In this first episode of By Design, we explore the transformation of Gillman Barracks into a mixed-use development that blends art, dining, and lifestyle in Singapore. Melissa, an applied economist, tells us the challenges and evolution of this cultural precinct, and discusses the importance of such projects in maximising land use and creating vibrant, sustainable spaces in a land-scarce city.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Let's eat.
00:07Hi Melissa, thank you so much for talking to me today.
00:09So I just want to make sure I have your credentials right.
00:11You're an Applied Economist.
00:13What does that mean?
00:15Well...
00:19Today we're going to be talking about mixed-use developments.
00:21What are mixed-use developments?
00:23So a mixed-use development is essentially a place,
00:26it can be a precinct, it could be a building,
00:29it could be a collection of different buildings,
00:30that have different land uses.
00:33And a land use essentially is just one way in which
00:37land or a space is being used for some sort of human activity,
00:41whether it's economic activity, cultural activity,
00:44something for your livelihood.
00:46And that's all it is.
00:46I understand that in Singapore,
00:48mixed-use developments are particularly important.
00:50Why is that the case?
00:51Well, in general, there are various reasons
00:54why a mixed-use development principle
00:56might be important anywhere in the world.
00:57It could be, for example,
00:59creating different reasons for different people
01:01to come to a place.
01:02And so it brings in more footfall,
01:04makes the place more vibrant, more interesting.
01:06And of course, that has economic benefits.
01:08And then coming back to Singapore,
01:10we're land scarce, right?
01:11We've got to make the most of the land that we do have.
01:14And so mixed-use development,
01:15particularly when it's vertical,
01:17when it's densifying the land that you have,
01:19becomes so, so crucial.
01:20I'm curious about the different uses
01:22that you can put these developments to.
01:24And I think you wrote quite a well-received article about...
01:26Oops.
01:28Gilman Barracks.
01:29You know the one I'm talking about.
01:30I don't know what you're talking about.
01:31Yeah, so it is a cultural precinct,
01:33but what other uses does it have?
01:35When Gilman Barracks first opened in 2012
01:38in its current form,
01:40it started off with its initial tenant role
01:42included 13 art galleries,
01:44three restaurants.
01:45They've also tried to experiment
01:47with design retail tenants, for example.
01:50So I would say that Gilman Barracks
01:53is really mixed-use in the form of mixing
01:55this cultural use together with retail use
01:59and F&B use in particular.
02:00Gilman Barracks has a very unique location,
02:03very charming.
02:04From a retail perspective,
02:05it also has implications in terms of,
02:07you know, you don't necessarily get the most exposure
02:09to just pass it by footfall.
02:11And so that resulted in some implications
02:14for whether the businesses could sustain themselves.
02:16And it's normal for, you know,
02:17not all galleries will survive.
02:19That's perfectly fine.
02:20But some of the movements also suggested
02:22that this is getting a little bit difficult,
02:24potentially, because for some galleries,
02:26they're so well-known,
02:27it doesn't really matter where they are.
02:29People will come to them
02:30and it doesn't really matter
02:31how many people they need to bring in
02:33as long as you get, you know,
02:33one really good customer,
02:35you get enough income to sustain yourself.
02:37But for some of the smaller galleries,
02:39maybe representing more regional art, local art,
02:42that's going to be a little bit different.
02:43They might need a little bit more exposure.
02:45And so what I've really observed
02:46happening at Gilman Barracks
02:47is just the evolution of the tenant mix
02:50responding to the need to
02:52really open up that precinct more broadly,
02:54bring in more footfall beyond a pool of
02:57art buyers who already know about the precinct, right?
02:59I think the estate managers recognise that.
03:01And so over time,
03:02they started bringing in tenants
03:03that might be attracting a different audience,
03:06a more diverse audience, a wider audience.
03:08At one point, it was non-profits
03:10who were catering more to emerging artists.
03:12The F&B is definitely one thing
03:13that draws the public in a lot more.
03:16Also, in terms of the programming,
03:18the kinds of programmes they tried to bring in
03:20was really trying to open that up.
03:22So I think there was a recognition
03:23in terms of perhaps the challenges.
03:25And to be fair,
03:26it's very hard to develop an arts precinct, right?
03:28So it's like it's so hard to get it right
03:30from the get-go.
03:32Yeah, so there were definitely,
03:33you know, things that they had to overcome,
03:35but you can see how
03:36the precinct was adapting to it.
03:38So in 2020,
03:39the management of Gilman Barracks
03:42went over to the Singapore Land Authority.
03:44Singapore Land Authority in 2020
03:46came out with the slogan,
03:47this is going to be a vibrant,
03:49creative lifestyle enclave
03:51with complementary mix of lifestyle,
03:55dining and art.
03:56Before, it was international
03:57contemporary art destination.
03:59So it's not just art.
04:00But why is it hard to sustain that,
04:02like a cultural precinct alone
04:04without being mixed use?
04:05Well, because I think at the end of the day,
04:07someone's got to make the decision
04:09in terms of like,
04:09how are we going to fund this?
04:10But I just hope, I think that
04:12in whatever shape or form,
04:14that the cultural precincts that we have
04:17can continue to be able to be integrated
04:20within our future urban form,
04:21and where there are elements
04:23that can be preserved,
04:24that they can continue to be preserved
04:26so that we have pockets of these
04:27interesting and soulful places
04:28across Singapore, really.
04:30It doesn't all just have to be
04:31within the visitor node.
04:32Should really be spread across everywhere
04:33and really just follow authentically
04:35where do people want to go?
04:37Where does the creative community want to work?
04:38And where does the creative community
04:40want to connect with the overall ecosystem
04:42and draw inspiration from?
04:43Yeah, I think that's really exciting.
04:45And I'm looking forward to seeing that
04:46in the future as well.
04:47Thank you so much, Melissa.
04:48This was so enlightening.
04:49Thank you for having me.
04:50You know what I think would really drive footfall?
04:52Hmm?
04:52A Uniqlo and an old chunky.
04:55Okay, okay.
04:56I see where you're coming from.
04:57Look at us being artistic.
04:58Like this?