Art Deco-style bungalow cluster
Built in 1929 for officers and families of the Municipal Council and Singapore Improvement Trust, these heritage bungalows, which have been conserved because of their architectural and heritage significance, range from 350 sq m to 623 sq m in size.
According to the SLA, the bungalows are to be operated as serviced apartments, with office, childcare centre or food and beverage uses allowed at 7 Adam Park, while 11 Adam Park has the option to be converted into a clubhouse.
Only “limited” infill development and extension works will be allowed to adapt the site for modern living while retaining its rustic charm and landscape, SLA said.
Such works can be done for up to 2,000 sq m of space on the site and must be limited to a single storey.
Ms Tan Puay Joo, SLA’s director of land sales (private), said: “Adam Park is a unique site that represents a significant part of Singapore’s built heritage and history. This tender aims to bring renewed life to the estate that will cater to evolving lifestyle trends, while ensuring its history is respected and honoured.”
To ensure that the selected concept proposals align with the vision and fulfil conservation requirements for the site, a concept and price revenue tender approach will be adopted, the SLA said.
Under this approach, tenderers are required to submit their concept proposals and tender prices separately.
The concept proposals will first be evaluated against a set of criteria specified in the tender, which include the overall development concept, quality of building design, rehabilitation and maintenance plans, and the track record of tenderers.
Only compelling concept proposals will be shortlisted to proceed to the second stage of evaluation, which will be based on price only.
The tender for the Adam Park heritage bungalow site will close on Aug 4.
SLA also requires the successful tenderer to comply with the protection of the as-built heritage of the bungalows.
As the site has been designated a conservation area, any restoration, repair or addition must comply with conservation guidelines. Subdivision of the site or strata subdivision of the bungalows will not be allowed.
The successful tenderer is also required to retain the rustic charm of the existing site, preserve its heritage significance and encourage concepts that celebrate the rich history of the site and heritage bungalows at large.
They include implementing measures to promote the history and significance of the site, particularly the bungalows at 5 and 11 Adam Park, where wartime artefacts are present.
These could be in the form of heritage markers or storyboards, murals, walking trails and publications, the SLA said.
To safeguard the archaeological significance of the site, the successful tenderer must appoint a project archaeologist to conduct mitigation works to recover and document archaeological materials and features.
During World War II, Adam Park became a battleground, and the estate was subsequently used as a POW camp, housing up to 3,000 British and Australian POWs within its grounds.
Evidence of its wartime role still exists in artefacts within the houses, as well as buried in the grounds.
They include a painted chapel wall mural on the upper storey of 11 Adam Park and the remnants of a POW calendar etched into the wall at the outhouse of 5 Adam Park. The wartime battalion headquarters at 7 Adam Park still stands at the entrance to the estate, the SLA said.
