Holland Village MRT station

CC21  Holland Village 荷兰村 ஹாலந்து வில்லேஜ்
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station
Exit A of the station
General information
Location	200 Holland Avenue Singapore 278995 [1]
Coordinates	1°18′43″N103°47′46″E / 1.312078°N 103.796208°E / 1.312078; 103.796208
Operated by	SMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT Corporation)
Line(s)	Circle Line
Platforms	2 (1 island platform)
Tracks	2
Connections	Bus, Taxi
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Platform levels	1
Accessible	Yes
History
Opened	8 October 2011;11 years ago (2011-10-08)
Electrified	Yes
Previous names	Holland, Chip Bee [2]
Services
Preceding station Mass Rapid Transit Following station Farrer Road towards Dhoby Ghaut or Marina Bay Circle Line Buona Vista towards HarbourFront
Location
Holland Village Location of Holland Village station in Singapore

Holland Village MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the Circle line (CCL), located along the boundary of Bukit Timah and Queenstown planning areas in Singapore. Situated close to the junction of Holland Avenue and Holland Road, it primarily serves the area of Holland Village, where its name was derived from. The station is operated by SMRT Trains.

First announced as Holland MRT station in 2003, the station was renamed Holland Village through a public poll in 2005. The station opened on 8 October 2011 when Stages 4 and 5 of the CCL stations opened. The station features Holland Beat by Jeremy Sharma as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit programme.

History

The entrance to the station under construction

The station was first announced as Holland station when the Circle Line (CCL) Stages 4 and 5 stations were revealed in 2003. ^{[3] [4]} The contract for the construction of Holland station was awarded to Woh Hup (Pte) Ltd–Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co. Ltd–Alpine Mayreder bau GmbH (WH-STEC-AM) Joint Venture at a contract value of S$ 399.91 million ( US$ 236.6 million) in 2004. ^{[5] [6]} The construction of the 8.25-kilometre (5.13 mi) bored tunnels required the use of 6.35-metre (20.8 ft) diameter Earth pressure balance (EPB) machines. ^[5] In 2005, the station name was finalised as Holland Village. ^{[2] [7]}

Careful excavation was needed during the station construction, due to the close proximity of residential properties around the station. The construction walls were closely monitored to detect any deflection and soil settlement. Residents and shophouses were also kept informed during the station's construction. ^[8] The station opened on 8 October 2011 as part of the CCL extension to HarbourFront station. ^{[9] [10] [11]}

On 29 July 2018, as part of a joint emergency preparedness exercise by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and train operator SMRT, security screenings were conducted at the station. ^[12] This is the second emergency preparedness exercise conducted at a public transport node in 2018, after Newton station. Such exercises were to test established response protocols and maintain vigilance for quicker and effective responses in the case of an incident. ^[13]

Station details

Name and location

Holland Village station is named after the nearby Holland Road, which in turn it was named after an early resident, Hugh Holland, a well-respected architect. ^[14] During a naming poll by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), "Holland Village" garnered the most votes with 87.1%, compared to the alternative proposed name "Chip Bee" at 7.1%. ^[2]

The station is located underneath Holland Road, with its entrances situated along Holland Avenue. ^{[15] [16]} The station serves Holland Village and nearby landmarks such as the Holland Village Market and Food Centre, Anglo-Chinese School (International), Masjid Kampong Holland and the Vietnamese Embassy. ^[15]

Services

The station serves the Circle line (CCL) and is situated between the Farrer Road and Buona Vista stations. The station code is CC21 on official maps. ^[17] The station operates daily between 5:37 am and 12:21 am. ^[18] Train frequencies vary from 2 to 5 minutes depending on peak hours. ^[19]

Design

Designed by SAA Architects, Holland Village station adopts a minimalist concept using several pre-fabricated constituents. The entrance, intended to be distinguishable in the streetscape, employs a lightweight structure with glass materials on its exterior to allow the visibility of the shophouses at the ground level. ^[20]

Within the station's interior, there are retail shops at the concourse level as part of the SMRT Shop & Dine Concept, ^[21] to provide a retail experience for commuters. The station has a simple layout to facilitate ease of movement, fulfilling the operational criteria for the station. The artwork and the distinguishing features of the station help foster an identity for Holland Village station. ^[20]

Station artwork

Art-in-Transit artwork on the lift shaft of the station

Commissioned as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit Programme, ^{[lower-alpha 1]} Holland Beat by Jeremy Sharma is displayed on the lift shaft of the station. The artwork depicts drawings and images of Holland Village in a style reminiscent of American pop art. ^[22] The title of the artwork "Holland Beat", as the artist explained, refers to the "tempo and rhythm" of the neighbourhood. ^[23]

