What makes a space public? How would you define a public space? Who does a public space belong to? 

Propose-A-Parklet is a competition that invites public enthusiasts from all walks of life—architects, designers, artists, students, creatives to join in a conversation about the use of public space(s) within the vicinity of The Substation. The competition called for concept proposals for a temporal urban addition no larger than a parking space of 2.5m (W) x 5.0m (L), to be sited in a public space of the applicant’s choice. 

Following a rigorous shortlisting process by the jury panel, a total of 11 out of 30 applicants were selected to participate in a series of open critique and public voting sessions. These sessions were aimed at empowering the selected individuals and teams to communicate the intentions of their proposed parklets in relation to the communities that they wish to serve. The collaborative dialogue encouraged an inclusive and sensitive approach to urban design and planning, where public spaces are reimagined by citizens for fellow citizens.

From ideation to realisation over the course of two months, this exhibition is a pinnacle of our competition ethos to inspire human-centered urban design. Featuring parklet designs in refined 1:1 models, the proposals envision public space for a varied spectrum of users: from “a resting place” for the living and the dead; a jiggly water-mattress-bench; a tent created as a social experiment that tests the power of community in times of epidemic; an immersive performance-experience led by Artists with Disabilities; to a DRAKON playground which draws inspiration from the stories of the Armenians.

In a similar vein, we invite you to reimagine public space by contributing a spatial intervention to our specially commissioned The Substation 1:20 architectural model. With ground-up collaboration, impactful urban transformation can resonate beyond the size of a parklet. 

Jury Panel
Jiarong Goh (Chair) / Fauzy Ismail / Hoe Su Fern / Michael Lee / Selwyn Low

Production Partner Roger&Sons

Venue Partner NParks

Competition [Submissions now closed]

Submission period: 28 January to 15 February 2020
Closing date and time: 15 February 2020, 2300hrs SGT

Brief

Participants are to submit a concept proposal for a temporal urban addition that is no larger than a parking space of 2.5m (W) x 5.0m (L), to be sited in a public space of your choice. The winning proposal will stand a chance to be realised!

Prizes

1. Grand Prize (x1) – $1,000 (Selected by jury panel)

2. Juror’s Choice (x1) – $500 (Selected by jury panel)

3. People’s Choice (x1) – $500 (Awarded to the proposal with the most number of votes during our public voting session on 29 February)

4. Special mentions (Selected by jury panel, prize money and no. of entries to be disclosed during announcement)

Grand Prize Winner

A MOMENT OF SILENCE
Foo Hui Wen, Lim Yu Zhi, Shirmine Tan

A Moment of Silence is a parklet intended for both humans and ghosts. Located in front of The Substation, the design is derived from the idea of “a resting place”, which can refer to a resting area for the living during a journey, or used as a reference to a burial ground for the dead. Through the form of a cloaked forest, feelings of inclusion and marginalization are simultaneously evoked as the presence of invisible entities are felt upon loitering within the space. Despite it being a shared space, the sense of eerieness that leaves along with the unsuspecting human serves as a reminder that public spaces do not simply exist as static physical entities but are a collection of ideas, actions and environments which ultimately shapes the usage and “ownership” of the space.

Jurors’ Choice Winner

DORSCOM: ORANGE - SQUEEZE!
Leong Man Wei

Can public spaces still exist in an epidemic? (Much less public art?) DORSCOM: ORANGE – SQUEEZE! is an experiment to test the vitality of public spaces and community in Singapore in times of an epidemic. Singaporeans have never been the most sociable people to begin with—with Singapore Kindness Movement and community artists trying their best to disrupt our peaceful, isolated, individualistic daily lives with social activity and community engagement. In school, they teach us that when the teacher says “ORANGE”, you say “SQUEEZE!”. This parklet hopes to encourage Singaporeans to rally together as a united public body to fight the epidemic. How will we respond to code ORANGE?

People’s Choice Winner

URBAN ROCKING BENCH
LOPELAB

Urban Rocking Bench offers to pedestrians of Armenian Street the possibility to stop and rest lulled by the gentle rocking. An evolution of the usual urban bench, but at the same time, a simple element based on the use of only two materials: concrete and wood. Concrete half pipe is designed for everyone who’s looking for a gentle rocking and keen to talk to other people. The design is meant to stimulate social interaction among strangers.

Special Mention

THE (KALLANG) ARMENIAN WAVE
Quen Architects

How does one occupy a public space without compromising its use by others in the same space? In most public spaces, our actions and activities affect how others are able to use the space.

The project represents the conflict of interest through the use of a water-mattress bench that jiggles and wobbles, and takes up whatever form subjected to it by the user. It is a comical representation of how the public space is flexible and fluid in its use. Sitting on the bench makes one more acutely aware of their actions, since any slight movement generates waves and jiggles throughout the entire bench.

S+11 
Centre for Urban Mythologies (CUM)

An intervention that speaks to both the history of the area surrounding The Substation and the larger ideas of displacement, S+11 is a site-specific installation that functions as a gathering and reading space for the general public.

Modelled after the S-11 coffee shop, a now defunct eatery that used to service the public who would visit the former National Library and other places of interests, this work comprises physical elements reminiscent of its namesake, a hidden speaker playing a soundscape consisting of recordings of ambient sounds from popular eateries around Singapore, and readings meant to inform and educate visitors on the discourses surrounding public space in Singapore.

VOID DECKED
Studio363 (Ian Sam and Eshton Chua)

In recent times, Singaporeans have lost our sense of connection with our neighbours, the importance of casual play with those that we interact with daily. This is an intangible culture and connection.

