Singapore, Republic of Singapore
Taman Jurong Community Center Extension by Teh Joo Heng Architects for People’s Association extends the space and offerings of a well-utilized community center in Singapore.
For its playful and environmentally conscious design, Taman Jurong Community Center Extension has recently been awarded a 2022 International Architecture Awards Honorable Mention by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
85 percent of Singaporeans live in high-rise high-density public housing.
Taman Jurong Community Club is a community building that provides public recreational and communal amenities to residents living in Taman Jurong public housing district.
The existing community club was designed by the same architecture firm 10 years ago.
It was well utilized and as many years have passed, additional space is needed.
Due to a lack of land around the existing building, the extension project was built over the existing open basketball court.
The main design issue was thus how to retain the original design concept and spatial experience of the existing community center which is open, informal, porous, and tropical, and translate this concept into a more compact, vertical setting.
The close proximity of the extension to the existing community center also posed many design and technical challenges.
The extension was lifted to retain the basketball court, which also serves as a covered extension to the existing plaza for large-scale public functions.
The extension is separated from the existing community center by a narrow vertical space in order to provide sufficient width for the basketball court and new building.
This space is covered by a layered skylight for natural ventilation and weather protection.
A sun-shading and rainwater collection system with vertical planting was developed as an art installation, giving an artistic while at the same time functional feature to the building.
By using glass for the facade facing the existing community center, the visual connection between the extension and the existing building remains unblocked.
A custom-designed sunscreen for shade and glare control was introduced without compromising the visual transparency of the whole complex.
The extension provides large flexible multifunctional spaces for meetings, lectures, performances, and other spaces that complement the existing community center.
The roofscape was also designed for gathering and performances.
The industrial detailing and aesthetic expression brought back the industrial heritage of Taman Jurong as the pioneer industrial district in the economic development of Singapore, with added welcoming and delightful space for the community.
Project: Taman Jurong Community Center Extension
Architects: Teh Joo Heng Architects
General Contractor: Kindly Construction & Services Pte Ltd.
Client: People’s Association
Photographs Courtesy of the Architects