Reimagining Singapore's History

ORCHARD ROAD AND shopping centers go hand in hand. But way before it became a shopping street, it was virtually a valley - and susceptible to flooding since the 1840s. Through decades of development, it was flattened and Stamford Canal was converted into a covered storm drain.

As part of the Future of Our Pasts Festival, a group of architecture students will take visitors beyond the malls, to examine a series of artefacts and underground pipes that expose hidden and lesser known layers of Orchard Road's history. Titled ORchard: A Stroll Between Valleys, the tour is part of 11 creative works by students and recent graduates of different tertiary institutions to uncover Singapore's lesser-known stories.

The festival is organised by Yale-NUS College in support of the Singapore Bicentennial. Tan Tai Yong, president of Yale-NUS College and chair of the festival's steering committee says, "the festival is to get more people in Singapore interested in history through stories."