'Keep the legacy alive': Heritage elements in Old Police Academy to be incorporated in Mount Pleasant BTO projects

SINGAPORE - It takes a drone and rounds of careful inspection to determine whether an almost century-old steel shed can be salvaged and given a new lease of life in the upcoming Mount Pleasant housing estate.

Built in 1929, the old drill shed - a column-free covered space measuring about 50m by 15.5m - is one of the oldest buildings at the Old Police Academy, which will be developed as part of a new 33ha housing estate.

The Housing Board (HDB) on Thursday said the first of six Build-To-Order (BTO) projects in the Mount Pleasant housing estate will be launched in 2025. In total, the estate will house around 5,000 new BTO flats.

HDB said it is studying the possibility of salvaging and reusing the trusses, beams and columns of the old drill shed, so they can be incorporated elsewhere on the new estate, as part of a bigger plan to weave the area's rich heritage into the design of the new development.

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Mr Ho Weng Hin, founding partner of Studio Lapis, said his team used a drone to capture the details of the shed and built a 3D model with its exact dimensions, down to the size of the bolts and nuts.

"Once we input these data, we are able to use a modelling programme to assess if there is a need to strengthen the structure if we were to put it back together in the future," he said, speaking to reporters during a visit to the site on Thursday (July 13).

His heritage consultancy firm has been tasked with advising and guiding the efforts to salvage heritage elements that can be given a place in the new estate.

As the large shed cannot be kept where it is because of the future housing plans, it will have to be dismantled carefully, kept in storage and maintained, to be reassembled when the new estate is completed.

It is a process Mr Ho described as "fairly technical", given the age of the structure, but can be accomplished systematically.

What helps is that the structure is in "fair condition", as far as century-old sheds go, he said. He credits it to regular usage and maintenance, along with the likely UK-made steel materials, which are of good and durable quality.

The Old Police Academy was vacated in December 2005 and has not been used since then. The old drill shed once served as a training area and doubled up as a police event space for medal ceremonies and band performances.

The challenge of retaining heritage elements from old structures stems from ensuring the right method and materials are used to repair ageing items, as different construction materials were used in the older days, said Mr Ho.

Once the items are repaired, the second challenge is in trying to repurpose these items or buildings in a sensible way without diluting their heritage or meaning.

"If not, there might be a conflict where you have to modify the structure a little too much and to the point that it may not be recognisable any more. So we have to strike the right balance between conservation and adaptive reuse," he said.

His approach to projects like this is to retain the "original look and feel" while not adding too many new elements unless absolutely necessary, such as for structural reasons.

Other heritage items that will be kept and repurposed are the starter blocks at the swimming pool, which will be used as street furniture in the estate.

The flat tops of the starter blocks lend themselves to be easily reused as a seat, which will make an interesting feature in future parks, said Mr Ho.

HDB on Thursday said it will explore how to retain the historical significance of buildings or spaces that cannot be retained in their entirety because of development needs or technical constraints.

This could include referencing their architectural elements in new developments where feasible, and possibly retaining some physical elements as street furniture or using them as markers in the new housing estate, it said.

Minister of State for National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, who was present during the visit, said incorporating heritage elements in the urban design allows Singaporeans of different generations to appreciate the significance of the Old Police Academy in the nation's history.

The place holds fond memories for Deputy Assistant Commissioner (NS) Chua Song Heng, who trained for nine months as a young officer cadet in the academy in 1982.

The shed, in particular, was where he underwent firearms training. It was also where some stations for the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) such as the shuttle run were held and, at one point, it even housed a boxing ring, said Mr Chua, who is also a member of the Old Police Academy workgroup.

"If the shed can be kept substantially, it'll be a strong representation of what the Old Police Academy means to a lot of us who have trained here... and keep the legacy alive," he said.

His one hope is that signage can be put up to mark Jalan Kesusahan, the ending point of the 2.4km IPPT run at the academy.

"When you're running and you're going to turn into Jalan Kesusahan and you see your squad mates and instructors cheering you on, you suddenly feel that power and dig deep to run like crazy to the finish line," he said.

"I hope there can be a marker so that next time, people can bring their kids here and say 'Do you know what Jalan Kesusahan means to your dad?'."

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.