void deck

The earliest record of the term "void deck" dates back to a 1967 Straits Times newspaper article, where it was used to describe the in-between floors of mixed-use buildings that separated the shopping levels from the residential blocks above them.The Straits Times, [https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19670421-1.2.24 "Multi-use Buildings: First Goes up in Chinatown,"] April 21, 1967. Accessed September 19, 2024. In 1973, HDB referred to the open ground level as a 'void area' in the government panel in the newspaper.The Straits Times, [https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19730928-1.2.83.4.1. "Untitled,"] September 28, 1973, 10. Accessed September 19, 2024. However, HDB did not utilise the term "void deck" in their annual reports until 1977–1978.Housing and Development Board. [https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search/card?recordId=4662986 Annual Report, 1977/78.] Singapore: Housing and Development Board, 1978. p. 45. Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim Former Minister for Ministry of Communications and Information stated that the term "void deck" is a uniquely Singaporean one.

File:Blk 261-264 Waterloo St Waterloo Centre HDB Mixed-Use.jpg

Despite the name, void decks are not completely empty. The void deck is a largely open space with structural columns that support the residential blocks above it. Smooth white walls coat the verticals, and matte grey covers the base, with some walkways textured to prevent slippage. Although there is some variation, the center of the void deck houses its iconic elevators lobbies and dedicated letterbox area. Residents can collect mail before or after using the elevator.

The lift lobby at void decks can be treated as the main entrance or "lobby lounges" to HDB blocks. In newer void decks, they are even marked with a different wall and floor design and kept open for the community to furnish and decorate.Wong, Aline K., and Stephen H. K. Yeh, eds. [https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search/card?recordId=4081015 Housing a Nation: 25 Years of Public Housing in Singapore.] Singapore: Maruzen Asia, 1985. 76, 370-371. The void deck's large open spaces allow for a variety of temporary functions, acting as "a space that can serve community needs." The void deck's abundance of uses allows residents to establish a niche experience with other residents. However, scholars such as the late Ooi Giok Ling and Thomas Tan have stated that the void deck can become a place for frequent yet superficial social interactions, especially when limited to passing greetings.

In their book chapter The Social Significance of Public Spaces in Public Housing Estates, Ooi and Tan noted that the space is a "radical embrace of functional indeterminacy," meaning that the void deck is intentionally designed to have no fixed or predetermined purpose. Hence, Ooi and Tan described the institution of void decks as a 'gamble' because of this uncertainty of its usage. In the book chapter "Void Deck" in Public Space in Urban Asia by William S. W. Lim, Cairns, et. al. dedicated one section called "The Void Deck Gamble", stating that the void deck was meant to be an open space with no particular function, but the hope was for it to promote "community and identity formation" as mentioned explicitly in government documents.

There are various theories behind the implementation of the void deck.Tan, Martino. [https://mothership.sg/2016/12/the-story-behind-when-the-void-deck-was-introduced-and-how-it-was-invented/. "The Story Behind When the 'Void Deck' Was Introduced and How It Was Invented."] Mothership.sg, December 27, 2016. [https://web.archive.org/web/20161228143500/https://mothership.sg/2016/12/the-story-behind-when-the-void-deck-was-introduced-and-how-it-was-invented/ Archived] December 28, 2016. According to the biography of late SNOC president and law minister E.W. Barker, edited by Susan Sim, the initial idea of the void deck originated from a 1973 conversation Barker had with former Secretary General S.S. Dhillon while driving at Kim Keat Road towards Toa Payoh.Yang, Joyce. [https://dear.sg/stories/the-secret-life-of-void-decks "The Secret Life of Void Decks."] Dear SG, March 10, 2020. [https://web.archive.org/web/20221109071524/https://dear.sg/stories/the-secret-life-of-void-decks Archived] November 9, 2022. Accessed September 18, 2024.Sim, Susan. [https://sealion.iseas.edu.sg/client/en_SG/default/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ILS$002f0$002fSD_ILS:298009/one E. W. Barker: The People's Minister.] Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2016. 313. Barker commented on children being drenched in the rain, suggesting, "If only we could raise buildings one level up." Susan Sim and Dhillon suggested that this was how "the idea of a void deck at the foot of each HDB block came about." In 2024, TODAY online posted an article which claimed that HDB "initially built void decks for ventilation and flood prevention in dense urban areas", citing urban planners.Loh, Renald. [https://www.todayonline.com/big-read/big-read-short-hdb-void-decks-social-bonding-spaces-or-pain-points-residents-2341366. "The Big Read in Short: HDB Void Decks — Social Bonding Spaces or Pain Points for Residents?"] Today, January 12, 2024. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240913185755/https://www.todayonline.com/big-read/big-read-short-hdb-void-decks-social-bonding-spaces-or-pain-points-residents-2341366 Archived] September 13, 2024. Accessed September 18, 2024.

