SINGAPORE - A floral design studio and a lifestyle outlet will start operating at Gillman Barracks from the fourth quarter of 2023.
The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) on Friday announced the two new tenants – Charlotte Puxley Flowers and Didi Lifestyle – and launched a three-day local farm festival that runs from Friday to Sunday.
The Local Farm Festival features more than 40 local farmers and social enterprises, among others.
Organised by Gardenasia, it offers a range of local farm-fresh products and experiential programmes themed around a sustainable food future. It is held at blocks 43 and 47 of Gillman Barracks.
SLA said that the two new tenants will introduce offerings to enhance the overall visitor experience within Gillman Barracks.
The authority had awarded five tenders last October, as part of ongoing efforts to rejuvenate the area into a creative lifestyle hub.
Charlotte Puxley Flowers, a floral design studio, intends to conduct flower workshops for people of varying skill levels and ages. It wants to get a pet-friendly licence for an outdoor cafe, with plans for it to be an event venue and backdrop for bridal photoshoots.
Ms Charlotte Puxley, 35, founder and director of the studio, said she sees a bright future for Gillman Barracks as a hub for innovation and inspiration.
“By expanding our operations here, we hope to connect with more people and share our passion for flowers and design in new and exciting ways,” she said.
The firm’s winning bid of $21,400 was the highest of five for the unit, located within Block 9. The unit has an estimated gross floor area (GFA) of 4,189.89 sq ft. Its studio is currently located at Tan Boon Liat Building in Outram Road.
Didi Lifestyle, which won the other tender to lease Block 43 and four units in Block 47, describes itself as a venue centred around urban lifestyle and culture.
It will partner artisanal lifestyle brands to provide food and beverage, retail and wellness offerings on its premises. They include spin classes, artisanal craft workshops and live performances.
Mr Ewan Wong, co-head of lifestyle operations for Didi Lifestyle, said the aim is to bring people together through activities that will give a unique experience.
“We noticed that the current offerings in Gillman have a larger skew towards nighttime dining, so we’d like to bring in the off-peak footfall to support the other venues here,” said Mr Wong, 43.
Didi Lifestyle submitted a bid of $40,800, the third-highest of seven bids. Its units have an estimated GFA of 17,644.24 sq ft.
SLA said: “Emphasis was placed on the quality of the proposed concepts to encourage tenderers to submit differentiated proposals that are aligned with the vision for Gillman Barracks as a creative lifestyle precinct, as well as incorporate ideas to drive green initiatives, inject vibrancy and facilitate around-the-clock engagement with the wider community.”
Speaking at the launch of The Local Farm Festival on Friday, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said Covid-19 has “taught us the importance of having food security”.
“Climate change and varying weather patterns are teaching us lessons every day about the need to be climate resilient,” she added.
“We have decided that we need to build up the capability in Singapore in food, and that is why we started down this ‘30 by 30’ road.
“This journey is going to be quite a long one.”
The “30 by 30” target refers to Singapore’s aim of producing 30 per cent of the country’s food needs by 2030.
