Tiong Bahru

Tiong Bahru is Singapore's oldest public housing estate, located in the Bukit Merah planning area. Developed by the Singapore Improvement Trust in the 1930s, it is noted for its distinctive Streamline Moderne and Art Deco low-rise flats, curved streets and communal courtyards. Today it blends heritage architecture with independent cafes, bookshops, murals and the popular Tiong Bahru Market, making it a well-preserved example of early public housing and a vibrant lifestyle enclave.

Visitors can expect a low-rise residential neighbourhood with curved streets, two- to four-storey Art Deco and Streamline Moderne apartment blocks, five-foot ways and communal courtyards. The area contains independent cafes, bakeries, bookstores and boutiques along Yong Siak Street and Eng Hoon Street, wall murals depicting local life, the two-storey Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre, and small parks such as Seng Poh Garden. It is a walkable estate for heritage viewing, photography and food tasting.

Tiong Bahru is the first public housing estate built by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), constructed between the 1930s and 1940s. It introduced modern public housing concepts with low-rise flats, air wells and communal spaces. The estate includes pre-war flats in Streamline Moderne style and post-war blocks, and was gazetted as a conservation area, reflecting early urban planning and public housing development in Singapore.

The estate is recognized as a conserved heritage neighbourhood that illustrates early public housing and community living. It retains original architectural character while hosting a contemporary mix of local hawker culture at Tiong Bahru Market, independent businesses, bookstores and community art such as heritage murals, reflecting the evolution of a residential area into a cultural and lifestyle enclave.