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kallangaerodrome

RESEARCH·MAY2015

DOI:10.13140/RG.2.1.3726.4807

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VishwanathKashikar

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ill.a- A postcard from the 1900’s showing the bugis settlement

Ill.b- An aerial view of the Kallang airport just after reclamation

Illc- Another view of the completed airport with the city in the background

ill.d- The merdaka bridge with the stadium in the background. Note the stranded boats

Kallang aerodrome

The history of trade between the ancient civilizations of the world is well documented. The growth and stagnation of many cities on the silk route, which was the link between Asia and Europe, highlights the importance of trade as a generator of cities. Though not given equal importance, an alternate maritime route existed between Europe and the countries of China and India since the 9th century. This was known as the spice route. The route between India and China passed through the straits of Malacca. Due to the climactic factor of monsoon winds, the Malacca straits became an important stop over point for ships sailing between the two countries. The indigenous people of the Malacca straits, hence, became sophisticated boat builders and eventually traders. It is believed the ‘bugis’ and the ‘orang laut’ built seaworthy ships that were capable of crossing the Indian ocean as early as the 11th century. The close contact with the Chinese, the Indians and the Europeans enabled these people to develop sea faring boats incorporating the latest technology. Large parts of the Singapore Island were covered by tropical forests before its urbanization. The Rochor, Kallang and Geylang rivers opened out onto the Kallang basin delta. This basin is protected from the rough seas by a natural barrier in the form of the tanjong rhu outcrop. The delta was covered by swamp lands, mangrove marshes and low sand banks. This coupled with the calm seas, made it an ideal location for a sea port. As early as 1604, the Portuguese sailor D’Eredia’s map shows the location of Xabandaria (shahbundar- port master) near tanjong rhu. This not only implies the presence of human habitation; it proves the existence of volume of trade important enough to justify the creation of the post of port master.

ill. 1- map showing the overland silk route and the maritime spice route.

ill. 2- the indigenous people, the settlements that they built, and their sea faring boats.

ill. 3- E.G.d’Eredia, Chorographic description of the straits of Sincapura and Sabbam, 1604 A.D.

The marsh land and low sand banks were ideal places for boat building and repairing. The urban pattern was governed by the access to sea and later on, the links with the hinterland through the river. The accretive nature of the fabric and the materials used for construction led the Europeans to believe that this was more a fishing village than a city. This, however, was not a self sufficient community. It depended on the cultivation inland for its food produce. It heavily depended on trade and its monetary gain to attain wealth needed to pay for agriculture and other produce. This clearly indicates the presence of a maritime urban city before the advent of the Europeans. A large part of the Kallang basin was taken over by the British government in 1930 to make way for the Kallang airport. Extensive reclamation was carried out and the affected people were shifted to jalan eunos malay settlement. This location was chosen by the then governer Sir Cecil Clementi as he felt that the evil smelling swamps would anyways have to be cleared one day due to its unhygienic conditions. The airport was inaugurated in 1937. The 1000 yard diameter airport was planted with grass, and also doubled up as a seaplane port. A concrete runway was later added in the 1950’s for larger aircrafts. This runway passed through the mountbatten road resulting in a plane crossing (akin to a railway crossing). The increase in air traffic resulted in the closure of this airport in 1955, and the site was turned into a sports centre with the construction of the national stadium in 1973. The nicoll highway was opened in the 1960’s and the east cost parkway in the 1980’s which resulted in this area becoming a large traffic island. The subsequent development of high rise housing in tanjong rhu, and the reclamation of further land, has effectively obliterated the relationship between this area and the sea. The present day view of the mouth/delta of these rivers, which once fostered a thriving maritime civilization, narrates the sorry tale of the degeneration of this area.

ill. 4- A view of Kallang basin in the late 19th century.

ill. 5- view of Kallang basin in 1930 before reclamation for the airport.

ill. 6- Aerial view of Kallang airport in 1937 with tanjong rhu in foreground.

ill. 7- The national stadium and old airport road in 1973.

ill. 8- The mouth of Kallang river opening to sea in 2004.

