CONNECTION IN GREEN : BEDOK BUS INTERCHANGE

Abstract

Since the formation in the 1970s, Bedok Town Centre has been the main focus for commercial activities and the major transport node within the region. As the population within the area increased, Bedok Town Centre needs to expand it capacity to serve the increasing demand for the changing needs of the community.

The thesis study will focus on Bedok Town Centre, and Bedok Bus Interchange on particular. The first part of the thesis will seek to uncover the complexity of this locality. The second part of the thesis will introduce interventions that respond to these multiple layers of intricacies.

In Singapore, land parcels at the transit centres are prime locations for high plot ratio profit gaining developments. However, other than commercial branding, these kind of developments are often generic and do not create much identity for the region. As such, other forms of interface between the transit centre and the surrounding region need to be challenged.

In order to strengthen the identity and the sense of place of Bedok Town Centre, the structure and grain of new development should reflect and respond to the relatively fine grained character of the existing town. At the Bus Interchange, a new form of breathing space with greenery is to be integrated within the development to relieve the fast paced anxiousness of transit. Other than serving as a transit area, the Bus Interchange will also serve to provide visual relief and breathing space to the Town Centre.