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From forgotten to fabulous: Breathing new life into Singapore’s state properties

The Singapore Land Authority is embracing adaptive reuse to revitalise neglected state-owned sites, while tapping their commercial potential  

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Ry-Anne Lim

Ry-Anne Lim

Published Fri, May 30, 2025 · 02:00 PM
    • Out of the former Nan Chiau High School site (pictured) came New Bahru, a showcase of buzzy restaurants and lifestyle stores.
    • The once-neglected 11 Keppel Hill has become the site for several high-end fashion brand events.
    • Colin Low stepped down as chief executive officer at the Singapore Land Authority at the end of April after four years at the helm.
    • The tender for a co-living concept at 26 Evans Road attracted 25 bids in October 2023.
    • The Singapore Land Authority manages some 11 hectares of state land and about 2,600 state-owned properties, from old army barracks and shophouses to walk-up apartments and disused schools.
    • Chanel’s first haute couture presentation in Singapore was held at 11 Keppel Hill, a colonial-era bungalow which the brand refurbished and dressed for the event.
    • Industry observers, including Cover Projects chief executive officer Lim Keong Wee, believe that tenures for state-owned sites may not be long enough.
    • Out of the former Nan Chiau High School site (pictured) came New Bahru, a showcase of buzzy restaurants and lifestyle stores. FINBAR FALLON
    • The once-neglected 11 Keppel Hill has become the site for several high-end fashion brand events. PHOTO: SLA
    • Colin Low stepped down as chief executive officer at the Singapore Land Authority at the end of April after four years at the helm. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT
    • The tender for a co-living concept at 26 Evans Road attracted 25 bids in October 2023. PHOTO: SLA
    • The Singapore Land Authority manages some 11 hectares of state land and about 2,600 state-owned properties, from old army barracks and shophouses to walk-up apartments and disused schools. PHOTO: SLA
    • Chanel’s first haute couture presentation in Singapore was held at 11 Keppel Hill, a colonial-era bungalow which the brand refurbished and dressed for the event. PHOTO: CHANEL
    • Industry observers, including Cover Projects chief executive officer Lim Keong Wee, believe that tenures for state-owned sites may not be long enough. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT

    [SINGAPORE] When Colin Low and his team at the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) first stepped into 11 Keppel Hill, the colonial-era bungalow was little more than a liability – overgrown, derelict and long vacant.

    “When we first went in, it was very dark, even in the daytime, and bats flew out. We got a shock!” says Low, who was chief executive officer at the agency until the end of April.

    Not long after, the once-forgotten building became the unlikely stage for Chanel’s first haute couture presentation in Singapore.

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