Turf City Heritage Conservation

Last fact-check: 25 October 2026 | Bukit Timah, Singapore. Did you know that the redevelopment of Bukit Timah’s old racecourse is also a conservation project? Behind the new homes proposed for Turf City lies the question of what should remain from decades of horse racing, work and community life.

Imagine a race day in 1933, when families and spectators gathered at a grandstand, followed by the much later post-war buildings and the club workers who kept the venue operating. Now imagine that same land transformed into a new neighbourhood. If nothing survives, the site could lose its story. The point of conservation is to let the next generation see some of the original buildings and understand why the place mattered.

Quick answer: URA’s 2025 Master Plan materials identify 22 heritage buildings for conservation across the broader Turf City and related Dunearn Depot planning account, including the North and South Grandstands, Fairways Quarters, former management bungalows, stables and equestrian facilities. URA’s individual conservation-building pages describe 21 buildings within the former Turf City conservation area, with the former Dunearn Depot at 752 Dunearn Road separately registered as a conservation area. Different counts reflect the scope of the official page being read, not proof that a building has vanished. The buildings’ intended new community-oriented uses and the wider housing project are being planned progressively; the sources do not announce a single public opening for all heritage sites during 2027.

The 2027 outlook is described without inventing an opening date. Finished places, designated heritage sites and future design ideas are different things. For current access, rely on the agency responsible for the specific building or park.

Did you know? Five essentials

Not a new park opening: A conservation designation safeguards buildings; it does not mean every building is open for public entry.
Two icons: South Grandstand represents the earlier 1930s racecourse; North Grandstand represents a later modernist era.
People behind the racing: Fairways Quarters, former stables, staff facilities and bungalows reveal everyday life as well as spectator events.
Numbers explained: Precinct-wide URA material cites 22; the former Turf City conservation-area profiles describe 21, with Dunearn Depot separately listed.
2027 outlook: Expect staged planning, conservation-restoration design and potential future community uses; no one-day reopening for all buildings has been confirmed.

The 2026–2027 timeline at a glance

When	What it means
1933	The South Grandstand and Bukit Timah racecourse began their historic role in local horse racing.
1999	Horse racing relocated from Bukit Timah to Kranji; later temporary recreational and commercial uses followed.
End of 2023	Interim uses at the former racecourse site largely came to an end as redevelopment approached.
23 May 2024	URA discussed the heritage impact study and 27 buildings or structures being studied for possible retention.
May–June 2025	URA’s Master Plan process identified a narrower set of conservation proposals, including the two grandstands and other significant buildings.
December 2025	Master Plan 2025 was gazetted, recording the selected conservation buildings and progressive redevelopment plans.
2026	URA’s online conservation portal lists specific protected buildings and separate restoration rules.
During 2027	Watch for site-specific restoration plans, permissions, adaptive-reuse announcements and any lawful public-access information.

Choose your reading route

Why does a former racecourse deserve conservation?
What makes the South Grandstand different from the North Grandstand?
Who lived and worked in the Fairways Quarters?
What about the bungalows, stables and Saddle Club?
Why do URA pages mention 21 and 22 buildings?
What is special about the former Dunearn Depot?
Can the grandstands become public shops or community spaces?
How does the racecourse become a community neighbourhood?
Can residents visit every conserved building in 2027?
What should happen between now and December 2027?
Frequently asked questions
Official sources and further reading

Why does a former racecourse deserve conservation?

Bukit Timah Turf City was once Singapore’s second racecourse, operating from 1933 until racing moved to Kranji in 1999. It was not merely a track for horses. It involved workers, managers, staff housing, training facilities and public spectators.

Different buildings tell different parts of that history. Grandstands show the spectator side of racing. Quarters and bungalows show the work and family life of people who supported the venue. Stables and related structures point to care, training and movement of horses.

URA carried out a Heritage Impact Assessment to identify significant elements and to guide how the site can be developed sensitively. Its approach includes conserving selected structures, adapting them to future uses and recalling the stories of people who lived and worked there.

The goal is neither to freeze a 1930s racecourse forever nor to replace every old wall with an attractive new building. It is to keep enough authentic evidence that future residents understand the site’s identity.

URA’s Heritage Impact Assessment register explains the process.

What makes the South Grandstand different from the North Grandstand?

The South Grandstand is associated with the original racecourse, opening in 1933. URA’s conservation listing describes its classical styling as a reminder of the site’s earlier colonial period and the way horse racing became a spectator event.

The North Grandstand is from a later architectural phase. URA identifies it with the modernist design approach of the 1980s, including strong structural form and an imposing profile distinct from the older grandstand.

