Gillman Barracks turns ‘green’ with inaugural local farm festival and new eco-friendly tenants

Gillman Barracks, better known as Singapore’s contemporary art enclave, has some green plans to rejuvenate the former British military camp.

Kicking off the initiatives on Apr 14 to 16 at Blocks 43 and 47 is the inaugural The Local Farm Festival featuring grown-in-Singapore-fresh produce. Show your support for more than 40 local artisans, crafters, social enterprises and food tech startups that have been brought under the theme Food Future.

There will also be experiential programmes such as the Sustainable Feed Camp that features Shark Tank-like challenges for the young as well as panel discussions and workshops focusing on food sustainability.

Beyond this weekend’s farmers market are two new tenants that the Singapore Land Authority-managed Gillman Barracks has brought onboard: Didi Lifestyle (43 and 47 Malan Road, #01-21 to #01-24) and Charlotte Puxley (9 Lock Road, #02-21).

Look for the bicycle and motorcycle themed showrooms at Didi Lifestyle, along with a mix of retail shops, co-working and workshop spaces as well as activities such as yoga, weekend performances and seasonal pop-up events. Pet-friendly spaces will be introduced.

Over at Charlotte Puxley, flower lovers can look forward to regular workshops and an outdoor café for families and pet lovers. The floral design studio also offers space that can be hired for events such as bridal photoshoots as well as social, community and art events.  

These tenants were awarded the tenders by the SLA for their green initiatives. Didi Lifestyle, for instance, plans to deploy solar panels, explore electric vehicle charging points and a Clean Energy gallery to educate the public on sustainability and e-mobility.

Charlotte Puxley intends to introduce hydroponic systems to grow plants on its premises as well as recycling initiatives such as the Cutting Garden, where floral waste will be composted.

Coffee lovers and foodies can also expect The Blackbird and Wheeler’s Tropikana to open their doors in the later part of this year. They will join the three other existing F&B tenants Creamier, Handlebar and Hopscotch. 

Elsewhere at Gillman Barracks, visitors can look forward to other green initiatives such as eco-friendly sanitary fittings in the common washrooms, along with new additions including a new playground, heritage storyboards and the return of weekly heritage and art tours.