Why Is Singapore's Creative Class Moving Into Pearl's Hill Terrace?
Just a slope up from People’s Park Complex in boisterous Chinatown is an idyllic bohemian utopia that’s turning out to be Singapore’s most colourful arts enclave. We explore 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace and speak to some of its inhabitants – old and new – on what makes this site the perfect home for the emerging creative class.
By Keng Yang Shuen ,
Climb up the sheltered flight of steps facing the back of People’s Park Food Centre or, if you’re driving, wind up the meandering Pearl’s Hill Terrace off Eu Tong Sen Street, and you’ll find yourself face-to-face with a modest three-storey building. Its neoclassical style – maintained since the ’30s when the structure was erected – could surprise many. Ditto its tranquillity – for all its proximity to Chinatown, the site is hugged by the leafy Pearl’s Hill City Park along the entire length of its back. What makes being at 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace feel most like stepping into another world, though, is its eclectic, artsy community.
Businesses offering workshops on the latest lifestyle trends (tufting, pottery, sound healing, you name it) reside alongside speciality stores hawking anything from crystals to artisanal cheeses. Recently, a crop of Gen Z-run enterprises have popped up: the creative outfit Anteiku Studios, which also retails vintage clothing, and the tattoo studio Crevice, to name a few. There are also offices and work spaces occupied by artists, architects, interior designers, filmmakers, fashion designers and dancers – and what’s reportedly Singapore’s only taxidermy gallery.
Many of these inhabitants decorate the open corridors with plants, artwork and furniture with a pop art bent, adding not only to the venue’s photogenic quality (it’s a hot spot among Instagrammers), but also bohemian charm and conviviality. It’s not uncommon for tenants to gather after-hours for meals and to share ideas. Says Cyaan, a mononymous artist who set up her studio, A Tiny Dream, in a second-floor unit this March: “Our little daily dinner group is made up of people from three studios here. It started out of pure convenience – we could split food delivery fees – but has become much more than that. We share funny stories, help one another with business woes, and talk about anything. Creative collaborations have also sprouted from these sessions.”
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And as Geraldine Faith Chua, owner of the metaphysical store Magick Mama Shop located on level three, puts it: “If you need something, you can simply go around knocking on doors and invariably, there’ll be someone happy to help. I really dig that kampung spirit.”
It’s a long way from what 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace had previously been home to: a host of public service facilities mostly related to national security. It was originally built to serve as barracks and was the Singapore Police Force’s headquarters until it moved in 2001. The over-140,000sq ft site would remain vacant until 2007 – a year before it was gazetted for conservation – when the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) put it up for tender to provide more office space.
Master tenant Jerry Tan – who won that bid and has been subletting and taking care of the property since – says he had first noticed more creatives moving in around 2019. Today, 90 per cent of the 200 units available is occupied, with those in arts and culture forming well over half of the tenants – the most ever – according to Tan.
It could, in part, be due to the affordable rent. Tan reveals that the rate for the smallest units, which measure between 60 and 80 sq feet each, currently starts from $500 monthly – what some might consider a steal given the central location. A self-professed art lover, Tan has also been trying to transform the venue into a cultural hub by pushing for units to be officially approved for arts and lifestyle use – something he points out has only been possible with the support of the SLA.
“It feels so good to be working around these young talents in the arts community every day,” he says. “Think about how their workshops have helped visitors to relieve pandemic-induced stress, bringing them joy and turning this place into a peaceful hideaway where they can relax.”
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Coupled with the diverse tenant mix and community’s grassroots spirit, it’s unsurprising that 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace would draw creative types, resulting in the most vibrant and stimulating of arts enclaves: one that’s come about naturally and is free to evolve. Says Rafi Abdullah, a researcher, writer and curator who’s part of the art collective ToNewEntities that works out of a second-floor unit: “The growth of events and activities you find here is very organic and unique, borne out of the different aspirations and motivations of the tenants.”
Moved in: May 2022
Unit number: #02-54
Their speciality: Describing Anteiku as their “personal creative studio”, this Gen Z duo (Tan’s 22; Loy’s 20) run within their space the brick-and-mortar iteration of their Instagram-based vintage fashion boutique Shibuigarm. Expect a concise collection of wares catering to various aesthetics sourced from other young vintage specialists/enthusiasts. There’s the streetwear-focused Riotvg (owner Eden Teng is pictured in the middle, for example, and Faerydium and its sister DIY jewellery label Erydium that would appeal to fans of grunge and cottagecore (founders Angela Joyce Laboc and Mikhail Adam are pictured, far left and second from right respectively).
Tan on what makes a great arts enclave: “This location offers different product designers and creatives – each with their own niche – a platform to sell their wares without having to pay excessively for rent... It allows local talents to test-drive their ideas and envision the future they have as a brand.”
ESHTON CHUA (MIDDLE) & SUFFIAN SAMAT (RIGHT) OF SYNE STUDIO, JOINED HERE BY THEIR APPRENTICE AMIRUL ZIQRI (LEFT)
Moved in: March 2021
Unit number: #03-61
Their speciality: A sustainability-conscious fashion house, Syne started out restoring and customising vintage kimonos sourced from Japan, but recently branched out into working with other brands to upcycle damaged or retired goods.
