Lighting a former school campus into a new creative cluster after dark

New Bahru transforms the former Nan Chiau High School campus at Kim Yam Road into a vibrant creative cluster, bringing together homegrown businesses across food, retail, wellness, arts and culture.

Working within the character of the existing architecture, Swan & Maclaren developed the integrated lighting design to support the site's transformation while respecting the identity and heritage of the original buildings.

The lighting approach responds to New Bahru's distinctive architecture and diverse spaces, creating a cohesive experience across the development. Light is used to reveal architectural features, strengthen the character of key spaces and provide a welcoming environment as the precinct transitions from day into night.

Rather than competing with the building's history, the lighting complements it, allowing the textures, forms and details of the original architecture to remain part of the experience.

The result supports New Bahru's evolution from a former school campus into a contemporary destination for creativity, community and discovery, giving a familiar piece of Singapore's built heritage a new life after dark.