However, Scholars like Louisa-May Khoo and Stephen Cairns echoed the official view that the void deck exists to mix people up, to promote social interaction between people in Singapore's ethnically diverse, multicultural, and multi-religious society.Khoo, Louisa-May. [https://www.clc.gov.sg/docs/urb-sol-iss-10-pdfs. Living with Diversity the Singapore Way.] Singapore: Centre for Liveable Cities, 2017. [https://web.archive.org/web/20181212121956/https://www.clc.gov.sg/docs/default-source/urban-solutions/urb-sol-iss-10-pdfs/essay-inclusion_through_intervention.pdf Archived] December 12, 2018. Accessed September 19, 2024. In 1989, the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) was introduced, which kept the percentage of each racial group in HDB blocks in line the national CMIO racial composition.Tan, Ern Ser, and Paveena Seah. [https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351058230-4/roof-one-head-lifestyle-diversity-dynamics-singapore-public-housing-tan-ern-ser-paveena-seah "More Than Just a Roof over One’s Head: Lifestyle Diversity and Dynamics in Singapore Public Housing."] In Planning Singapore: The Experimental City, edited by Stephen Hamnett and Belinda Yuen, 70–90. London: Routledge, 2019. It is suggested that the presence of void decks below HDB blocks would promote social interaction and contribute to fostering racial harmony.

The NHB's e-book titled Void Deck from their Community Heritage Series III (2013) stated that the intention of the void deck was to provide "a sense of relief" in a highly urbanised environment and create opportunities for community bonding. It also suggested that "[the] introduction of void decks has undeniably improved the lives of HDB flat dwellers as they provide shelter from the rain and sun, promote good airflow and natural light, and allow passers-by easy passage through the estates," mentioning the other possible reasons stated by Sim, Khoo, Cairns, and Tan.

File:Youth Playing Games at the Void Deck.jpg

When HDB blocks were first constructed in the 1960s, they did not include void decks. It was only in the 1970s that HDB began building its flats starting from the second level, creating open space on the ground level. However, exceptions to some new HDB blocks were made to allow for greater convenience for the elderly.

At the start, void decks featured only basic amenities such as bicycle racks, letterboxes, elevators, and telephone booths. In around every four blocks, early void decks had kiosks that sold household necessities and groceries near the lift lobby. After the creation of the precinct, the kiosks were replaced by precinct facilities such as nearby convenience stores.

From the 1970s to 1980s, Singapore began moving kampong residents into HDB estates, otherwise known as New Towns. During this process, New Town HDB void decks served as the functional equivalent of communal kampong spaces for gathering.

In the 1980s, HDB began incorporating entertainment facilities like chess and checker tables, vending machines, and advertisement corners, along with safety and security features such as CCTV surveillance and defibrillators. In 1980, HDB announced that every new HDB block and older estates will have electrical and water facilities for usage at the void deck.The Straits Times. [https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19800724-1.2.69 "HDB Will Add Facilities to Void Decks."] July 24, 1980. Accessed September 19, 2024. Until the 1990s, void decks followed similar rectangular designs, which only changed when HDB began encouraging teams of private firms to 'design-and-build' HDB flats in 1991.The Straits Times, [https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19910531-1.2.34.8 "HDB Seeks Private Sector Design Bids,"] May 31, 1991. Accessed September 19, 2024.

Since 1982, HDB blocks have been built in a way that links void decks and playgrounds into territories known as precincts. A precinct constitutes up to 750 flats and joins together roughly 4 hectares of flats, creating a common space with which residents can identify. In a precinct, a playground becomes the focal point around which void deck facilities have been built and concentrated. Residents are also within walking distance to conveniences such as small shops, eateries, and grocery stores. Precinct pavilions have been added to newer void decks.Low, Brian Lip Chee. [https://www.todayonline.com/voices/use-void-decks-changes-tandem-communitys-needs "Use of Void Decks Changes in Tandem with Community's Needs."] Housing and Development Board. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180127032130/https://www.todayonline.com/voices/use-void-decks-changes-tandem-communitys-needs Archived] January 27, 2018. Accessed January 17, 2018.

File:Anti-Scam Digital Literacy Campaign Void Deck Mural Art.jpg

In the 1990s, seeing that certain void deck spaces were regularly populated by senior citizens, "Senior Citizens' Corners" were created.Chong, Keng Hua, et al. [https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/117355 "Dense and Ageing: Social Sustainability of Public Places Amidst High-Density Development."] In Growing Compact: Urban Form, Density and Sustainability, edited by Joo Hwa P. Bay and Steffen Lehmann, 143–158. London: Routledge, 2017. When the first void deck community garden was established in Tampines in 1999, there was an increasing demand from seniors to convert more open spaces into gardening areas. In 2005, National Parks Board created the "Community in Bloom" programme which provided a platform for seniors to initiate their own community gardens.National Parks Board. [https://gardeningsg.nparks.gov.sg/get-involved/community-gardens/ "Get Involved: Community Gardens"] Gardening Singapore. [https://web.archive.org/web/20231104074048/https://gardeningsg.nparks.gov.sg/get-involved/community-gardens/ Archived] November 4, 2023. Accessed September 19, 2024. In 2006, The Committee on Ageing Issues (CAI) called for more void decks to be utilised for senior activities.

