Tanglin Camp
73 Loewen Road, Singapore 248843
Tanglin was a dense wooded area in the 17th century until early settlers began clearing the hills to make way for nutmeg, gambier and pepper plantations. The fertile and well drained slopes made it ideal for agricultural use which prevailed until well into the 19th century.
In 1860, a 210-acre site in Tanglin, comprised mainly of a nutmeg plantation, was purchased by the then Government, with the intention of providing housing for the military troops on the island. Old Tanglin Club or Tanglin Barracks off Holland Road used to be the General Headquarters of the Far East Land Forces. It was first established as barracks for the British Army in 1872.
The buildings constructed for the military then, were large and airy and modeled after the general design of that of the local inhabitants. This afforded its users respite from the tropical elements while providing maximum ventilation. It was recorded that the attap barracks at Tanglin camp were so far advanced then; it was capable of providing accommodation for a European regiment. By 1870, Tanglin Barracks was well established as a self-contained encampment.
From 1934-6, much new construction was seen within the camp grounds, with official approval plans to fortify the barracks. Some of the original buildings were torn down to make way for new concrete buildings, while modifications were made to others, thus preserving the square support columns and French-tiled roofs of the original buildings.
The buildings of Tanglin camp have previously housed various important military offices such as The Medical Classification Centre, Officers' Personnel Centre, Naval Training Department, SAF Careers Centre and the Central Manpower Base of the Singapore Armed Forces.
Presently, the buildings at Tanglin camp are decommissioned.
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BELIEF Curatorial Team: Roger McDonald, Eugene Tan & Sharmini Pereira, read more about them 