Rediscover Punggol through HDB’s new vistor centre and mobile app

SINGAPORE — Renowned physicist Albert Einstein once set foot in Punggol in the 1922 — fun facts like this and more information on Punggol town will be showcased in the first permanent, in situ exhibition of a Housing and Development Board (HDB) town.

The Punggol Discovery Cube — which will be open to the public on Sunday (Jan 15) — will allow residents and visitors to find out more about the transformation of Singapore’s first eco-town and its sustainable efforts

Located near the Punggol Town Square, the 400sqm, three-storey visitors’ centre allows visitors to take a look at the town’s developments through various multi-media exhibits and interactive features.

A bird’s-eye view model of the whole town, including its upcoming projects, is located at the centre of the first floor. The model has four touchscreen stations, which visitors can use to find out more about the town’s planning, the birth of My Waterway@Punggol, Singapore’s longest artificial waterway, and iconic architectural developments in the area.

On the second floor, an infographics wall showcases the significant milestones of Punggol’s development from 1820 to 2010, and its future plans.

The third floor offers visitors a chance to take in the scenic views of My Waterway@Punggol and Downtown Punggol.

While there are no plans to build similar visitor centres in other towns, Punggol was selected to house such a facility “because of its unique identity as Singapore’s first eco-town,” said a HDB spokesperson.

Meanwhile, a new location-based mobile app, Our Heartland Trails, will be launched on Sunday for Punggol and Bedok, two of the towns that are being rejuvenated under the HDB’s Remaking Our Heartland programme.

For Punggol, app users will be able to explore 27 iconic landmarks, recreational spots, commercial areas and food places around the town. Using the GPS feature, users will be alerted to uncover interesting facts about the landmarks through fun facts, interactive quzzes and games.

The HDB said it will assess the response to the app for these two towns first, before deciding whether to extend it to other estates undergoing the renewal programme.