SINGAPORE AND THE UNDERGROUND : AN EMERGING TERRITORIAL LANDSCAPE

Abstract

Since Singapore’s appellation as an independent nation in 1965, the city-state has undergone major systematic overhaul to her territory as a direct consequence of intense urbanisation and economic developments. Within a span of one generation, the government’s socio-economic policies have allowed transformation of her territorial landscape to take place at several levels; from an economic, social, and cultural level, to an environmental and technological level. These territorial transformations highlight a key agent that has a continuous role in rendering these changes possible: technology. This dissertation will examine the role of underground spaces in the context of Singapore’s future urban landscape, as it draws on the ideologies and technologies that underpin her territorial transformations. It explores the four main categories of Singapore’s underground spaces: defence, industrial, infrastructure and commercial, citing Citylink Mall as the main case study to prove its viability, successes and shortcomings as an underground space. Finally, it concludes and supports the hypothesis of the emergence of underground spaces as a new territorial landscape. As well as raising architectural issues in regards to its role in dealing with interiorised environments for the future.