How Artists Turned Pearl's Hill Terrace Into Singapore's Coolest Spot | Singapore Hour

Key Concepts

• Pearl's Hill Terrace: A hidden creative enclave in Singapore's city center.
• Creative Enclave: A community space fostering art, craft, food, and drinks.
• Affordable Rent: A key factor enabling small independent studios to thrive.
• Community Building: The landlord's vision and the interactions among tenants and visitors.
• Art as Connection: The idea that art, in its various forms, brings people together and fosters a sense of belonging.
• Experiential Workshops: Hands-on learning opportunities in unique art forms like tattoo art and jewelry making.
• Artisanal Wares: Curated, handcrafted items with stories and mindful design principles.
• Impromptu Jam Sessions: Spontaneous musical collaborations that form the "heartbeat" of the community.

Pearl's Hill Terrace: A Hidden Creative Hub

Pearl's Hill Terrace is a unique, hidden enclave located in Singapore's city center, a mere two-minute walk from the Chinatown MRT station. Once the police headquarters, the building stood empty until a few years ago when "cheap rent" attracted "creatives, craftsmen, and food visionaries." Today, it has transformed into a vibrant community offering diverse culinary experiences, art workshops, retail studios, and a strong sense of belonging. The narrator, a co-founder of an art studio within the terrace, emphasizes its role in making art fun and providing a space for creative expression. Its discreet location behind a hawker center means many Singaporeans are unaware of its existence.

Culinary Comfort at Paaru

The culinary journey begins at Paaru, a restaurant helmed by veteran restaurateur Vincent. Paaru focuses on a "very small selection of dishes" to maintain quality and focus. The standout dish is the Carbonara Udon, described as "velvety, bouncy udon paired with the creamy, rich flavours of carbonara and an endless snowfall of parmesan cheese shavings," serving as a comforting, almost "sinful" food for difficult days. The space is designed to feel like a home, featuring a living area and an open kitchen. Notably, the washing area, often considered the "dirtiest part" of a restaurant, is intentionally placed next to the main door to celebrate it, symbolizing a warm farewell akin to "mum and dad saying bye to family members who came for dinner." The narrator often visits Paaru not just to eat, but to "hide away from the world" with a drink, finding solace in its comforting atmosphere.

Experiential Art and Craft Workshops

Pearl's Hill Terrace offers a diverse range of "wild" art classes, reminiscent of childhood art lessons.

• Jerome's Tattoo Art Workshop: Here, participants learn to create art pieces using a tattoo gun. A key caution is issued: "if you poke yourself, it will become a real tattoo." The technique involves controlled movements, "not too fast, and not too slow also."
• Junie's Jewellery Studio: Junie, who started with "just a dream," now transforms gold, silver, and precious metals into custom jewelry and teaches the craft. An example of the process involves continuous "stepping" and shaping until the metal "becomes pinkish," followed by "slightly tap and shape it." Junie's work often incorporates personal memories, such as a client's honeymoon scenery embedded in a ring. She highlights that such rings, based on "feelings, emotions, memories," possess a lasting value that "money... is temporary" and cannot provide.

Jerry: The Visionary Landlord and Community Anchor

A significant challenge for small independent studios like Junie's and the narrator's is rent. However, Pearl's Hill Terrace thrives due to its affordable rent and the unique vision of its landlord, Jerry. Jerry's office doubles as a "de-stress" zone where tenants can interact with his cats, Toms and Jerry, playfully suggesting it's where they go when they "can't make rent." Jerry actively "rules over" the terrace, checking in on the "200 sub-tenants" and other living things. Crucially, he has consistently rejected offers for higher-paying storage or office rentals, instead preserving the units for creative and arts studios and maintaining affordable rent. Jerry's dream has always been to foster an artistic community, inspired by his youth seeing artists drawing portraits for survival. He expresses "big joy" in witnessing young artists achieve their dreams, emphasizing that the "messy, organic environment" of the terrace allows creatives the freedom to experiment.

Asaru: Mindful Artisanal Wares

The studio Asaru, run by Shan and her team, offers a "treasure trove of artisanal wares" personally discovered abroad. The narrator initially felt shy, fearing the items might be "fancy stuff" beyond understanding. However, Shan's approach encourages mindfulness about everyday objects and a re-evaluation of what makes them beautiful. Asaru's design philosophy draws inspiration from Pearl's Hill Terrace itself, which "looks super old, almost forgotten." They blend modern materials with "salvaged materials," such as bricks from demolished shophouses and rocks from a local quarry. Shan's ultimate goal is to inspire people that "it's okay to have (items from) IKEA alongside a nice artist’s piece because they can coexist and create a beauty that these two items do." The narrator left with a "deeper appreciation of the things we’ve long taken for granted around us."

Kult Yard: The Heartbeat of Community and Spontaneous Art

As sundown approaches, the focus shifts to Kult Yard, described as the "heartbeat of Pearl’s Hill Terrace." Founded by Zac, a "legend in Singapore’s bartending circle," Kult Yard serves "wildest cocktails" like the Bloody Belacan (Zac's take on a Bloody Mary) and Jamu Sour (inspired by his mother's traditional drink). After working across Europe, Zac returned to Singapore in 2015 with a vision to open a simple bar, rejecting the "pretentious" "World’s Best Bar" trend. Kult Yard's arrival significantly revitalized Pearl's Hill Terrace, bringing "colours, there was music," increasing "footfall," and attracting more shops and studios. The bar fosters a strong community by remembering guests' names, creating a personal connection that simplifies ordering.

A year ago, Zac, fulfilling a dream to be in a band, started impromptu jam sessions in the yard with his two bandmates, all musicians who "don't read and write music but we want to play our own stuff." These sessions evolved into spontaneous gatherings every Saturday night, where strangers—jazz musicians, rap artistes, breakdancers—join in, creating music without a fixed genre. Zac highlights the power of this collective art, citing an instance of a guy freestyling about divorce, which could resonate with someone in the audience, making them feel "I'm not alone in the world. And that's what art is. Different people come together and you won’t feel so alone."

Conclusion: Art as Fulfillment and Connection

The narrator concludes by asserting that everyone encountered at Pearl's Hill Terrace is an artist. Challenging the common misconception that art "can’t fill the stomach" or "can’t be understood," the terrace demonstrates the opposite. It is a place where art, in its myriad forms—culinary, visual, craft, and musical—not only sustains livelihoods but also fosters deep connections, community, and a profound sense of fulfillment, leaving the narrator's "heart just always feels full."