Tiong Bahru Air Raid Shelter is a converted air raid shelter built between 1939 and 1941 at block 78 within the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood in Singapore. The shelter is preserved and is part of a heritage trail of the neighbourhood.
Construction
The construction of block 78 in Tiong Bahru first started in 1936 with the firs pile being driven into the soil then.[1] Its semi-basement was to be playgrounds, however had an option to be converted in air raid shelter in times of emergency.[2][3] The air raid shelter was converted from three play pavilions and four garages located at the semi-basement of block 78, which straddles Moh Guan Terrace and Guan Chuan Street.[4] The walls of the shelter are 19 inches thick, and the floor is made of concrete.[5] The shelters would cost $16,000 and could accommodate up to 2,000 people.[6]
Post–war
After the Japanese occupation of Singapore, the air-raid shelter was converted into a community centre in 1951 at a cost of $20,000. The community centre had 1,000 members when it was opened.[1] In February 2012, it served as a museum for a short time before it was closed.[7] The shelter would remain closed to the public, with exception to those who are being brought on guided heritage tours.[4]
References
- ^ a b "New community centre opens". The Straits Times. 9 July 1951. p. 5 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "New block of flats". The Straits Times. 20 May 1940. p. 11 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "New block of Trust flats". The Straits Times. 4 April 1941. p. 10 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ a b Wong, Wei Han (15 April 2013). "New heirtage trail launched at Tiong Bahru". Today. p. 18. Retrieved 8 May 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Raid shelter construction at Trust flats in Tiong Bahru". Straits Budget. 12 December 1940. p. 8 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Shelter Plans For 2,000 At Tiong Bahru". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 21 April 1941. p. 7.
- ^ "Converted bunkers". Today. 9 June 2012.
External links
- Tiong Bahru Air Raid Shelter on Roots.sg