Chua on what makes a great arts enclave: “The creative community can only truly become stronger if everyone in it supports and elevates one another. Pearl’s Hill Terrace reminds us of our time in design school and design villages overseas... Many of us here actively connect with our neighbours, and the most memorable moments as a community have often been spontaneous, like when we decided to organise a takoyaki lunch party with our fellow tenants.”
Moved in: Feb 2022
Unit number: #03-45A
Her speciality: Ceramic wares that have gained a cult following and waitlist for their distinctive and whimsical organic shapes, and squiggly engravings, all washed in soul-pleasing rainbow colours.
Ummu on what makes a great arts enclave: “Choosing to rent a space at 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace was an easy decision as there were already other ceramicists here before I had moved in. It meant that this place could deal with our practice – the need for a water point; the dust our work could create, for example – which can be hard to find."
Moved in: 2020
Unit number: #03-42
Her speciality: Sustainability-conscious intimates and loungewear. Tan’s garments are minimalist in design and handcrafted in a small, fair-wage studio in Bali using mainly lyocell and bamboo fabric, which are known to be among the most environmentally friendly.
Tan on what makes a great arts enclave: “To drive to 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace, one must go up this one-way road that links to Pearl’s Hill City Park. I like how this pre-war, khaki-coloured monument seems to blend in with the greenery on this route. The rustic vibe created is hard to come by here.”
Moved in: March 2022
Unit number: #02-49B
Their speciality: Mun is a photographer and filmmaker, while the mononymous Cyann is a multidisciplinary artist and designer whose medium of choice is semi-permanent jagua tattoos. Besides using their space for their respective practices, they also retail the likes of waste-free soap bars, artisanal fragrances and ceramic vessels by small local labels on-site.
Cyaan on what makes a great arts enclave: “Authentic connections between the people in the community.”
RAFI ABDULLAH OF TONEWENTITIES (CO-FOUNDER TRISTAN LIM WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT FOR THIS SHOOT)
Moved in: 2020
Unit number: #02-55
Their speciality: This emerging art collective uses new media technologies to build virtual spaces and communal experiences. While its space is not usually open to the public, the duo is working on making it more accessible in future through the likes of open-studio sessions, small-scale live gigs and a shared library.
Rafi on what makes a great arts enclave: “A diverse makeup of folks who call a shared space their home... Here at Pearl’s Hill Terrace, there’s such a plurality to what you can find here.”
ZAC MIRZA OF KULT YARD (IN FOREGROUND – DJ CO-FOUNDER TOM KELLY WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT FOR THIS SHOOT)
Moved in: 2018
Unit number: #01-54
Their speciality: Mixologist Zac’s a pioneer in cocktail culture here and – together with Kelly – has been behind the little-but-mighty indie F&B empire referred to affectionately as Kult. The alfresco Kult Yard is their second venue and serves up unusual cocktails (think sambal belacan-spiked Bloody Marys) and unpretentious Argentinian nosh, all with the brand’s signature feel-good vibes, and arts- and music-forward programming.
Kelly on what makes a great arts enclave: “You can say that many of the tenants here at 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace are simply people paying rent and doing business, but what’s unique here is that so many of us are doing so creatively and independently.”
Moved in: December 2021
Unit number: #03-72
Her speciality: Besides being a reiki practitioner, Chua offers tarot card readings, crystals, candles, balms and the likes all said to bring balance and good energy into one’s life.
Chua on what makes a great arts enclave: “Almost every day at 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace is different: There could be a new event, festival, or neighbour moving in, which keeps things exciting and unpredictable. Also, if you need something, you can simply go around knocking on doors and invariably, there’ll be someone happy to help. I really dig that kampung spirit.”
Moved in: May 2022
Unit number: #03-58
Their speciality: Step through their doors, and you’re transported into a space pimped out with state-of-the-art speakers, decks and other sound equipment alongside charming upcycled rugs. Fitting between 10 to 15 people at any one time, Wild Pearl is meant to be a place where DJs (aspiring or professional) can rent to practise and perform, with Shearmon describing the vibes as something “between that of a house party and club”.
Shearmon on what makes a great arts enclave: “A lot of people have said that 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace doesn’t quite feel like Singapore. I get where they’re coming from, but to us, it’s here where we’ve met more creatives from the local arts scene than anywhere else. So to have been able to make all those connections here makes Pearl’s Hill feel the most like Singapore.”
Moved in: 2021
Unit number: #03-39
Her speciality: Experimental claws that often come bedazzled with plenty of faux pearls and rhinestones and which boast a psychedelic, alien-esque shine and texture that would not be out of place on say, Cardi B.
Bastrisyia on what makes a great arts enclave: “This building is really unique because there are so many things to see here. A wide range of workshops, tattoos, crystals, tarot readings, and manicure services are available. The list goes on and on! You can spend the whole day checking out the enclave. A favorite memory of mine here is going to parties right after work; there used to be parties held on the ground level almost every weekend!"
All interviews have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Photography Athirah Annissa Art Direction Danessa Tong Grooming Sarah Tan
A version of this article first appeared in the Nov 2022 Party Edition of FEMALE