Concepts revealed for new sport and entertainment in Singapore’s Toa Payoh town

An ambitious project to replace the Toa Payoh Swimming Complex with a major community sports and entertainment precinct has been revealed by lead agency Sport Singapore.

Projected to be completed by 2030, the Toa Payoh Integrated Development is to include a regional sport centre, a regional town park, a library and a polyclinic, with the sports facilities to include a new rectangular stadium, a repurposed aquatic centre, badminton courts, a community gym with fitness studios, sheltered tennis courts, sheltered futsal courts and a jogging trail.

Located in Toa Payoh, a planning area and mature residential town sited in the northern part of the Central Region of Singapore, the 12-hectare site - an existing public park with adjoining athletics stadium and the five pool Toa Payoh Swimming Complex - that has been reimagined and designed as an integrated development by a team led by locally-based MKPL in collaboration with Populous.

Seen as an extension of Toa Payoh town centre, the Toa Payoh Integrated Development is envisioned to become a lifestyle destination with ample community spaces, giving residents health, wellness and learning experiences, while preserving the heritage and greenery in a connective landscape.

Key aspects of the development include a repurposing of the existing Toa Payoh Stadium from an athletics venue into a rectangular stadium designed to be capable of hosting international events with a FIFA compliant pitch, along with offering extensive player and facilities for officials.

Other repurposing will see parts of the Toa Payoh Swimming Complex covered.

Sport Singapore (SportSG) is the lead agency for the development, supported by the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore National Parks Board and the Singapore National Library Board.

Gathering residents' feedback on the development's preliminary design and its facilities as part of a public consultation phase, a media release from the agencies introducing the project advised "envisioned to be an extension of Toa Payoh Town Centre (it will) serve the residents in the central region (providing) a lifestyle destination with community facilities and space.”

Advising that the new integrated development is part of efforts to bring quality sporting infrastructure closer to the community, SportSG Chief Executive Lim Teck Yin noted "once completed, it will build on its heritage and be a boon to sports fans and the active lifestyles of many Singaporeans.”

Commenting on the project, Populous Senior Principal, Andrew Tulen stated “the mix of programme and the connectivity of the site to the residents of Toa Payoh, represents a forward thinking and sustainable design model that should be a benchmark for future integrated developments in Asia.”

Besides the sports centre, the redeveloped Toa Payoh Polyclinic will also be part of the new integrated development.

The current aquatic and sport facilities at Toa Payoh It hosted the Southeast Asia Peninsular Games in 1973, the SEA Games in 1983, 1993 and 2015, as well as the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010.

Images: Concepts for the Toa Payoh Integrated Development. Credit: MKPL/Populous/ Sport SG.