The two buildings create a physical timeline. Stand between their histories and it becomes easier to see how Singapore changed over decades in building materials, architectural fashion and public recreation.

The planned central open space in front of the grandstands recalls the racetrack. It is intended to support sport, recreation and community gathering while giving these historic structures a meaningful role in the future estate.

Yet an artist’s impression of families on the new oval is not a public-opening announcement. The exact community uses need further implementation and management decisions.

See URA’s South Grandstand conserved-building profile.

Who lived and worked in the Fairways Quarters?

Grandstands draw attention, but workers are central to a racecourse’s history. Fairways Quarters and its associated community structures provided housing and social spaces for some of the people who kept the venue running.

URA includes these buildings within the heritage of Turf City because their modest form reflects everyday life beyond the crowds and prize-winning horses. The quarters also help explain the surrounding green setting and why groups of low-rise buildings were placed where they were.

Adaptive reuse could give some structures new purposes that serve future residents, such as community or related uses, subject to suitability and formal approvals. That does not automatically mean they become cafes, museums or freely accessible gardens in 2027.

For a family history project, the most interesting question may be: who did the work that made a big sporting venue possible? Looking beyond famous spectators helps children understand a fuller story of a neighbourhood.

URA’s conservation and master-plan pages identify the buildings; future operators and access details will need separate notices.

What about the bungalows, stables and Saddle Club?

URA’s heritage accounts discuss managers’ and executives’ bungalows along Turf Club Road, as well as former stables and the Bukit Timah Saddle Club compound at Fairways Drive. Each served a different function in the working ecosystem.

The management bungalows had residential rooms and architecture intended for the tropical climate, such as verandahs and ventilated features. Staff and horse facilities reflect the practical requirements of operating a racing venue.

The former Saddle Club is associated with training and equestrian leisure, a different aspect from the spectators in the grandstands. Converting all these buildings into a single generic tourist attraction would erase those differences.

Future reuse needs to consider structure, conservation guidelines, accessibility, fire safety, land-use compatibility and the needs of new residents. Historic identity is important, but modern public safety still applies.

URA describes the former Saddle Club’s heritage at the former Bukit Timah Saddle Club conservation entry.

Why do URA pages mention 21 and 22 buildings?

This is a useful example of why one number taken from a search result can be misleading. URA’s broad Master Plan 2025 Turf City material refers to 22 heritage buildings in the precinct account. Some individual conservation listings describe 21 conserved buildings in the Turf City conservation area.

The former Dunearn Depot at 752 Dunearn Road has a separate conservation-area entry. The larger planning discussion includes that related heritage asset, while site-specific Turf City profiles may count the buildings in their own conservation-area scope.

Older announcements are different again: in May 2024, 27 buildings and structures were still being studied for potential retention. That earlier number was an assessment scope, not the final count of properties gazetted in 2025.

Therefore, a headline saying ’27 buildings conserved’ based only on the 2024 study would be wrong. Equally, someone spotting ’21 conserved buildings’ on an individual portal page should not assume the precinct-wide 22 figure has no explanation.

The right habit is to read the date, geographic scope and legal designation of each official source. A building being considered for retention is not identical to being formally conserved.

For the separate depot, see URA’s 752 Dunearn Road conserved-building record.

What is special about the former Dunearn Depot?

The former Dunearn Depot building at 752 Dunearn Road belongs to a different part of Singapore’s infrastructure history. It was built in 1952 to serve municipal water operations as housing and offices, before continuing as a facility linked to the Public Utilities Board.

URA describes its Art Deco architectural character and the roles it played in western Singapore’s water-supply development. That history is not equestrian, but it adds another layer to the larger Bukit Timah story.

The depot therefore demonstrates why conservation cannot be reduced to one era or one industry. Some buildings preserve civic services, others sport, and others the daily lives of workers.

Any future integration with surrounding development would need to respect the specific conservation rules applying to this building. The fact that the depot is in the wider precinct account does not mean its future function has already been chosen.

This also gives students an intriguing comparison: a building that served water supply and another that served horse racing can both contribute to a shared local identity.

Can the grandstands become public shops or community spaces?

URA’s Master Plan material discusses retail, food and beverage, recreational, sports and community amenities as possible uses near heritage buildings. Some may eventually be accommodated inside conserved structures if suitable.

That is an aspiration about adaptive reuse, not a confirmed lease to a named business. There is no basis today for inventing a restaurant lineup, opening-week programme or admission fee for the grandstands.

The historic structures have to pass conservation and safety requirements. URA says addition and alteration works or new uses in conservation areas require compliance with conservation and specific restoration guidelines and relevant permission.

