Joo Chiat/ Katong
Joo Chiat: Colours of Continuity and Change
Joo Chiat: Colours of Continuity and Change
Although the map says Katong, and the urban planning department places the area in District 15, Marine Parade, the area is commonly referred to as Joo Chiat. It's not entirely clear if Joo Chiat is synonymous with Katong, and you'll often see the names together: Katong/ Joo Chiat. Where exactly Joo Chiat begins and ends is similarly hard to define. For this project, I shot mostly on East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road, all within a 10 to 15-minute walk of my home on Tembeling Road.
Read more about the History of Katong/ Joo Chiat
Project Overview:
We moved to Singapore in the summer of 2022, and the decision to live in Joo Chiat happened by chance. We chose the location based on proximity to my son’s school. The years preceding our move had been hard, and I arrived feeling depleted and lacking clear direction.
Joo Chiat, in Singapore’re East Coast, is one of Singapore’s most interesting neighbourhoods. In the early years of colonial Singapore, coconut and cotton plantations were established. During the first half of the 1900s, the area now known as Katong-Joo Chiat started to develop and a became popular area to live among several of Singapore’s diverse communities, particularly the Peranakans and Eurasians.
In the 1990s, over 500 buildings were designated for conservation, and in 2011 it became Singapore’s first heritage town. Since then, the area has seen significant gentrification and houses many boutiques, coffee shops, and restaurants. In 2025, Joo Chiat Road was named by Time Out as one of the coolest streets in the world.
For me, the visible tension between preservation and change offered space to reflect on change and loss. The street also offered the possibility of renewal. Amidst my daily routine, as I went looking for breakfast, or simply to buy milk, the details of the neighbourhood always offered something to notice. Picking up my camera to capture all that caught my eye became a way of paying attention again.
The photographs in this project were taken during morning walks, during the first 60-90 minutes of daylight. The images document both the character of this constantly changing neighbourhood and my experience of creative renewal within it.
Click on each image to view.
