An arts hub today, Gillman Barracks once housed the British Army’s military men and their families. There, the residents enjoyed cool breezes and views of a luscious jungle swamp, now Keppel Harbour. 

Ms Sally McHale is the daughter of a British officer who served in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency. These days, she provides guided tours of Gillman Barracks as a Friends of the Museums docent. 

From the second level of Block 9, she showed participants on a tour the view that her dad had admired. “He absolutely loved seeing so much green. Having such a good view really put him at ease in times of stress,” she recalled.

But Gillman Barracks wasn’t always the cool contemporary arts cluster that it is today. Known as Gillman Village from 1996 to 2010, it was launched as a lifestyle enclave for commercial use but did not take off. In 2010, its name reverted to Gillman Barracks and a more concerted plan to revitalise the space as an arts hub was announced. After a two-year makeover by public agencies such as the Economic Development Board, National Arts Council and JTC Corporation, the arts cluster reopened in 2012.

With so much space, the British who lived at Gillman Barracks were not short of options for entertainment. There were badminton courts, a cinema that played imported British films – attracting non-residents living nearby who would try to sneak in – and even a swimming pool, Ms McHale said. 

The pool was “arguably one of the hottest spots at the barracks”, she added, especially on weekends, for those wanting a cool break from Singapore’s weather.

After the British withdrew from Singapore, the British Army sold the property to the Singapore government in 1971 – for just $1. The Singapore Armed Forces’ combat engineers then moved in. National Servicemen also used the facilities there and the pool continued to be a popular spot, but for an entirely different reason.

On Thursdays, nurses from the nearby dental institute could enter Gillman Barracks and use the pool, said Ms McHale. She added with a wink: “Of course, that meant the pool would be even more crowded, with more army men joining in.” 

Nothing remains today to show that the swimming pool existed. Instead, its former spot opposite Block 9 is now covered with trees. The flirting and socialising, however, carries on today with people mingling at the bars nearby. And just as the children of military men learned and played in schools built there in the past, with Playeum, Singapore’s first creative space just for children, Gillman Barracks continues to be a place for all in contemporary times.

• Events to attend 
  Art After Dark, Gillman Barrack’s signature night time open house event 

• What to do 
  Go for free art or heritage walking tours with docents from Friends of the Museum

• What to see
  Check out art galleries like ShanghART and  Sundaram Tagore Gallery Singapore, and visit the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art, which houses many programmes such as exhibitions, talks and music performances

• What to eat 
  Go for some quality seafood at The Naked Finn or indulge in handcrafted ice cream at Creamier

• Where to drink 
  Sing along to covers of top 40 hits at Hopscotch

• For children 
  Young ones can be creative explorers at Playeum Children's Centre for Creativity