Abstract
Colonial-period military estates in Singapore are being gentrified for adaptive reuse producing high-end hospitality and retail venues for expatriate and tourist consumption. These include the feted “Black and White” residential enclaves synonymous with Singapore’s tropical aesthetic. But underlying this reinvention is a disturbing history of wartime repurposing under the Japanese Imperial Army, which temporarily destabilised the meanings and representations of these buildings. The seemingly undisturbed architectural typologies of barracks, bungalows and timber huts were backdrops to war, military occupation and captivity. This paper explores how the aesthetic affects and affectations that accompany adaptive reuse may conceal or disclose unsettling histories. It contrasts contemporary celebration of these revitalised historical neighbourhoods with their very different representation by wartime captives.
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