Empty neglected spaces could be the next cool thing

Something is happening in Jalan Besar. More than just hipster coffee joints and restaurants sprouting up. A previously empty and neglected space on King George’s Avenue — renamed 115 KG — has become a little gathering hub. Upon entering, you see popular online retailer Naiise showcasing its funky wares; there’s also a workshop area and a fully outfitted kitchen with a beautiful communal table for private dining and chef’s experiments. It’s all part of a new initiative called Transitional___ by Shophouse & Co, which started a week ago.

As Chye Seng Huat Hardware proved in the same neighbourhood two years ago, a new tenant in a former run-down store can change the energy and value of a place. That transformative concept is universally known as place-making.

And it’s exactly what consulting and “space-activating” agency Shophouse & Co hopes to do in various parts of Singapore with Transitional___ (read: Transitional Space). “After producing Archifest the last two years and working on the design trails in this year’s Singapore Design Week, we realised there is ground-up interest in shaping a neighbourhood to mean something to the people in the community,” explained Stella Gwee, director of Shophouse & Co, who cited the revitalised Tiong Bahru estate as an example.

The company’s creative director Adib Jalal, who is an architecture graduate himself, added that place-making in Singapore is usually a top-down affair, whereby spaces such as Chinatown and Gardens By The Bay are designated for specific purposes by government bodies. But with Transitional___, the two are creating a “sustainable” platform for working with landlords and the creative community.

“We hope this model solves a few problems: Rental is always a huge obstacle for the creative community and start-ups. At the same time, there are unused spaces or places in transition waiting to be tenanted or are in the process of changing their licences. Instead of leaving them empty, we convince these building owners to partner with the creative community to do something exciting,” he explained. The result is a win-win situation for both parties and a positive spill-over effect in nurturing a more vibrant community.

Community spirit

In many ways, 115 KG has already fulfilled what Gwee and Jalal envisioned when boutique property developer The Bamboo Group gave them free rein in the ground-floor unit (which includes a mezzanine level) of the building, which they can use until June 22. Besides roping in Naiise, Gwee and Jalal involved Tyrwhitt General Company — incidentally, located around the corner — to conduct workshops like a silkscreen printing session on Saturday.

Word of mouth led to crowdsourcing and goodwill sponsorship: Homegrown kitchen cabinet maker Mudian Crafted swooped in to outfit the space with a working kitchen and helped secure appliances from Teka. Mudian’s owner Calsia Lee even donated her dining table to the space to serve as the communal table, while Big Ass Fans sponsored a, well, gigantic ceiling fan.

Gwee and Jalal have also invited budding chefs and new F&B concepts like The Wholesome Co, which promotes farm-to-table culture, to use their kitchen. So far, there’s been a pop-up pizza party using herbs and veggies grown in Singapore. Other events in the line-up include a dinner of Paleo dishes whipped up by a chef who works out at the nearby Crossfit Singapore gym. Fact is, the two remain open to suggestions, collaborations and requests from interested parties.

Only the beginning

“Everything fell into place rather quickly. That’s the power of the creative community and, of course, a lot was also DIY-ed in terms of our renovation to make this space a pleasant one,” Gwee added. For example, to save on cost, the team from Naiise and Shophouse & Co recycled old items they picked up nearby from wood pallets to discarded cylinder drums, and repainted them to serve as display tables.

“We are also careful about who we work with. We’re looking at events and partners that benefit the community,” said Jalal. For a partner like Naiise, coming into Transitional___ was a perfect opportunity. “As an online retailer, we don’t have a relationship with landlords, but we are looking to do more pop-ups to help us meet more people, create more exposure and advocate local designers,” said Naiise’s marketing director Amanda Eng. “Eighty per cent of the items here are by local designers. And as this particular pop-up is located in Jalan Besar, we are selling stuff which is more affordably priced for the young people frequenting the cafes nearby.”

Response to Transitional___ has been very positive. With the help of social media and people dropping in from the offices and homes in the area, the crowd is picking up. This is just the first step. Gwee and Jalal see Transitional___ as a travelling platform and are currently in talks with landlords in neighbourhoods like Keong Saik and Duxton. “We want to do more with this space,” said Gwee. “We’re even thinking of a block party to invite the uncles from the hardware store across and residents nearby to come down!”

In "The Place Makers” (June 2), we reported that Adib Jalal is an architect. He is actually architecturally trained. We apologise for the error. This article was edited on June 2, 2014 at 3.40pm