Dakota Crescent

Dakota Crescent is older than Singapore. It was built by Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) in 1958 and handed over to Housing and Development Board (HDB) in 1960. The name Dakota was taken from the American transport aircraft Dakota DC-3, which commonly landed at Kallang Airport before it was closed. The name Dakota could also commemorate the aviation disaster of June 29, 1946, when one of the Royal Air Force's Dakota aircraft crashed at Kallang Airport in a thunderstorm, killing all passengers on board. Anyway, its days are numbered too. It is to be demolished and make way for new development. You can read all about it here

The playground seen in the sketch which I cropped on the left is also iconic. It was called the Dove Playground designed by a very senior HDB architect in 1979. The same architect also designed the other iconic playgrounds in Singapore - the Dragon playground in Toa Payoh. I sketched it here. The Dove Playground will be demolished too but the Dragon Playground will remain.

February Sketchwalk

The lights have already gone out on this 59-year-old enclave of Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) flats built before our island nation became independent.

This is a final chance to capture the modernist architecture of the estate, albeit vacant and in a state of abandon, silent except for gawking visitors.

We will rendezvous at the playground, from where you can spread out and explore the neighbourhood.

MEETING POINT
Start
9:30 AM

End
12:30 PM

Dakota Crescent Playground
Block 10 Dakota Crescent
Singapore 390010
https://goo.gl/maps/Eqpe8W7bscU2
*we will both start and end here

Dress for the weather. See you there!

Dakota Crescent

Dakota Crescent will be cleared by 2016, please save these old charming SIT flats.