Void decked invites users to create a space according to their game of choice when they are present at the installation. It aims to evoke memories from experiences at our own void decks, whether it is a game of soccer, badminton or block catching, with the hopes that its users can reconnect with their childlike inclusiveness, and invite their friends or strangers to join them in a game within their “void decked” space.

BUBBLE ASSEMBLY
Loo Hui Jing

The proposal with coffee bean shape is inspired by the parklet’s original location of botanic garden where crops such as coffee were grown. Derived from DfMA principles, the proposal is an inflatable Bubble furniture which is modular and easily extendable with flexible usage. The material consists of a single module-inflatable constructed with ETFE–a fluorine-based plastic that is recyclable. These are then filled with air. They can be deflated for unpacking.

SEE-SAW
Margaret Suhasini Anthony

In light of Covid-19, people are afraid to gather in crowded spaces and hang out, causing communication between people in the public spaces to be greatly reduced. This installation art is created to encourage people to come together in difficult times, rather than to show hostility towards each other.

This parklet requires two people to work, where each seat will be installed with a touch sensor and when two people sit on them and play, it will create music.

Workshop: Whose Space Is This?
A model-making workshop led by artist, Michael Lee

21 Mar 2020, Sat, 2pm - 4pm
The Substation Level 2 Classroom 
Free admission via registration (Limited to 20 pax)

Whose space is this? is a workshop led by artist Michael Lee exploring ownership and justice in public space. The workshop invites participants to reflect on ways of forging empathetic communities in public space; and exploring ideas of creating, owning and sharing public spaces through model-making. 

The workshop begins with a brief history of public spaces, highlighting the discourse and novel uses of public spaces in Singapore (e.g. Golden Staircase, Doorstep Fish Tank, Yishun Void Deck), habits like seat choping, and gathering places for migrant workers and the broader communities (incl. wild fowl and mynahs). Participants will then create 1:20 scale architectural models of a 2.5 x 5m parklet, which may be inserted into the 1:20 scale model of The Substation featured as part of the Propose-A-Parklet exhibition in the gallery. The session will conclude with a show-and-tell.  

Basic sketching, cutting, adhesives and structural materials (art card, foamboard, cardboard) will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring along recyclable materials (old magazines, fabric, plastic packaging etc). 

Propose-A-Parklet: Judging & Public Voting Session

29 Feb 2020, 5pm - 7pm
The Substation Random Room
Free admission

Taking in the feedback and suggestions from the townhall and critique session, our Top 10 shortlisted teams of the Propose-A-Parklet Competition returns with their refined parklet proposals for Armenian Street!

Be part of the larger conversation about public spaces by voting for your favourite parklet design! Selected winning designs will be realised as part of an exhibition and showcase from 20 to 29 March.

The session will be facilitated by our jury, chaired by Jiarong Goh and jury members Fauzy Ismail, Hoe Su Fern, Michael Lee, and Selwyn Low.

Propose-A-Parklet: Public Townhall & Critique Session

22 Feb 2020, 12pm - 3pm
The Substation L2 Classroom
Free admission (Light refreshments will be provided)

From ideation to realisation. What are the thought-processes behind a design? What are some of the structural considerations for the ideal parklet?

Engage in a larger conversation about public spaces with us and take part in an open, public townhall and critique session where up to 10 shortlisted teams of the Propose-A-Parklet Competition will be presenting their submitted proposals on the ideal public spaces that they dream of.

The session will be facilitated by our jury, chaired by Jiarong Goh and jury members Fauzy Ismail, Hoe Su Fern, Michael Lee, and Selwyn Low.

Chair:

Jiarong Goh
Born in Singapore, Jiarong Goh completed her Bachelor of Arts (Architectural Studies) in 2008, followed on a Masters in Architecture (Design) in 2010 at the National University of Singapore. Upon her graduation, she has since joined studioMilou Singapore as a Senior Architectural Associate in 2011 and has been closely involved in several key projects of the studio, such as the National Gallery, Singapore, 33 Holland Park, and international projects in Vietnam and Hong Kong. 

Members:

Fauzy Ismail
Fauzy Ismail was an artist-in-residence at The Substation from 2018 to 2019 where he exhibited during the 2019 Singapore Art Week. He is currently a tutor and researcher in the department of architecture at the National University of Singapore, researching in and teaching on Singapore’s architecture and urban heritage. He is architecturally trained and was a government conservation architect. He is a keen volunteer for Singapore Heritage Society.

Hoe Su Fern
Hoe Su Fern is an arts researcher, educator, manager and advocate who traverses artistic disciplines and mediums. She is currently Assistant Professor and Programme Coordinator of Arts and Culture Management at Singapore Management University. She holds a PhD in Culture and Communication from The University of Melbourne. Her research areas include cultural policy, urban cultural economies, arts spaces and creative placemaking, which are deeply informed by her pursuit for practice-oriented and engaged arts research.

Michael Lee 
Michael Lee is an artist based in Singapore. He researches urban memory and fiction, especially the contexts and implications of loss. He transforms his observations into diagrams, models, environments, events or texts. Among his curatorial projects is “what it is about when it is about nothing” (2015) held in Mizuma Gallery, Singapore. He is currently observing the mood of Singapore’s art scene.

Selwyn Low
Selwyn is the co founder of cross-­disciplinary design practice, FARM. Formally trained as an architect, he currently leads the firm’s diverse portfolio including Interior, Product, Branding and Curatorial. He enjoys the process of conceptualising new spatial products from a user perspective and experience; and is actively creating new models of working and living spaces in Singapore and in the region.