People-centric and underlining an integration ethos, Our Tampines Hub (OTH) is a pioneering model of Singapore’s largest integrated community, sports and lifestyle hub. Aligning the needs of 12 main stakeholders from public agencies and empowering Tampines residents to take ownership through a participatory design framework, the design process explored alternative spatial organisation to relook at operation dynamics and meaningfully bring together diverse programmes.

Tasked with realising the regional library at OTH, our design scheme is a manifestation of the architectural strategy behind the integrated hub. Unconventionally, we proposed for the integration and clustering of spaces within the library by their programmatic relationships. The outcome is a co-location of a culinary and dining studio in proximity to the library as places of learning. Designed to showcase the activities within, it enables spectatorship with the aim of encouraging participation across different user and interest groups.

The interior design plays upon thematic design elements and differentiated material to create distinct environments that maximise the sense of ownership and comfort across users of all ages. Interstitial spaces—large programmatic stairs and green niches—act as thresholds between the different age group themes, creating shared spaces for alternative reading environments or spontaneous social interactions.