Colonial-period military estates in Singapore are being gentrified for adaptive reuse producing high-end hospitality and retail venues for expatriate and tourist consumption. These include the feted “Black and White” residential enclaves synonymous with Singapore’s tropical aesthetic. But underlying this reinvention is a disturbing history of wartime repurposing under the Japanese Imperial Army, which temporarily destabilised the meanings and representations of these buildings. The seemingly undisturbed architectural typologies of barracks, bungalows and timber huts were backdrops to war, military occupation and captivity. This paper explores how the aesthetic affects and affectations that accompany adaptive reuse may conceal or disclose unsettling histories. It contrasts contemporary celebration of these revitalised historical neighbourhoods with their very different representation by wartime captives.

中文翻译：

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重读新加坡的“黑白”建筑遗产：适应性再利用的美学影响

新加坡殖民时期的军事庄园正在高档化，以进行适应性再利用，生产高端酒店和零售场所，供外籍人士和旅游消费。其中包括备受推崇的“黑白”住宅飞地，是新加坡热带美学的代名词。但在这种改造的背后是一段令人不安的战时日本帝国军队在战时重新利用的历史，这暂时破坏了这些建筑的意义和表现形式。军营、平房和木屋这些看似不受干扰的建筑类型是战争、军事占领和囚禁的背景。本文探讨了伴随适应性再利用的美学影响和矫揉造作如何隐藏或揭示令人不安的历史。