Developing of Ideas

1. The subject of your project

Providing information, or learning of Hillview place. I saw the Hillview Community Club and thought it would be interesting to have an interactive directory there that could provide information about the area.

Aiming for public interactive, perhaps even the people living in the area.

2. The space that your project will explore

Neighbourhood area/Not well known part of Hillview Avenue

The use of maps and idea of navigation.

3. The form that your project will take (what form will the interactive narrative be…a game, website, visualisation, something else?)

Unity – Educational game <aiming towards younger audience, possibly children

• Small 2D platform game, maybe accessing parts/levels through point system, levels are more side-scroller
• Illustrations of past and current buildings represented with different colour themes.
• Including of ambience sound from the area, giving a sense of space

Rough Idea of how it would look like interacting

Twine – Branching narrative <as more text-based, aiming for an older audience

• Photos taken how present how Hillview looks like, for navigation
• Including of ambience sound from the area, giving a sense of space

How it would look like in the making

Rough Idea of how it would look like interacting

Questions for guest lecture by Toh Hun Ping

1. Films in relation to the locations. Providing a sense of spatial narrative and a certain first image to the location. An example could be giving the location an eerie horror feel. Was that one of your aims/intentions for this database narrative?

Sumpah Pontianak / The Curse of Pontianak (1958)

2. Loop-like photos, looks like it moving, why did you decided to implement such photos (and what impression/feel were you aiming to express from them)?

Response of reading by Guy Debord

I had some difficulty wrapping my head around the concept of the spectacle. It took some further research to get a clearer mind of it. The explanation of the spectacle being seems unreal, as it seems perfect superficiality in our world, but still considered a part of our society, such as celebrity culture, or consumerism. Though unrealistic, it consists of a social relationship between people. It is considered positive and powerful, as it can affect the economy due to the desire to fit in or achieve the spectacle and feel of necessity. The spectacle being contradicting as it affects the economy through celebrities or influencers, driven by what mass media consider as commodities, leading to how it has overcome or rule the consumers instead of the other way round.

The Society of the Spectacle — Overview | by Benjamin Thomas | Medium

Research A PLACE IN SINGAPORE (on the ground) and discover something you didn’t know about it.

I continued my research of Hillview on ground. As Hillview is more well known for the rail-way bridge, railway mall and salvation army, I decide to head to the area my parents lived as I have never set foot at there before. We started from Hillview MRT and my mother already noticed the changes around such as the highway tracks.

We walked on foot, heading to Hillview avenue. I decided to map out the pics I have taken onto the map of 1993 I found through research by former Hillview resident (specifically the Princess Elizabeth Estate), Lam Chun See, as well as the 2008 archival map from NAS for easier reference.

My mother’s first reaction on our way to Hillview Avenue was saying these two bus stops and the nearby condo Hillview Heights (though some renovations have been done) are still here.

The first thing we noticed was the roundabout road my father talked about when he saw the map. It’s still one of the iconic or memorable things he remembers about the place he lived.

The old food centre and market was demolished and over it the HillV2 mall stands as shown. I was excited to see what took over the land where my father once lived, to only see it still in construction for the Midwood Condo. Beside that is the Hillview Community Centre, which seems to be rather new as my mother did not remember it being there back then.

Clearer pics

 

I expected the place to be more desert as it was more isolated, but it gave a sense of peacefulness and the area was more occupied by condoes and semi-detached houses.

Most of the condos were new and there were one or two of the factories (such as the Malayan Guttas, Union Carbide and Hong Kong Rope Factory) are no longer around/moved out, and builded over the land is Hillington Green( and Summerhill Condos), Hillview Heights and Glendale Park respectively.

https://sgfilmhunter.wordpress.com/tag/hillview/

https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/10/factories-around-pee-7-union-carbide.html?m=1

https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/factories-around-pee-5-malayan-guttas.html?m=1

One of the buildings that still remains is the Lam Soon Industrial Building, which previously was a factory my grandmother and grandaunt used to work at where they made soups and oil. Now it is for rent and sale, consisting of small shops.

https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2011/12/factories-around-peestate-1.html

My mother’s initial house was the one in white, since then it has been sold at least twice and another floor has been built.

The houses beside it both still remain the same.

It has quite a steep uphill to Hillview Mansion, and the area is blocked off by the iron gates.

Clearer pics

More pics on the journey along the Hillview Avenue road between where my parent’s lived

A dog running around Jalan Gumilang 🙂

Would have been a better idea to do a short sound recording of the place itself as well, as it was super serene you could get a better sense of the place on ground rather than online.

URA Tour

1. What did you learn from the URA tour of Singapore that you did not know already?

I got to learn the process and guide to Singapore development, like the use of the concept and master plan. Though the information that intrigued me the most was the central model and the history of the maps of Singapore and how they were used. The central model being a part of Singapore’s development and showing a different view of the cityscape. My initial thought of maps was they had to be accurate as they depict the area for navigation. Through the URA tour, I have learned the other possible uses of maps, especially the first navigation map mentioning Singapore by Admiral Zheng He. It was used to mark areas to avoid and navigate, also said to be 80% accurate.

 Also the map that is inaccurate as it focus more on the seas/water around the islands.

2. What do you think is the purpose of the public exhibitions at the URA and what stories are being communicated about the city?

I think the purpose of the public exhibitions of the URA is to preserve and provide more history of the developments of Singapore, from how it was, how is it planned, how residents can play a part, and architects involved can affect the living situation or outlook of Singapore.

3. What do you think is missing or overlooked? What might be interesting to add or exhibit in the URA Galleries in order to interest your generation of Singaporeans?

I think the interactive spaces in the URA effectively provide the information the audience wishes to look at, and it would be interesting to have more of those in the URA galleries. Models showing other parts of Singapore (similar to the existing central model) would be interesting to look as my initial thought when I first saw the central model was to find where I lived (sadly I live more towards south west) in bird’s eye view. 🙂

More pics from the URA that may help upcoming project (focusing more on the place Hillview)

1946-1965 Map

1986-today Map

Reading response on the article by Stan Sesser 

What points in the article stand out to you?

It did not occur to me how Singapore clears and renovated, aiming for effective tourism, it could lead to the possible removing of some of Singapore’s important history landmarks as well as leading to dull repetitions of high buildings/malls. There’s hence the debate on what old landmarks should Singapore conserve, as some may even be considered as historical or cultural sites, representing what Singapore is and being able to attract tourists as well. It’s also interesting how he describes Lee Kuan Yew and his style of government.

What do you agree or disagree with that the author states about his impressions of the city?  Explain your critique thoughtfully. 

I agree to the author’s impressions to a certain extent. Although not romanticising of the past could be considered a positive, as change resulted in the lifestyles most Singaporeans have and what others envy today. Example from the change of kampong/shophouses to HDBs. Though living standards are better, it is argued there’s the lost of the kampong culture (and spirit) along with the sense of familiarity. The city we have now being clean and safe is also resulting from the amount of restrictions and consequences we have, showing the seriousness of actions done. Also the compulsory amount of education we have to face which helps maintain the economy .