This project was conceived in memory of Singapore's fomer National Stadium at Kallang, demolished in 2010 to make way for a new, larger arena. Built in 1973, the stadium was a national landmark - a gathering ground for countless moments of collective joy and pride. It hosted National Day Parades, the Southeast Asian Games, major concerts, and the many football tournaments that gave birth to the legendary "Kallang Roar" - the thunderous cheers of local fans.
To keep these memories alive, a project was initiated to design new benches using timber planks salvaged from the old stadium. 25 commissioned designers were invited to reinterpret this piece of national memory through an outdoor bench made from these very planks. Each participants were given 15 salvaged ironwood planks, measuring 120mm in width, 28mm thickness, and between 2 to 3 metres in length.
The proposed Kallang Raw is an ensemble of these original planks, re-presented in their unadorned, natural state.
Formed in a circle, it symbolises continuity - life without beginning or end - and the coming together of community, bringing us back to the origin.
Evolving into a spiral, it reflects the wood's full cycle: Once benches in the old stands, now reborn into new ones. The spiral embodies the passage of time, the rhythm of the seasons, and the eternal cycle of birth, growth, death, and renewal.
With varying heights, the multi-tiered form welcomes people of ages, recalling the communal inclusivity of the old stadium terraces. Its orientation points towards the former site of the National Stadium - a deliberate gesture of remembrance and return.
The ironwood planks are left raw and natural, their textures, tones, and imperfections preserved with only minimal sanding for safety - an honest tribute to their history.
Kallang Raw is more than a bench. It stands as a symbolic urban marker - a quiet memorial to a national icon long gone, yet deeply embedded in the hearts of Singaporeans.
