Geylang Serai Malay Village

Text by Eugene Tan

The Geylang Serai Malay Village was developed to revive the 'old' character of a Malay kampung. It was hoped that one could provide a quantifiable 'sense of place' through literal transpositions from Malay culture and history.

Geylang Serai Malay Village in 2009 (Photo credit: Eugene Tan)

The Singapore government's plan for Geylang Serai Malay Village

Straits Time image of Geylang Serai Malay Village planning

The Geylang Serai Malay Village was designed to look informal. Buildings within the compound were made to look additive, sporting differrent roof forms and material application, while their locations were planned to feel unplanned.

Grass lawn at Geylang Serai Malay Village

The Geylang Serai Malay Village adhered to strict fire controls. Although the compound featured handcrafted Meranti and Jarrah timbers, it was the overhead wires, PVC and zinc sheets (lifelike tableaus straight from kampungs), put together to such high detail that the safety hazards associated with informal settlements also became a concern.

Traditional decorations and shops at Geylang Serai Malay Village

The Geylang Serai Malay Village had a sheltered dropoff for tourbuses and a ticketed museum with a 'Kampung Days' experience.

Ticketing booth at Geylang Serai Malay Village

Goodluck Supermarket at Geylang Serai Malay Village

The Geylang Serai Malay Village was demolished in 2012, making way for a new building with civic and community functions such as elder-care facilities and multi-purpose halls. Presumably the zoning has not changed.