It looks like indie arts cluster 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace will live to see another day. In positive news for local creatives and arts enthusiasts alike, the old building at Chinatown will not be having its tenant lease terminated by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) just yet, so it’s business as usual for now – at least until March 2028.
The arts enclave – a former barracks site for Singapore’s police force harking back to the 1920s – was initially set to shut its doors in March 2025 to make way for the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) housing plan. After this news was met with much despair from its tenants, landlord, and the public, the ending of the lease was postponed to March 2026, giving the 100-odd businesses within the heritage building another year to cling onto.
But perhaps our voices have more power than we think, because this lease has since been extended even further till 2028. This gives us three more years to enjoy Pearl’s Hill Terrace’s hodgepodge of ink parlous, ceramic workshops, thrift stores, independent jewellery stores, and tarot reading studios. Among its occupants are the al fresco bar Kult Yard; Japanese-inspired café Paaru; ceramic and glasswork gallery Round and Round; and tattoo studio State of Shiok which hosts tattoo art jamming workshops where you get to use real ink guns on faux skin.
There's a ton to check out at 195PH, and we're thrilled to know that we’ll get to hang out there a bit longer. Check out our ultimate guide to Pearl's Hill Terrace to learn about all the cool stuff you can do there.
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