In newer HDB blocks such as SkyVille@Dawson and Pinnacle@Duxton, void decks are not located on the ground floor but rather integrated with sky gardens.Housing and Development Board. [https://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/about-us/news-and-publications/letters-to-the-media/Sky-gardens-are-intended-to-be-open-and-accessible "Sky Gardens Are Intended to Be Open and Accessible."] Letters to the Media, December 23, 2021. [https://web.archive.org/web/20230322134828/https://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/about-us/news-and-publications/letters-to-the-media/Sky-gardens-are-intended-to-be-open-and-accessible Archived] March 22, 2023. Accessed September 18, 2024. Newer void decks are also smaller in size.Koh, Jaime. [https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=e342b869-736c-4e4c-a346-47b164663572 "Void Deck | Infopedia."] National Library Board. 27 January 2015. [https://web.archive.org/web/20231205044730/https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=e342b869-736c-4e4c-a346-47b164663572 Archived] December 5, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2024. Residents have also been allowed a greater say in how the void deck is decorated. Artists may decorate the void deck, but they must first apply for permission from the relevant authorities before displaying their works, as the space belongs to the Town Council of the area where the void deck is located.Ng, Jun Seng. [http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/new-public-wall-art-put-up-at-yishun-void-deck "New Public Wall Art Put Up at Yishun Void Deck."] The Straits Times, November 6, 2017. [https://web.archive.org/web/20231123090003/https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/new-public-wall-art-put-up-at-yishun-void-deck Archived] November 23. 2023, Accessed January 17, 2018.

By the 2010s, the void deck had become normalised as a point of departure and rendezvous for people going for work, school, or the market on the weekdays. People heading to and returning from work or school normally cut across void decks heading the MRT or bus station with very little social interaction with other residents. However, the void deck is still an important meeting point for the senior citizens who spend their days doing light housework and socialising with other seniors.

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022, void decks facilities were cordoned off and restricted from public use. Void deck facilities were an everyday leisure spot for many Singaporeans.Janice Loo and Lee Meiyu. [https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/files/pdf/Vol%2020/BiblioAsia_APR_JUN2024_ContemporaryCollecting.pdf "Contemporary Collecting at the National Library."] BiblioAsia 20, no. 1 (April–June 2024): 52. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240508083135/https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/files/pdf/Vol%2020/BiblioAsia_APR_JUN2024_ContemporaryCollecting.pdf Archived] May 8, 2024. Accessed September 19, 2024. The Covid-19 restrictions saw frequent and public cases of residents flouting rules which were recorded and shared through social media along with misinformation.Government of Singapore. [https://www.gov.sg/article/covid-19-clarifications "COVID-19 Clarifications."] gov.sg. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240521001632/https://www.gov.sg/article/covid-19-clarifications Archived] May 21, 2024. Accessed 17 September 2024.

Depending on its users, the void deck can either be a space for wholesome community bonding or a site for inconsiderate behaviour. For some residents, the void deck has developed a negative association due to occasional instances of loitering, playing of loud music, gambling, drinking, drug-taking, etc. In his chapter on the Void Deck, Cairns quoted the concerns of Tan Szue Hann, then Principal Designer of Architecture at Jurong International, stating that:

“School students have always been advised to stay away from void decks, as it’s where smokers hang out, or card-playing happens. Smoking and card-playing is then associated with loitering/antisocial behaviour/gang-related activity, for some reason. And as such, students are indoctrinated to avoid these spaces, and will tend to do so 'til even later on in life."

File:Lou Shang by Mama Diam Interior.jpg

In a 1995 Singapore Literature Prize Competition, a Commendation Prize was awarded for a collection of poems called Void Decks and Other Empty Places by Colin Cheong.Cheong, Colin. [https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search/card?id=8dc44a2d-449b-5c44-8d14-dae575c28795&entityType=FormatGroup Void Decks: And Other Empty Places.] Singapore: EPB Publishers, 1996. The first section consisted 20 poems about life in Singapore revolving the void deck. The first one goes as follows:

Long after the birdsong ends

spirits gather that never left

drawn by the memory of a well-loved face

drawn by the life of an empty place

• Common area
• Undercroft

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Category:Public housing in Singapore

Category:Culture of Singapore

Category:1970s neologisms