Successful adaptive reuse keeps important features legible while making a building practical to operate. It is different from simply adding a modern facade to an old shell or turning every historic room into an unrestricted public corridor.

For the rules, consult the Former Bukit Timah Turf City Conservation Area guidelines.

How does the racecourse become a community neighbourhood?

URA describes a long-term housing plan of roughly 15,000 to 20,000 public and private homes across the former racecourse site, developed progressively over approximately 20 to 30 years.

Conserved structures are to become focal points of the future estate where appropriate, while heritage interpretation, pedestrian connections and new green spaces help link the old and new uses. The grandstands’ central open space is one of the ideas that could anchor civic life.

Public transport is part of the concept. Existing Downtown Line access and the future Cross Island Line Phase 2 station at Turf City are different transport milestones; CRL2 currently targets 2032.

Some housing parcels near Dunearn Road have already been released. That does not mean the whole 22-building heritage programme is restored or that public uses will all open alongside the first homes.

The goal is a neighbourhood that can grow without erasing every trace of what came before. Whether it succeeds will depend on decisions made across multiple stages and many years.

Can residents visit every conserved building in 2027?

No. Being protected or listed by URA is not the same as being operated as a museum, park, shopping venue or open public heritage trail.

Some structures may be within active worksites, leased properties or zones without visitor access. Safety and land-management restrictions apply even when the building is historically interesting.

If URA, site owners or a future operator announce an exhibition or opening, read the specific venue notice. Do not assume a general Master Plan map gives permission to enter a building or walk onto an old racetrack.

For an already open heritage outing, the restored Bukit Timah Railway Station community node on the Rail Corridor offers a separate, established option. Its history is railway-related, not equestrian, and it has its own NParks visiting rules.

A responsible guide treats the old Turf City buildings as conserved heritage first and future public places only when they have a specific opening announcement.

What should happen between now and December 2027?

Watch for formal conservation restoration submissions, adaptation plans and decisions about which protected structures can support public or community-oriented uses. The precise pace will vary by building.

Also follow road and utilities preparation for the wider housing estate, because these works can interact with protected structures and access routes. Any temporary traffic change requires a current official notice.

Possible amenities under study, such as food outlets, healthcare, schools or a bus interchange, should not be added to a 2027 visitor directory until confirmed. Planning a facility and opening it are different stages.

Pay attention to whether future updates continue to preserve the historic relationship between grandstands, staff quarters and greenery. A single building retained behind a fence tells less of the story than a well-designed group of connected heritage spaces.

The lasting Bukit Timah story is not only how many homes can fit onto old racecourse land, but how much history remains understandable when those homes arrive.

Identify the historic building and its official conservation-area page.
Distinguish buildings gazetted for conservation from those once only being studied.
Look for approved adaptive-reuse plans before assuming a future commercial tenant.
Do not enter construction, private or otherwise closed heritage premises.
Follow URA and transport agencies for dated 2027 project milestones rather than relying on marketing illustrations.

Frequently asked questions

How many heritage buildings are planned for conservation?

URA’s precinct-wide Master Plan account refers to 22 heritage buildings; individual Turf City conservation-area pages describe 21 within that area, with the former Dunearn Depot separately listed.

Were 27 buildings once studied?

Yes. URA discussed 27 buildings and structures under possible retention in May 2024; that was an earlier assessment stage.

When did racing begin at Bukit Timah?

The racecourse opened in 1933; horse racing relocated to Kranji in 1999.

Which two grandstands matter most?

The South Grandstand dates to the original 1930s venue, while the North Grandstand is associated with a later modernist phase.

What are Fairways Quarters?

Historic low-rise quarters and related structures connected with people who lived and worked at the former racecourse.

Why is the Dunearn Depot relevant?

The 1952 water-depot building at 752 Dunearn Road adds an important municipal-infrastructure heritage site to the wider district account.

Will the grandstands be shops in 2027?

URA discusses community and retail possibilities, but the material does not guarantee specific shops or a 2027 opening.

Can visitors walk inside all conserved buildings?

No. Legal conservation status does not provide unrestricted public access.

How many homes are planned for Turf City?

URA describes approximately 15,000–20,000 homes over a development horizon of several decades.

Where can I verify individual properties?

Use URA’s specific conserved-building entries and the conservation-area guidelines.

Official sources and further reading

The following public-agency resources support the present-day facts and announced plans. Check them again for new access conditions and project decisions after 25 October 2026.

Read the other latest Bukit Timah neighbourhood guides

Explore the full Bukit Timah 2026–2027 series

Editorial note: This is an explanatory guide and dated report, not a guaranteed completion schedule. Conservation approvals, trail access and visitor arrangements may evolve independently.

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