It comes as no surprise that Singapore has an ageing population. Despite the government’s efforts to encourage more families, the rising number of elderly is a cause for concern. As such, many developments that cater towards the elderly have begun to pop up. One of these developments is Kampung Admiralty.
Where is Kampung Admiralty?
Built in 2017, Kampung Admiralty is located a stone’s throw away from Admiralty MRT station, providing easy access to the North-South line.
What is Kampung Admiralty?
Kampung Admiralty is catered primarily towards the elderly
It is slightly difficult to pinpoint what exactly Kampung Admiralty is, since it’s the first of its kind ever to be built. HDB has marketed it as a “modern kampung”, one which integrates housing for the elderly with several amenities catered towards them. Many agencies have partnered up with HDB to make this a reality, including the Ministry of Health, Yishun Health Campus, the National Environment Agency, National Parks Board, Land Transport Authority, and the Early Childhood Development Agency.
The 11-storey development will introduce 100 flats for the elderly, including a wide range of social, healthcare, communal, commercial, and retail facilities on the lower floors. There is also a two-storey medical centre that provides specialist outpatient care, an Active Ageing Hub co-located with a childcare centre, and plenty of community spaces.
HDB’s goal for Kampung Admiralty is to encourage intergenerational bonding, community involvement, and ownership. As such, a community rooftop garden has been introduced on level nine, where residents are welcome to grow their own plants. Both edible and ornamental plants can be found here, all courtesy of the neighbourhoods’ residents.
Kampung fruit trees such as Limau Purut, or kaffir lime, will also be grown in the people’s community park. It seems as though HDB is keen on rebuilding the kampung spirit once more – the up-and-coming Tengah estate will also feature community gardens so as to ‘bring back the kampung spirit’.
Kampung Admiralty will also house several retail and dining options, including a 900-seat hawker centre. Those living here wouldn’t have to venture too far for daily necessities, as NTUC Fairprice is just located on level B1.
What eateries are there in Kampung Admiralty?
Few things evoke as much nostalgia as a traditional breakfastFor those who enjoy a traditional kopitiam breakfast, Ya Kun Kaya and Toast is a good way to kick off your morning. Its signature breakfast set consists of a piping hot coffee, two slices of charcoal grilled bread slathered with butter and homemade kaya, and two eggs cooked to your preference. Its kaya is so well-known around Singapore that some even buy jars of them as gifts to overseas family and friends.
If you prefer specialty coffee, Starbucks also has an outlet at Kampung Admiralty. Although it isn’t open 24/7, it still serves as a great place for people to gather in the comfort of an air-conditioned setting.
Another well-known brand that has taken up residence in Kampung Admiralty is Mos Burger. This Japanese fast food restaurant chain prides itself on being one of the healthier options for fast food, and that sentiment is reflected in its burgers. They are well known for items such as ebi rice burgers, teriyaki chicken, and milk tea. Mos Burger caters more towards Asian flavours and thus might appeal more to the elderly.
Homegrown brands can also be found here. Mr Bean, which started out as a hawker store in 1995 now owns over 60 stores across Singapore. While still retaining their soybean-based food and drink products, they have branched out from milk and bean curd desserts to pancakes and ice creams as well.
Yassin Kampung Seafood is another homegrown store that has been around since 2002. Stepping into their restaurants, the first thing you will notice is their decor. Yassin uses design elements such as rustic wooden planks, fishing nets, and sampan boats to bring the kampung atmosphere to their guests. Their signature dish is the Buttermilk with Salted Egg Yolk Chicken, with plenty of other dishes that will leave you spoilt for choice.
What awards did Kampung Admiralty win?
Ever since its opening, Kampung Admiralty has won praise from several organizations around the world. In 2016, it received the Best Commercial Mixed-Use Future Project award, and would go on to obtain the Outstanding award from NParks in 2018. Later in 2018, it beat 535 other projects to win the 2018 International Chapter Architecture Awards, one of the most prestigious architectural accolades in the world.
It doesn’t stop there. Kampung Admiralty would see two more top awards in its trophy cabinet, conferred by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Annual Awards Program 2019. Their awards recognise individuals and projects with extraordinary contributions to urban development and sustainability.
The two awards won by Kampung Admiralty were ‘Best Tall Building for Mixed-Use Function’, and the ‘Urban Habitat: Single Site Scale’.
If you want to stay close to this architectural wonder, why not check out Bellewoods or Northwave? Remember to read up on the available CPF housing grants to reduce your expenses.
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