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kallang aerodrome
RESEARCH MAY 2015
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3726.4807

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Kallang aerodrome

ill.a- A postcard from the 1900s 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

ill. 1- map showing the overland silk route and

the maritime spice route.

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

ill. 3- E.G.dEredia, Chorographic description of

the straits of Sincapura and Sabbam, 1604 A.D.

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
DEredias 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. 4- A view of Kallang basin in the late

19th century.

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.

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.

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 1950s 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
1960s and the east cost parkway in
the 1980s 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.

Year/Period: pre- 1830s

4
5

Scale: approx. 1:22000

SYMBOLIC
Notes: 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.

6
Legend:

Hill
Sea
Forest
Swamp
Mangrove marsh
Sand- shallow water

SOCIOLOGIC
Notes: 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.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

2
Legend:

1
1

1. Trading zone
2. Industrial zone
3. Orientation to water

MORPHOLOGIC
Notes:
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

Year/Period: 1905

Scale: approx. 1:22000

SYMBOLIC
Notes: 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
2

SOCIOLOGIC
Notes: 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

MORPHOLOGIC
Notes: 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.

1. Inland shift
2. Land for cultivation

2
3

Legend:

1. Five villages
2. Shift towards river
3. Tanjong Rhu boat industry

Year/Period: 1930

Scale: approx. 1:22000

SYMBOLIC
Notes: 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.

2
1
3
2

Legend:

2
3

SOCIOLOGIC
Notes:
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:

Legend:

3
2
1

1. Gas factory
2. Strategically located
industries.
3. River as transport

MORPHOLOGIC
Notes: 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.

2
1

1. New town
2. Industries
3. Original town

1. Consolidated settlements
2. Industries
3. Future airport

Year/Period: 1940

Scale: approx. 1:22000

SYMBOLIC
Notes: 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

SOCIOLOGIC
Notes: 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.

1
Legend:

MORPHOLOGIC
Notes: 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.

4
3
5

Legend:

1. Approach to the town

2. Clean precinct
3. Locals pushed inwards

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Airport landing area

Seaplane approach
Airport terminal
Plane hangars
Seaplane wharf
Diversion of Geylang river

Year/Period: 1972

Scale: approx. 1:22000

SYMBOLIC
Notes: 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.

2
1
3

Legend:

2
2
2

1. Nicoll highway
2. Terminal building
3. Landing area

SOCIOLOGIC
Notes: The opportunity to turn this
area into a sports and entertainment
centre
for the whole
city
had
tremendous
potential
in
reestablishing 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

3
1

4
2

MORPHOLOGIC
Notes:
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 Peoples Association. The Sea
plane wharf area was converted into
a PWD store area.
Legend:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

National stadium
Other stadia
Peoples Association
PWD store
Old runway/Stadium boulevard

Year/Period: 2005

Scale: approx. 1:22000

1
3
2

SYMBOLIC
Notes: 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.
2.
3.
4.

Nicoll highway
PIE-ECP link
MRT line
Multi-directional
urban block

SOCIOLOGIC
Notes:
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.

2
1

2
Legend:

1. National Stadium
2. Large open areas

MORPHOLOGIC
Notes: 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.

1
Legend:

1. Stadiums
2. Restaurant
3. Landing area

Year/Period: Future

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.
1. Parallel zones
Legend:

SYMBOLIC
Understandings/realities The city is developing as blocks
parallel to the sea.
The sense of direction is lost and
the growth lacks broader vision

2. Perpendicular zones
3. Existing axes
4. New axes

SOCIOLOGIC
Understandings/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.
1. Links to the city
Legend:

3
1

2. Continuous pedestrian activity

3. Markets and Sports

1
7

5
3
4

MORPHOLOGIC
Understandings/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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Stadiums and other facilities

Underground highways
Swamp land/mangrove
Walkway through swamp
Informal market
Peoples Association
Runway

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
collection / edited by Irene Lim
Singapore : NUS Museum, National University of Singapore, c2004.

on

the

Charles

Dyce

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 , 1951Singapore : Times Editions , 1987.
Tidal fortunes : a story of change : the Singapore River and Kallang Basin / Joan Hon.
Hon, Joan , 1943Singapore : 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, 1971The Singapore house 1819-1942 / by Lee Kip Lin ; edited by Gretchen Liu ; designed by
Kathleen Lau. Lee, Kip Lin , 1925Singapore : 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
Redevelopment Authority (Singapore)/ Singapore : URA, [1993]

Authority/Urban

Unpublished works:
History of landuse pattern in Singapore, 1819-1867 / Lim Siu Hong. 1982.
Academic exercise--Dept. of History, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences,
University of Singapore, 1983.

National

Reading the traditional city of maritime Southeast Asia: The port town of Gelam-RochorKallang. 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.Colemans 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.