Long before the wet markets we know today, some of Singapore’s earliest public housing estates had an unusual architectural feature: curved roofs shaped like traditional Chinese coffins.
Known as ‘coffin markets’ among residents, these buildings had high ceilings to promote better ventilation. Only 2 markets are known to have been built in this style, with one still standing today in Queenstown, as a modern lifestyle destination.
Early HDB estate ‘coffin markets’ with curved roofs
Image credit: URA
Before wet markets became a staple of HDB estates, many Singaporeans bought their groceries from travelling hawkers and roadside stalls, which often operated under less-than-ideal sanitary conditions.
To improve hygiene, the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), HDB’s predecessor, introduced purpose-built markets across housing estates, giving residents a centralised place to shop for daily necessities.
These markets featured parabolic vaulted roofs, with tall, curved arches supported by steel frames and covered with metal sheets. Practical considerations also shaped the design, as the sloping roofs reduced stagnant rainwater, while the high ceilings helped improve ventilation by allowing warm air to rise.
The buildings also featured honeycomb-patterned screen walls that allowed air to pass while blocking out the sun. Together, these features helped keep the markets cool and well-ventilated without the need for air-conditioning.
Why they were nicknamed ‘coffin markets’
Image adapted from: Taobao, URA
The unusual nickname came from the markets’ distinctive appearance. When viewed from the front, their rounded roofs resembled the curved tops of traditional Chinese coffins, earning them the nickname ‘coffin markets’ among residents.
The name stuck, and these markets became neighbourhood landmarks in their own right.
Singapore’s original ‘coffin markets’
St Michael’s Estate Market in Whampoa
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore
A ‘coffin market’ once stood in St Michael’s Estate, now better known as Whampoa. The estate was among Singapore’s earliest public housing neighbourhoods, with HDB flats built along Jalan Bahagia and Jalan Tenteram in the early 1960s.
St Michael’s Estate Market featured a distinctive curved roof and served as a central shopping spot for residents, housing stalls selling fresh produce, meat, and cooked food.
The market was eventually demolished as the estate underwent redevelopment, though it lives on in the memories of long-time residents.
Commonwealth Avenue Wet Market, now Margaret Market
Image credit: Wikipedia
One of Singapore’s best-known coffin markets was Commonwealth Avenue Wet Market, located in Queenstown, Singapore’s first satellite town.
Built by SIT in 1956, the market officially opened on 23rd October 1960, serving residents of the surrounding public housing estate. The 2-storey building housed fresh produce and cooked food stalls on the ground floor, while residents could find sundry and provision shops upstairs.
Although the market was closed in 2005, the building was gazetted for conservation in 2014, continuing to serve as an icon of the neighbourhood.
Image credit: Margaret Market via Facebook
Today, the building lives on as Margaret Market, a 2-storey lifestyle building. Opened in August 2023, the former wet market now houses cafes, eateries, even a Korean convenience store and a 24-hour gym.
Most of its original architecture has been retained, including the distinctive shape and vaulted ceiling. Visitors can also spot nods to the building’s history, including mosaic-tiled seats inspired by old HDB void deck benches and a mural depicting Queenstown’s early days.
Bonus: Tanglin Halt’s curved-roof market is inspiring a new BTO development
Image credit: L Chan via Google Maps
While Tanglin Halt Market isn’t technically a coffin market, its distinctive barrel-vaulted roof has similarly become a recognisable feature of the neighbourhood.
With the estate undergoing redevelopment, HDB is incorporating elements of the market’s curved-roof design into the upcoming Tanglin Halt Integrated Development.
The new development will house HDB flats, shops, a hawker centre and wet market, and a relocated Queenstown Polyclinic. Among its architectural features is a shopping area housed within a vaulted structure inspired by the original market’s roof.
Just as Margaret Market kept its coffin-shaped roof, the new development will carry Tanglin Halt Market’s curved silhouette forward, reinterpreted in a more contemporary form.
What’s left of Singapore’s ‘coffin markets’
Despite the name, Singapore’s ‘coffin markets are finding a new lease of life. Margaret Market has been transformed into a modern lifestyle destination, while the upcoming Tanglin Halt development will echo a similar curved-roof design, carrying forward a distinctive feature of Singapore’s early public housing architecture for future generations.
Did you know…
- Bras Basah Complex has a secret HDB void deck on the 5th floor?
- Some HDB blocks are colour-coded to help residents with dementia?
- Serangoon Gardens homes once sold for $11,900?
Cover image adapted from: URA, Margaret Market via Facebook
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