User:V.kdesign/sandbox

= Balestier Market =

Introduction
Balestier Market, also commonly known as Or Kio (‘Black Bridge’ in Hokkien) due to its similarity to a dark timber bridge spanning across Sungei Whampoa, is located in the centre of Balestier Road. It was constructed in the early 1920s to provide local vendors and hawkers with an allocated space to sell their harvested crops and cooked food. In 1924, before the start of major developments in Balestier Road, the open market was known to be a bustling site despite being located a distance from other more prominent landmarks and streets. Later, rows of small huts with a pitched zinc roof were added in 1925 to shelter users from the frequent rain and the sun. The market then served as a food ration distribution centre, in the mid 1940s during World War 2. Balestier Market is now the only ‘rural’ market conserved and in operation in Singapore. National Heritage Board. (2011).

Time Line
1830s – Establishment of Balestier Plantation by Joseph Balestier

1849 – Balestier and his family sold their property to the government. The government then leased a portion of land to Chinese farmer to establish their plantations

The early 1990s – Establishment of Taro, lime and sugar cane plantations

1924 – Balestier Market was constructed for the residents to sell their produce

1925 – Rows of small huts with pitched zinced roof was then added to the market

1942 – Balestier Market turned into food ration distribution centre during World War II

1958 – The landscape of Balestier was changed into mixed tree cultivation, coconut plantation, and grassland. Sungei Whampoa had already been canalised

1967 – Great changes in the landscape of Whampoa. Low dilapidated houses were pulled down, mainly high-rise housings were constructed

1950s - 1970s – Public housing was developed by Singapore Improvement Trust and the Housing and Development Board in the Balestier area at St Michael's Estate

1971 – Balestier Estate was Built

The 1980s – Demolition of Raymond market and construction of Whampoa Market

1999 – Balestier Market underwent renovation

2004 – Many Stallholders decided to retire when the market closed in 2004. Balestier Market bought over by Banquet Holdings. Underwent major development work and was converted into a food centre

History of Balestier
During the mid-19th century, Balestier referred to the area along Balestier Road that connected from Thomson Road to Serangoon Road. The area was first established as a sugarcane plantation by American Joseph Balestier (b. circa 1788, France?–d. 1858, York, Pennsylvania, United States), situated around three kilometres away from the main settlement of Singapore, consisting of 1000 acres of land, of which one-fifth was planted with sugarcanes. His contributions significantly assisted the development of Singapore, especially in the Balestier region. As mentioned by Sharon Ahmat (Fig. 15), Joseph Balestier’s role as the first United States consular in Singapore was mainly to foster trading relations with America. He later left Singapore to recuperate as he had suffered from a health breakdown due to the death of both his son and his wife in 1844 and 1847 respectively. Prior to his departure, he was forced to sell his plantation to pay off his debts as the limited import privileges given to sugar produce by the British market caused the sugar industry in Singapore to decline.

Background of Balestier Market
The government obtained Balestier’s estate and leased a portion of it to Chinese farmers while another segment was turned into a burial area for patients from Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Due to the good condition of the soil and a proper irrigation system left over from the previous plantation, the new residents who moved into Balestier were able to establish their villages and new plantations such as taro, lime and sugarcane. As Balestier became more reputable, tradesmen and merchants started to emerge, operating shophouses and selling their wares along the main road, turning Balestier Road into one of the busiest streets in Singapore.

The rise in hawkers present in Balestier Road resulted in the sidewalks constructed for pedestrian being transformed into a makeshift market selling vegetables, fruits, cooked food and beverages. The hawkers and their customers spilt over onto the main road and created traffic obstructions, which caused motorists to drive on the opposite side of the road and increased the likelihood of accidents occurring. Residents even claimed that the hawkers were hostile when motorists asked them to shift their stalls.

Hence, many residents wrote to the authorities regarding the legalization of hawkers and related road safety concerns. These issues not only occurred in Balestier but also in other parts of Singapore. In response, the government designated marketplaces for hawkers to alleviate the road issues and to facilitate the legalisation of hawkers. Balestier Market is one of the first few wet markets in Singapore which was established as the result of this government measure. However, even with such measures, police officers were still needed to patrol the area and ensure that hawkers who possessed a hawker license do not sell their products out of their allocated area.

