In a city famous for knocking down its old buildings, a former school in River Valley has dodged the wrecking ball — and become one of Singapore's most interesting places to spend an afternoon.
New Bahru, spread across two blocks at 46 and 58 Kim Yam Road, was once Nan Chiau High School. The classroom-sized rooms, corridors and staircases are still there if you look, but the modernist facade has been repainted in Wes Anderson-esque blush pink and terracotta, and the former classrooms now house independent boutiques, design studios, pop-ups and cafes. The old school hall hosts exhibitions and events. The team behind the transformation, Lo & Behold, are already known for some of Singapore's most inventive hospitality ventures, so the food and drink side is strong: think specialty coffee, an intimate Italian-focused cocktail bar, and an outpost of their Coconut Club restaurant, where the nasi lemak is the obvious order.
It's also a hands-on kind of place. At Make by Ginlee, housed in what used to be a classroom, you can sign up for a pleated-bag workshop: fold and tie fabric into a corrugated cardboard mould, steam it in a wall-mounted oven, punch the strap holes, then decorate it with 3D-printed charms made from offcut materials. It costs S$70 (about A$78) a person and takes a few careful, surprisingly sociable hours — a nice counterpoint to Orchard Road's malls.
The shopping skews local and independent. House of Joy has popped up with pieces from Dear Samfu, a brand reworking traditional Singaporean women's clothing into contemporary cheongsams, slip dresses and colourful samfu sets inspired by the designer's grandmother's wardrobe. Good Addition stocks timeless cotton basics suited to the humidity, and Fuzzy Feelings sells tiny crocheted dim sum bags made by radio presenter Juliana Yeow for Lunar New Year — she crochets vegetables year-round.
For travellers, New Bahru is a rare window into Singapore's small-designer scene, beyond the luxury retail and hawker classics. It's open daily, sits a ten-minute drive from Orchard Road (the Standard Hotel is a convenient nearby stay, rooms from about S$300), and pairs easily with the cafes and bars of Robertson Quay. Fly direct with Singapore Airlines from most major Australian cities.
