Redevelopment of Gillman Barracks (2026)

The redevelopment of Gillman Barracks refers to the Housing and Development Board's (HDB) plan, announced on 10 July 2026, to transform the former British military camp and contemporary arts enclave off Alexandra Road into a residential estate with both public and private housing. The announcement followed environmental and heritage studies commissioned by HDB, which also covered a second housing site at Sunset Way in Clementi.

HDB's redevelopment plan. Photo by CNA.

Under the conceptual plans, more than 20 of the 86 buildings on the Gillman Barracks site will be retained, including all four assessed to be of "Exceptional" heritage significance, alongside most of the site's secondary forest and a forest stream. HDB said the new homes will be "designed around nature". Members of the public can submit feedback on the published study reports from 10 July to 6 August 2026.

What is the history of Gillman Barracks?

Military origins (1930s to 1971)

Gillman Barracks was completed in the mid-1930s on land that was previously swamp and jungle, as part of a string of installations defending Singapore's southern coast. It was named after General Sir Webb Gillman (1870 to 1933), a Royal Artillery officer who spent three months in Singapore in 1927 heading a commission on the defence requirements of the new naval base, and who rose to General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the British Army's Eastern Command.

The 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment moved into the camp in April 1936 as its first occupants, followed by the 2nd Battalion, Loyal Regiment in 1938. The original camp covered about 118 acres between Alexandra Road and Depot Road, with barrack buildings, married quarters, messes, regimental institutes and sports facilities. In February 1942, the Loyals mounted a defence of the barracks against advancing Japanese forces in the final days before Singapore fell, and the camp was among the last British positions to fall. Only 165 of the battalion's original 800 men were present at the final muster, with survivors marched to Changi as prisoners of war.

On 21 August 1971, the barracks were sold to the Singapore government for a token S$1 as part of the British military withdrawal. The Singapore Armed Forces held a passing-out parade there that October, and the camp went on to house units including the School of Combat Engineers and the 3rd Transport Battalion before SAF units began relocating from 1984.

Gillman Village and the arts cluster (1996 to 2026)

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Gillman Barracks. Photo by The Honey Combers (Ashe Liao)

After the army vacated the camp, the site was renamed Gillman Village in 1996 and leased for commercial uses such as restaurants, bars and furniture shops, though it struggled with low footfall due to its tucked-away location. In February 2010, the government announced plans to remake the site as an arts hub, reverting to the Gillman Barracks name. Following a S$10 million revamp led by the Economic Development Board, JTC Corporation and the National Arts Council, Gillman Barracks was relaunched on 15 September 2012 as a contemporary arts cluster with 13 galleries from 10 countries.

The arts cluster had a rocky start. In April 2015, five galleries declined to renew their leases, citing low visitorship and poor sales. A dedicated programme office was set up in 2016, and the tenant mix was broadened with lifestyle and arts outreach tenants. The Singapore Land Authority took over management of the precinct from JTC in March 2020, the same year the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art closed its exhibition hall and residency studios after funding from the Economic Development Board ceased. Environmental and heritage studies for the site's redevelopment began in 2024.

HDB's 2026 redevelopment plans

HDB's heritage study covered a 47-hectare area, comprising an approximately 40-hectare development area bounded by Depot Road, Alexandra Road, Telok Blangah Road/West Coast Highway and Telok Blangah Street 31, plus a seven-hectare green area north of Telok Blangah Heights. All 86 buildings across seven clusters were assessed for historical, architectural and technological, social and communal, and contextual value.

The four buildings rated "Exceptional" will all be retained: Block 3 within the Preston Road School Cluster, and 6, 9 and 22 Lock Road. A further 21 buildings rated "High" in heritage significance will also be kept, while a small number will be cleared for infrastructure such as roads.

Four clusters will be largely retained. The Preston Road Housing Cluster comprises 16 garrison-style semi-detached houses built between 1935 and 1939 for military personnel and staff of the former Alexandra School; according to Uchify, 14 of the 16 will be kept. The Preston Road School Cluster includes the first school built in the area for the British army community. The Lock Road Cluster contains one of the last remaining sections of original 1935 barracks built for British infantry regiments, and the Malan Road Cluster's buildings served utility and support functions such as workshops, garages, stores and medical facilities. HDB's conceptual plan proposes repurposing the former barrack buildings along Lock Road and Malan Road. None of the buildings from the former St Andrew's Junior College and Pasir Panjang Vocational Institute on the site will be preserved.

On the environmental front, studies found the site supports hundreds of plant and animal species, including several of conservation concern. HDB proposed keeping ecological corridors of at least 30 metres in width, retaining key forested areas and streams, and implementing an Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan with phased site clearance to allow wildlife to relocate. The retained greenery will contribute to an estimated eight-hectare green corridor linking Telok Blangah Hill Park to Labrador Nature Reserve.

HDB has not confirmed the number of homes, flat mix or development timeline, saying dwelling units will take into account land size, the study findings and public feedback. The full study reports were published on HDB InfoWEB, with public feedback open until 6pm on 6 August 2026.