Drawing from the historical and local context, the centre forms a "ketupat" of sorts, its masses and openings evoking interwoven serai (lemongrass) leaves - an indigenous plant. Located at a busy junction and with a public plaza in front, it houses a community club, Community Development Council offices, National Arts Council arts facilities, Malay heritage gallery, and Ministry of Social and Family Development services. Its design reflects the pluralism of Singapore’s communities, combining elements of the traditional Malay house with Singapore’s shophouse architecture. Latticed doors front two-tiered pitched-roofed serambi on the upper levels whose inclined "stilts" extend down in front of the lower storeys to the ground. A floating reading room offers a tranquil atmosphere. Individual function rooms and studios are placed together for the flexibility to combine into a single performance space. The hovering masses and cut-away windows create a transparency that invites the public in.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
