by Tay Kheng Soon / Akitek Tenggara
Aims, objectives and methods:
The primary aim is to transform the bukit timah town centre into a vibrant people-oriented place on par with orchard road. This is to be achieved with a minimum disturbance to existing businesses and to enhance pedestrian access and the quality of the public space.
To benefit the community and the businesses located in the area additional social amenities are proposed. The unused space under the bukit timah fly-over is proposed to be developed for non-profit usage. Suggested are accommodation for Singapore nature society facilities, premises for film society, gardening society and additional facilities for the Bukit Timah Community Center. The cost of such facilities to be borne by the respective agencies. The land to be leased to the various agencies nominal cost basis. Technically, the new facilities are to conform to reasonable safety requirements of the LTA.
Proposed use of spaces under bukit timah flyover:
1 it is proposed that the space under the bukit timah flyover be used for non-profit community related uses.
2 the proposed uses are: administration offices and meeting rooms for Singapore nature society, the gardening society, lecture halls which can be used for nature society's nature education program for the schools, film shows for Singapore film society and drama performances, additional accommodation for committee rooms and study rooms for the bukit timah community centre.
3 technical provisions:
3.1 88 numbers of carparks ad 14 numbers of bus parking bays (school buses)
3.2 Road access to the carpark to be taken temporarily from Bukit Timah avenue until such time when the revised road system is in place whereby bukit timah road woul be relegated to local road status. In that event, the ingress and egress can be re-planned in relation to the new road circulation system provided for the vacant land adjacent to the proposed development.
3.3 all services infrastructure are available for the proposed development.
3.4 there should be no objections from Bukit Timah Plaza as they already have a pedestrian access opening out to the space under the flyover.
3.5 the existing pedestrian connection between anak bukit to bukit timah road will be maintained.
3.6 all structures under the flyover will be self-supporting and not impose any loads onto the existing structures.
3.7 a concrete roof will be provided as an access for visual inspection of the flyover structure.