Year/Period: pre- 1830’s Scale: approx. 1:22000

MORPHOLOGICNotes: The typology of houses developed in close relation to the relationship between the house and the boat. This led to the formation of pockets of houses next to the water. As a result the village/town was spread over a vast area, and was erroneously interpreted by the Colonials to be a shanty town. As a result the colonial map does not indicate any settlement in this area. All houses were raised on stilts and had attap roofs with a direct access from boats. Legend: 1. location of houses

SOCIOLOGICNotes: The area to the west of Kallang basin was occupied by traders whose relationship to the sea direct and based on transfer of goods. The Bugis and Orang laut were primarily occupied in the trade of boat building and repairing and hence the proximity to waterways and the availability of land were important considerations, resulting in a more organic relationship with water. Legend: 1. Trading zone 2. Industrial zone 3. Orientation to water

SYMBOLICNotes: The symbolic axis from the hills to the sea is predominant. The hilly areas were considered sacred and the accompanying forests preserved the notion of the sacred and probably fostered forest spirits. The inhabitation of the area between land and water (marsh/swamp) symbolized the nature of the indigenous community. Legend: 1. Hill 2. Sea 3. Forest 4. Swamp 5. Mangrove marsh 6. Sand- shallow water

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Year/Period: 1905 Scale: approx. 1:22000

MORPHOLOGICNotes: Paucity of land and increase in population resulted in consolidation of the original settlements into so called villages. Five villages are identified during this time- kampong kallang pasir, kallang pokok, kallang laut, kallang batin and kallang rokok. A shift from building and repairing boats for continental journeys, to being employed in trade within the city is manifested in the shift from the sea towards the river. Legend: 1. Five villages 2. Shift towards river 3. Tanjong Rhu boat industry

SOCIOLOGICNotes: The growth of the colonial town marginalized the Bugis and the Orang laut. The development of the tanjong rhu as an industrial boat yard was in direct competition with the Bugis. However, new forms of livelihood like transportation of people on ferries, ferrying goods between big ships and the loading docks, supplying raw material for industries, etc. helped these people to continue with the boat related activity. Legend: 1. Cultivation Zone 2. Planned town 3. Tanjong Rhu boat industry

SYMBOLICNotes: With the growth of the town, the scarcity of land led to massive deforestation. Land was cleared for building as well as cultivation. The colonial rulers also imposed their own ideologies of a town and the indigenous people were slowly sidelined. Industrialization as a process also brought about a rational thought process which impinged upon the traditional symbolic notions of space. Legend: 1. Inland shift 2. Land for cultivation

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Year/Period: 1930 Scale: approx. 1:22000

MORPHOLOGICNotes: The consolidation of the five villages in this area is apparent. The houses continued to be of the traditional type. Simultaneously, modern warehouses and industries developed in this region. They were made of brick manufactured at kilns to the north of Kallang. Legend: 1. Consolidated settlements 2. Industries 3. Future airport

SOCIOLOGICNotes: The underlying tensions between the bugis and the industrial sheds are apparent in their locations. Saw mills and gas factories can be seen at the mouth of rivers which was an important location to symbolize control over the river. The Colonial powers considered this area to be a dirty swamp which was unhygienic and wanted it to be removed. Legend: 1. Gas factory 2. Strategically located industries. 3. River as transport

SYMBOLICNotes: The world was divided into two halves. On one hand was science and technology which was proceeding at an astounding pace leading to widespread industrialization; resulting in science replacing nature at the centre of the world view. The other half was still holding on to traditional belief systems and was more attuned to nature. This is very evident in the Kallang basin area where the indigenous village persists amongst factories and warehouses. Legend: 1. New town 2. Industries 3. Original town

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Year/Period: 1940 Scale: approx. 1:22000

MORPHOLOGICNotes: The planes of the era did not possess sophisticated landing equipment and hence the airports were circular in nature to allow for large variations in direction and speed of landing. The sea plane waterway effectively stopped all boating activity in the area as the waterway was lined with a wooden boom to keep off all floating debris. Legend: 1. Airport landing area 2. Seaplane approach 3. Airport terminal 4. Plane hangars 5. Seaplane wharf 6. Diversion of Geylang river

SOCIOLOGICNotes: Plane journeys were very costly and hence reserved for the rich. This created a sea change in the development of this area. Airports still are the pride of a city as they are the first impression that a visitor has. This led to a cleanliness drive around the airport and the industries and locals were pushed back further. The only entity which could resist this was the tanjong rhu shipping yard which had to be maintained due to its tremendous economic value. Legend: 1. Approach to the town 2. Clean precinct 3. Locals pushed inwards