One highly publicized example of this problem occurred in Balestier Market and arose due to the unavailability of pork in the market - three pork vendors possessing hawker licenses elsewhere were arrested and fined for illegally selling their products outside the market premises. In effect, the establishment of Balestier Market did not completely eradicate the traffic complaints from residents as there were still makeshift stalls along the road outside the market. Furthermore, residents wrote to the newspapers, expressing their difficulty in obtaining pork from the market and requesting the government to take actions. Therefore, despite having an allocated space for hawkers to sell their products, Balestier Market failed to gain popularity amongst residents.

Whampoa Wet Market and Hawker Centre also known as the Tua Pah Sat (big market in Hokkien), located a few streets away from Balestier Market was constructed in the 1980s to provide food for the rising population of Whampoa and to replace Raymond Market located at Jalan Tenteram. As the new market supplied both raw produce and cooked food, it became more popular among the residents in both Balestier and Whampoa. Moreover, the new market operated both during the day and at night, with an allocated car park – making the market highly accessible for both drivers and residents.

In 1999, even after Balestier Market underwent renovation, it ultimately still failed to compete with her “neighbouring brother” because, during that period of time, most of the residential developments were situated around Whampoa Market. Meanwhile, Balestier was still in the phase of redevelopment into a commercial, industrial and private residential district, resulting in existing residents relocating elsewhere. Furthermore, after the upgrading, a handful of vendors decided to relocate or to discontinue their business resulting in patrons from Balestier Market shifting over to Whampoa Market instead. Consequently, the business of remaining hawkers in Balestier Market continued to deteriorate, causing many stall owners who had been serving for decades to cease their operation entirely when the market closed for redevelopment in 2004. Due to its historical and cultural significance, Balestier Market was placed under the Conservational Act by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and subsequently plans were made by the authority to further modernise the market. After the closure, Balestier Market was bought over by Banquet Holdings Pte Ltd and was then opened in June 2008 after the latest renovation which converted the market into a food centre. This is likely because operating as a wet market would not be economically viable, especially with the competition from the neighbouring big markets.

Stallholders in Balestier
Today, Balestier Market is home to many stallholders who were from markets which were either demolished, undergoing renovation or relocated. Many of these stallholders were from Upper Thomson’s Long House and Lavender Food Square. Similarly to Balestier Market’s resilience through the evolution of the Balestier area, these hawkers try their best to maintain their business operations despite the changing needs of society that diminish the need for hawkers and the service they provide. By providing a space for these valuable hawkers, Balestier Market is able to preserve the hawker heritage while preventing itself from becoming obsolete.

Balestier Market also provides a home for two lion statues previously from the Oasis Restaurant next to the former National Stadium, both of which were demolished in 2010 – a further example of how Balestier Market serve as a repository of cultural elements.

Architecture Features and Issues
The most iconic feature of Balestier Market is its rows of pitched zinc roof which were later installed with lighting elements to make the roof structure prominent even at night. However, in the past, the roof design was built to shelter the wet market without considering its possibility to be converted into a food centre. After the transformation from a wet market into a food centre, the ceiling is too low to adequately contain the exhaust pipes which radiate heat throughout the interior of the place. Furthermore, as the material of the roof is made of zinc, it conducts heat when it is exposed to direct sunlight, making it uncomfortable for customers to be eating within the space, especially in the afternoon.

The only way to access the front entrance into Balestier Market is through the flight of stairs beside the main signage. The elevation of the market is a measure to deter flooding due to high surface runoff and typology of the site which occurred quite frequently in the past. A disadvantage of this feature is that the stairs cause difficulties for patrons in entering the market, as a majority of such patrons are from the older generation.

Publicity of Balestier Market
Many of these architectural issues are left unresolved in order to retain the structural integrity and original ambience of the market. There are a handful of heritage trails and guides that introduce users to the market, promoting the last and only rural market of Singapore, in light of its historical and cultural significance.

From a humble wet market for farmers to a food ration distribution centre and finally to a food centre selling local cuisine and delights, Balestier Market is one of the few markets that have survived through the rapid transformation of Singapore. Its value and identity as an example of vernacular infrastructural design, preserved for the newer generations as an educational tool to illustrate the phenomenon of wet markets and hawker centres in the past.