A repainting job on Bishan’s red-brick flats has earned the ire of some residents, architects and heritage experts, reported the media.
Notably, some terracotta HDB blocks, such as those in Bishan Streets 22 and 24, will be covered in various colours, with combinations like grey, golden yellow and silver, as part of ongoing repairs by the Town Council.
However, architectural and urban historian Lai Chee Kien believes the paint job will change the feature of the estate, which was popular for its red-brick facade.
“Red-brick panels and bands were probably chosen by the estate’s original architects to present a common, unifying aesthetic identity. Today’s town councils must look at this from a larger scale and keep the entire town in mind when making these changes,” he said.
Earlier this year, residents at Blocks 201 to 2019 in Street 23 were presented with three colour palettes that included a purple and pink combination.
Upset with the “horrible colour”, resident Charlene Koh, along with her brother Kenneth, knocked on doors and had around 600 residents sign a petition.
She also came up with three new terracotta-themed colour schemes, after approaching her Member of Parliament (MP) Josephine Teo. In March, one of Koh’s colour combinations was put to vote, along with the original options offered by the town council, and emerged tops.
“I was delighted that a resident cared enough to do something instead of just talking about it,” said Mrs Teo, who explained that the flats are given fresh paint to fill in hairline cracks, reduce the risk of water seepage and spruce up the estate.
Image (from towncouncils.sg): File photo of HDB work
Muneerah Bee, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories email muneerah@propertyguru.com.sg
