Gillman Barracks

Gillman Barracks was built in 1936 for the British army and named for a general, low colonial blocks with deep verandas set among mature trees on a slope. It was converted from 2012 into a contemporary art cluster, with commercial galleries occupying the buildings and the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art running a research and exhibition programme. The setting does a great deal of the work: black-and-white buildings under rain trees, and no traffic.

History

Built in 1936 on swamp and jungle and named after General Sir Webb Gillman, the barracks housed British infantry battalions; the British handed them to the Singapore Armed Forces in August 1971 for a token $1, they became the commercial Gillman Village in 1996, and in 2010 the government announced their redevelopment as an arts cluster under the old name (Wikipedia, Gillman Barracks).

Highlights

• The 1936 blocks - colonial barracks buildings with deep verandas under trees.
• The galleries - contemporary commercial galleries occupying the buildings.
• The art trail - outdoor sculpture and installations between the blocks.
• The setting - a quiet wooded slope with no traffic through it.

When to go

Year round; galleries close on Mondays and most keep afternoon hours. Art Week in January is the busiest and best time. Evening openings happen through the year.

Practical notes

Galleries are commercial and several have closed since the cluster opened; the tenancy has been unstable. Many are shut on Mondays and open late otherwise. There is little to do if the shows do not interest you.

Nearby

Labrador Nature Reserve is south, and Alexandra is north.

Key facts