URBAN PARK @ LIM CHU KANG - A NEW UNIQUE DESTINATION OF THE GATEWAY

Abstract

It is an irony that although the demand of fish has gone up in Singapore, the fish farming industry cannot sustain itself. The low sustainability of fish farms in Singapore are caused by ecological, physical and social factors. The ecological factors are environmental and climate changes. The physical factor is the isolation from the main land and the social factors are the lack of public awareness and dialogue between public and farmers. This isolation from the community is posing a problem for the survival of fish farming industry. Through my intervention, my thesis aims to revitalize the traditional fish farming industry. Hypothetically the design wants to bring fish inland, integrate activities, develop an integrated fish farm and tap on the ecosystem to improve quality of fish. The scheme is an aquaculture education center integrated with recreation facilities that will act as a catalyst for the revitalization of local fish farming. The center's primary goals are to serve as a model for integrated concepts of fish farming, and to offer diverse educational experiences to visitors of all ages while enjoying it as part of a facility in the proposed urban park in Lim Chu Kang. Weaved throughout is a new public experience, which unveils these activities to the onlooker: over viewing of the fish tanks systems, exhibiting different fish breeds in Singapore, processing as a performance, and ultimately linking to consumption .Afterwards, the process moves to the recreation area, where the knowledge acquired can be put to the test by catching a fish on your own, which gives the visitor a deeper and more engaging experience.