Seeking inspiration for his work, the artist spent an afternoon at Holland Village, capturing images that caught his attention. These pictures were then turned into drawings, generating up to 50 sketches of Holland Village's objects, scenes, signs and architectural features. Using digital means, these images were combined into a collage, superposed on an image of an airline safety card, which design and colours the artist was fascinated by. ^{[23] [24]} This produced a set of drawings in a style similar to Roy Lichtenstein, an American pop artist. Adding texture and intrigue to the artworks, some of the pencil markings were removed, creating vibrant everyday scenes "injecting street life" to the otherwise "dull" station design. ^[25]

Using a vertical canvas, Sharma eventually chose eight drawings which were then arranged in a non-linear fashion, leaving enough negative space to avoid the work "resembling a newspaper". When the drawings were scanned and expanded on the larger 8.8-metre (29 ft) by 2.8-metre (9.2 ft) canvas, the images came out pixellated since the drawings were initially small. Using digital software, the artist then converted the drawings into a mosaic made up of distinct colour blobs. ^[25] This resulted in the work resembling an impressionist painting made up of very visible brush strokes, allowing the work to be viewed from afar and its details appreciated up close. When shown the two versions (the colour blobs vs the pixellated version), the LTA architects and the artist agreed on the former as they felt this had a "much strong concept". This work reflects the artist's artistic vision of works that "blur the sources" the painting was derived from, with the integration of elements from paintings, digital drawing and photography, which also reflects the artists' career. The title was also seen as a reference to Sharma's background as a former guitarist and songwriter. ^[26]

Notes and references

Notes

1. Public art showcase which integrates artworks into the MRT network

References

1. "Holland Village (MRT Station) - 200 Holland Avenue (S)278995". streetdirectory.com. 26 November 2020. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
2. "Finalised Names for Circle Line (CCL) Stages 4&5 Stations". www.lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 25 November 2005.
3. "Completing the Circle via Holland V". Today. 13 December 2003. Archived from the original on 6 March 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
4. "Stages 4 & 5 of Circle Line". www.lta.gov.sg. 16 November 2005. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
5. "Singapore LTA CCL4 C855". www.stecs.com. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
6. "Award of Contract for Construction And Completion of Holland, Buona Vista And NUH Stations". www.lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
7. "Station Names For Circle Line Stages 4 And 5". www.lta.gov.sg. 7 November 2005. Archived from the original on 23 April 2010.
8. Cheong, Colin (2012). The Circle Line : Linking all lines. Singapore: Published for the Land Transport Authority by Straits Times Press. p. 77. ISBN   978-981-4342-02-5. OCLC   743194452.
9. "Connect - October 2011" (PDF). www.lta.gov.sg. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2018.
10. "Speech by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Circle Line Opening Ceremony on 7 Oct 2011". www.mot.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
11. "MOT Singapore – Gain new perspectives on land, sea & air transport". www.mot.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
12. Zhuo, Tee (17 July 2018). "X-ray scanner, screening detector to be used at Holland Village MRT for SMRT-LTA exercise". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
13. "News Room - News Releases - Joint News Release by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) & SMRT - Emergency Preparedness Exercise for Heightened Security Threats". www.lta.gov.sg. 17 July 2018. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
14. "Holland Village". Visit Singapore Official Site. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
15. "SMRT > Journey with Us > Trains > NetworkMap > HollandVillage". SMRT Corporation Ltd. 4 February 2015. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
16. "Holland Village MRT Station". Google Maps. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
17. "MRT System Map" (PDF). Land Transport Authority (LTA). Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
18. "SMRT Journeys". SMRT Journeys. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
19. "Transport Tools - MRT/LRT". www.lta.gov.sg. 6 May 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
20. "Circle Line Holland Village MRT Station CC21". SAA Group Architects. 26 October 2018. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
21. "SMRT Shops > Locate a Store > Circle Line". SMRT Shops. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
22. "Getting Around - Public Transport - A Better Public Transport Experience - Art in Transit". www.lta.gov.sg. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
23. Zhuang 2013, p. 126.
24. Martin, Mayo. "Circle Line Art! The final destination(s)! A sneak peek!". For Art's Sake!. TODAYonline Blogs. Archived from the original on 27 December 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
25. Zhuang 2013, p. 128.
26. Zhuang 2013, p. 129.

Works cited

• Zhuang, Justin (2013). Art in transit: Circle Line MRT - Singapore. Singapore: Land Transport Authority. ISBN   978-981-07-4982-8. OCLC   854958677.

External links

• Media related to Holland Village MRT Station at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website