The Lo & Behold Group and joint-venture partner Sunray Group Holdings have unveiled New Bahru, Singapore’s first creative cluster will soon be unveiled at 46 & 58 Kim Yam Road in River Valley. The name “New Bahru” (Bahru meaning “New” in Malay) reflects the project’s hopes of bringing together a new creative community and a nod to the very Singaporean penchant for repeating words for emphasis, for example, swee swee, play-play, jalan jalan.

Wee Teng Wen, Managing Partner of The Lo & Behold Group says, “We’re building a lifestyle destination that is driven by discovery. A lovingly refurbished school building to escape the mundaneness of cookie-cutter malls, where people can come without a plan, yet spend a day wandering around and leave feeling inspired by the New Bahru community, the products and programming. Something that Singaporeans can be proud of, something tourists will write home about and ultimately change the way people perceive local talent.”

The New Bahru promise is brought to life by the project’s curatorial approach which emphasises the uniqueness of concept and strength of community. The New Bahru community is comprised of change-makers in each field who have, in their own way, been relentlessly pushing the envelope. Working with a representation of leading design studios in Singapore like Hjgher, Wynk, and Parable, every brand embarks on its boldest challenge yet—some pioneering new-to-market concepts, others adding a spin to traditional expansions or relocations with bolt-ons, and still others transforming their online ventures into brick-and-mortar experiences. Some examples include:

• Dearborn, of granola fame, launches its flagship store, featuring a microbakery, breakfast provision shop and all-day breakfast cafe.
  
• The multidisciplinary design studio, best known for its bold yet simple designs, will open its largest store in Singapore to date – the Beyond The Vines Design House, which will offer customisation services and special product lines.
  
• Dedicated to bridging the gap between people and nature, soilboy, the Singapore-based plant design studio best known for its curated plants, and handmade ceramics launches its first experience store. Look forward to innovative plant installations and immersive hands-on workshops set to inspire a sense of curiosity for the greener things in life.
  
• Morning opens its first physical store, creating a coffee destination for specialty capsule coffee from around the world. The new store offers a unique retail experience, designed for the community to experience the Morning brand and engage with the future of coffee through sampling sessions, workshops, and events.
  
• An exhilarating new haven for young adventurers, Kiztopia Prestige dazzles with immersive role-play rooms and workshops for the little ones. Here, holistic development takes centre stage with a diverse range of soft play concepts and regular programmes tailored for children aged 4 and below.

Taking up residence alongside the food & beverage, retail, wellness, enrichment and craft brands is Alma House, a new-to-market 83-key serviced apartment. The Latin name takes its cue from alma mater, paying homage to the historic grounds of the former school that it occupies. Designed by FARM, the same architects behind the rejuvenation of New Bahru, the interior design draws from the former school’s heritage and its bold modernist architecture to weave together old-world charm and modern comforts.

The guest experience will extend beyond the room to give travellers a glimpse of Singapore’s creative talent. In-room amenities and dining, along with wellness experiences, will be available through packages and special collaborations, courtesy of its neighbours in the New Bahru community. Alma House and Castlery will also be embarking on a first-of-its-kind partnership, where selected pieces from the homegrown furniture brand will be integrated into the rooms as well as the lobby lounge (a.k.a. The Living Room) which will be periodically refreshed to allow guests to experience their latest seasonal collections.

A spokesperson from Project X, the collective that operates and manages Alma House says, “We wanted to fill the gap in the market for travellers seeking an authentic off-the-beaten-track experience and are pleased to have found that with the New Bahru community. Alma House will be in the company of well-loved local brands across various verticals which showcases the diversity of Singapore’s culture and heritage championed by the entrepreneurs and the creative drive behind them. This line-up gives our guests a taste of the hyper-local experience right at their doorstep.”

As an ever-evolving destination for those with a curious mind, the development strives to offer something new to discover, taste, see or do. Iconic areas across the space have been carved out for pop-up programming and events. These include the Lawn which comes complete with a playground in partnership with Oatside and landscaping by botanical design studio, This Humid House, to the Factory on the first floor of an old garment factory and the School Hall which harkens back to a time when it was the nucleus of activity for Nan Chiau High School.

As the community settles into the former school, visitors can look forward to the New Bahru Open House on 22 & 23 June. The two-day event is jointly organised by the cultural advocates at PPURPOSE, an agency dedicated to breathing purpose and life into spaces, communities and experiences. Feed your curiosity with Saturday’s thought-provoking installations, workshops, talks, and activities. Then, Sunday promises endless fun for all ages with vibrant and family-friendly programming. Beyond the Open House, New Bahru will see an exciting line-up of pop-ups, activations and events sprouting on the transformed grounds, including the biggest edition of GREEN-HOUSE 2024, Singapore’s first and largest immersive retail experience for local sustainable home and lifestyle brands.

New Bahru will have an open house on 22nd and 23rd June 2024. More information available here