LITTLE INDIA MRT STATIONNorth East Line & Downtown Line Interchange Station

LTA HQ

HDB

Race

Cour

se R

oad

Bukit Timah Road

Rochor CanalA

CB-D

F

Tekka Market

Little India Heritage Area

Bus Stops Green Areas Zones Proximity

Sari Brass Utensils Fused Metal Louvres Tiles Insert Indian Orisa Blue

: Little India MRT Station (DTL2): Mass Rapid Transit (MRT): Bukit Timah Road, Singapore

: S$ 350,000,000.00: 35,424.82 m: 1.67

: June 2009: 30 Mar 2016

: Land Transport Authority

: Architects 61 Pte Ltd

: Parsons Brinckerhoff (Asia) Ltd: Mott MacDonald

: SsangYong Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd

: LTA Transport Excellence Award - Best Design Rail/Road Infrastructure Award 2016

: BCA Design & Engineering Safety Excellence Award 2016

: World Architecture Festival 2013 Shortlisted Project

Project TitleCategoryLocation

Contract ValueGFAPlot Ratio

Contract AwardProject Completion

Client

Architect

M & E ConsultantC & S Consultant

Main Contractor

Awards

Inspired by the Sari, a timeless cultural icon and a fashion statement, and the Indian Heritage, the new Little India MRT Station (Entrance F) revitalises and expresses itself through architecture form and language, materiality and colours, and contextual optimisation and integration within the site.

The implemented flowing form becomes the entry piece to the station and the language for its interior. The form is organic, fluid and sinuous, giving a fresh identity to Little India Station, whilst still firmly rooting in its context among the Indian heritage section of Singapore. The design theme is sympathetic to the geological history of the area, where a natural stream used to run at the current location of the canal. Little Indias flowing fabric

theme is a modern remaking consistent with flowing water forms of the past.

At grade level, the flowing Sari is articulated architecturally with aluminium curved in sensual bend starting from Entrance F faade which continues into the aluminium baffle ceiling, into the concourse and to the double volume space in the platform. Besides the Little India Stations new Entrance F development, there are also the Addition & Alteration (A&A) to existing North-East Line (NEL) Entrances B/D, A and C, with addition of handicap lift serving public from grade level to subterranean concourse level. The redeveloped Entrance D is required to integrate and respect (architecturally to) the existing Entrance B, the new sinuous flowing identity is expressed on the Entrances wall architectural finish, fuse metal. This architectural finish with its

champagne shimmering characteristic is an architectural interpretation of an Indian Sari.

The entrances are seamlessly integrated into one form. This allows for easy and intuitive connectivity between all transportation systems - bus / taxi / bicycle / train. In addition, the entrances address the urban context of the site with its layout integrating the surrounding elements - road side curb alignment, landscaping, street lighting and signage and linking to existing entrances. Careful planning has been made for the integration of future developmental grid of future buildings. Where interfacing to existing structures are crucial, as in the case of A&A to Existing Entrance A, B/D & C, design and choice of materials are sensitively considered to respect the existing NEL stations characteristic while rejuvenating the area with a sense of new

intervention.

The layout of Little India Station has been streamlined from the original Down-Town Line (DTL) proposal. The original design has an entire subterranean Paid Link storey to serve at the transiting interchange space between DTL and NEL stations. A61 revised proposal reduced this subterranean Paid Link storey by 30%. This improvement was translated into the reduction of construction cost and construction time, and more importantly the distances

travelled between NEL and DTL stations by commuters cut short to make the passenger flow more efficient.

The undulating ceiling at the double volume space in the platform area for the station forms an intuitive approach to way finding. The clarity of the spatial layout and the generous public spaces reduces congestion. The large void at the platform heightens the sense of arrival. This centralized large space integrates the platform and concourse level, giving a sense of security and comfort by allowing your visual connections between the different levels. The exclusive design and integration of art work into the architecture creates a modern sari interpretation, conclude a memorable commuting experience

for all commuters.

Little India Station has achieved the LTA Transport Excellence Award for the Best Design Rail/Road Infrastructure Award 2016, with its sensitive design towards materiality, contextual responsiveness, efficiency and sustainability.

LITTLE INDIA MRT STATIONNorth East Line & Downtown Line Interchange Station