SYMBOLICNotes: Growth of the Colonial town finally overtook this region with the making of the civil aerodrome in 1937. This followed the British pattern of constructing transportation hubs at the edge of their city. The airport became one of the three centres of entry to Singapore (the other two being the sea port and the railway station). Legend: 1. Edge of Colonial town 2. Local settlements 3. Industrial zone

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Year/Period: 1972 Scale: approx. 1:22000

MORPHOLOGICNotes: The Kallang airport was shifted in 1955, and a vast tract of land was suddenly available for development. A new sports complex for the country was envisaged in this area, and the national stadium was inaugurated in 1973. This was followed by other sports and recreational buildings in this area. The terminal building was taken over by the People’s Association. The Sea plane wharf area was converted into a PWD store area. Legend: 1. National stadium 2. Other stadia 3. People’s Association 4. PWD store 5. Old runway/Stadium boulevard

SOCIOLOGICNotes: The opportunity to turn this area into a sports and entertainment centre for the whole city had tremendous potential in re-establishing this area as one of the centres of the whole city. The relation to the sea was, however, lost due to the extensive reclamations carried out in the tanjong rhu area. Legend: 1. Recreation zone 2. City focus 3. Reclamations in tanjong rhu

SYMBOLICNotes: Singapore was growing at a tremendous pace resulting in the need of better transportation systems. This led to the construction of the nicoll highway which effectively cut off the sports centre from the rest of the city. The disregard for the original airport is evident in the manner in which it cuts between the terminal building and the landing area. Legend: 1. Nicoll highway 2. Terminal building 3. Landing area

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Year/Period: 2005 Scale: approx. 1:22000

MORPHOLOGICNotes: The vestiges of the circle are being cut up by the transportation routes. Already, the presence of a circular land cannot be perceived on ground due to the arbitrary placing of building on the site. The buildings make no reference either to the past or to the site conditions. Legend: 1. Stadiums 2. Restaurant 3. Landing area

SOCIOLOGICNotes: This area appears dead because it houses large stadiums which are used occasionally. Although it is touted as a recreational area, the absence of any public functions of a daily nature has resulted in its underutilization. Legend: 1. National Stadium 2. Large open areas

SYMBOLICNotes: This area is undergoing a major transition. From being a spatial focus of the city, it is becoming a nodal intersection of transportation. Extensive reclamations have completely altered the notion of a river delta and its swamps. The sense of front and back, mountain and sea is lost due to the multi-directional nature of the urban blocks and the buildings within. Legend: 1. Nicoll highway 2. PIE-ECP link 3. MRT line 4. Multi-directional

urban block

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Year/Period: Future

SYMBOLICUnderstandings/realities- • The city is developing as blocks

parallel to the sea. • The sense of direction is lost and

the growth lacks broader vision Recommendations- • City should orient itself as zones

perpendicular to the sea. • The city should have a back (the

hills) and a front (the sea). Individual buildings should respond to this idea of orientation.

Legend: 1. Parallel zones 2. Perpendicular zones 3. Existing axes

4. New axes

SOCIOLOGICUnderstandings/realities- • Sea fronts are occupied by offices

or institutionalized entertainment zones.

• Various zones do not make larger connections to the rest of the city.

Recommendations- • Sea fronts should have a mix of

institutionalized and small scale, public entertainment areas.

• Continuity can be achieved by linking functions together with active public areas like food stalls, hawker centres, public parks etc.

Legend: 1. Links to the city 2. Continuous pedestrian activity 3. Markets and Sports

MORPHOLOGICUnderstandings/realities- • Transport systems are necessary and

will act as a knife carving out urban blocks.

• High rise buildings inevitable due to land prices and urban density.

Recommendations- • All major arteries to be oriented

North-South. East-West links should be underground.

• All high rise zones should be towards the hills creating a manmade hill. North-South high rise zones can be created as well.

