Designing the first impression of a new cross-border connection

The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System Link will be the first direct rail connection between the two cities — a piece of infrastructure with national significance on both sides of the border. Swan & Maclaren was commissioned to design Bukit Chagar Station, the Malaysian terminus, as part of a joint venture with GDP Architects.

A border station is more than a transit point. It carries the weight of arrival, departure, and national identity. The brief required a building that could handle the technical complexity of customs, immigration, and quarantine (CIQ) operations while presenting a confident civic face to the hundreds of thousands of passengers expected to pass through each year.

The architectural design draws on principles of clarity and procession. Passengers move through a sequence of generous, daylit spaces that separate arrival and departure flows while maintaining a sense of openness. Material choices reflect the building's permanence — robust, timeless, and suited to the tropical climate.

Bukit Chagar Station is now under construction. When completed, it will stand as the gateway to Malaysia for a new generation of cross-border travellers — a building that balances operational rigour with the dignity that a project of this scale demands.