Legend: 1. Stadiums and other facilities 2. Underground highways 3. Swamp land/mangrove 4. Walkway through swamp 5. Informal market 6. People’s Association

7. Runway

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References: Early Singapore 1300s - 1819 : evidence in maps, text and artefacts / general editors, John N. Miksic, Cheryl-Ann Low Mei Gek. Singapore : Singapore History Museum, c2004 Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch plans to construct a fort in the Straits of Singapore, ca. 1584-1625 / Peter Borschberg. Borschberg, Peter. Paris : Association Archipel, 2003. An anecdotal history of old times in Singapore : from the foundation of the settlement ... on February 6th, 1819 to the transfer to the Colonoial Office ... on April 1st, 1867 / by Charles Burton Buckley ; with an introduction by C.M. Turnbull. Buckley, Charles Burton , 1844-1912. Kuala Lumpur : University of Malaya Press, 1965. Sketching the straits : a compilation of the lecture series on the Charles Dyce collection / edited by Irene Lim Singapore : NUS Museum, National University of Singapore, c2004. Ray Tyers' Singapore : then & now / [Ray Tyers] ; revised and updated by Siow Jin Hua. Tyers, R. K . (Ray K.) , 1919-1988. Singapore : Landmark Books , c1993. Rochore : eyewitness / text by Kelly Chopard ; [photography, Albert Lim K.S. ; picture editor, Goh Eck Kheng]. Chopard, Kelly. Singapore : Landmark Books for Rochore Citizen's Consultative Committee , [1989] A vision of the past : a history of early photography in Singapore and Malaya : the photographs of G.R. Lambert & Co., 1880-1910 / by John Falconer ; [edited by Gretchen Liu]. Falconer, John , 1951- Singapore : Times Editions , 1987. Tidal fortunes : a story of change : the Singapore River and Kallang Basin / Joan Hon. Hon, Joan , 1943- Singapore : Landmark Books , [1990] Kampong Glam : spirit of a community / Jane Perkins ; photographs by Lim Seng Tiong. Perkins, Jane. Singapore : Times Pub. for Kampong Glam Citizens' Consultative Committee, 1984. Airport of Singapore : [opened by His Excellency Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas, Saturday, 12th June 1937]. [1937]. Street map of Singapore . - Scale [1 : 12672]. 5 ins. to 1 mile. Singapore : Kelly and Walsh, Ltd. , [1913?] Revised master plan atlas. Singapore. [Singapore : Govt. Survey Dept., 1966]. Singapore. Singapore : Ministry of Culture, 1971- The Singapore house 1819-1942 / by Lee Kip Lin ; edited by Gretchen Liu ; designed by Kathleen Lau. Lee, Kip Lin , 1925- Singapore : Times Editions [for] Preservation of Monuments Board , 1988. Singapore historical postcards / from the National Archives Collection / [edited by Gretchen Liu] National Archives and Records Centre (Singapore) Singapore : Times Editions , 1986. Kallang planning area : planning report 1993 / Urban Redevelopment Authority/Urban Redevelopment Authority (Singapore)/ Singapore : URA, [1993]

Unpublished works: History of landuse pattern in Singapore, 1819-1867 / Lim Siu Hong. 1982. Academic exercise--Dept. of History, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, 1983. Reading the traditional city of maritime Southeast Asia: The port town of Gelam-Rochor-Kallang. 1810-1842./ Imran Bin Tajudeen, 2004. Dissertation submitted towards partial fulfillment of the degree of Bachelor of Arts (architecture) honours. Online resources: http://www.ura.gov.sg http://www.a2o.com.sg/public/html/ http://www.maritimeasia.ws/topic/chronology.html multimedia resources: Wheels and wings and boats and things [videorecording] / SPH MediWorks ; director, Peter Lamb. Singapore : SPH MediaWorks, [c2003] Illustration credits: Singapore historical postcards: ill.a Airport of Singapore: ill.c, 5, 6 A vision of the past : a history of early photography in Singapore and Malaya : the photographs of G.R. Lambert & Co.: ill.2 Early Singapore 1300s - 1819 : evidence in maps, text and artifacts: ill.3 Ray Tyers' Singapore : then & now: ill.4, 1930, 1940 map History of landuse pattern in Singapore, 1819-1867. (from G.D.Coleman’s Survey): 1830 map The Singapore house 1819-1942: 1905 map Street map of Singapore: 1972 map Kallang planning area: planning report: 2005 map, ill.10 (kallang area map) Master plan for the urban waterfronts at Marina Bay and Kallang Basin (draft): ill.11(kallang stadium map) http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/: ill.1, 9(Singapore map) http://www.a2o.com.sg/public/html/: ill.b, d, 7 author: ill.8 The illustrations used in this report are for academic purposes only and may not be copied in any form.