1936-1990 : As military accommodation Before Gillman Barracks was built in 1936, it was a land of mostly swamp and jungle. Named after the late
General Sir Webb Gillman, an esteemed officer sent by the British army, Gillman Barracks was chosen to be the military barracks of the British because of its prime location near the sea. Gillman Barracks housed the 1st Battalion,
Middlesex Regiment a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and the 2nd Battalion,
Loyal Regiment of the British Army. The plan was to accommodate the expansion of the British infantry in Singapore. The camp included married quarters for officers, barracks buildings, sports facilities, messes, regimental institutes and even a swimming pool. Gillman Barracks was one of the last British outposts to fall to the Japanese during the
Second World War, where the Regiment fought the Japanese three days before Singapore fell in February 1942. After the Japanese surrender on 14 August 1945, command of the base transferred to the returning British forces. In August 1971, the British handed over Gillman Barracks to the
Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for a token sum of $1, as part of their withdrawal from Singapore. For the next 13 years, it was the headquarters for the School of Combat Engineering and the 3rd Transport Battalion. In the early 1970s, some of the buildings were also used by the
Singapore American School for classroom space. In 1984, a similar handover was done between the School of Combat Engineering and the SAF Transport Base, with $1 being the handover fee. Gillman Barracks was vacated in 1990 and used subsequently for commercial purposes.
1991-2010 : Entertainment hub as Gillman Village After the SAF vacated the camp in the 1990s, the buildings were used for commercial purposes and the site was renamed Gillman Village in 1996. The main colonial building was repainted and renovated to include commercial spaces such as cafés, restaurants, bars and furniture shops. The idea was to draw people to this slightly hidden enclave with the promise of colonial charm and delicious food and beverage options. However, Gillman Village was not very successful due to its isolated location and it had little human traffic. In 2002, the
Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) declared Identity Plans for 15 areas in Singapore, with Gillman Village being one of that 15. Grouped under the Southern Ridges and Hillside Villages category, the plan was to "enhance (the) activities" within this area through the introduction of "new buildings" and the act of "bringing in more activities". The Identity Plans were met with strong public support, as shown by surveys done at the URA centre from 23 July to 23 October 2002. 72% of respondents agreed with the proposed enhancements.
2011-present : Art centre as Gillman Barracks In 2010, the Singapore government announced plans to redevelop Gillman Village, reverting to its original name, Gillman Barracks. Gillman Barracks was launched in September 2012 as a contemporary art centre with 13 art galleries, including well-established galleries such as Tomio Koyama Gallery and Sundaram Tagore Gallery. The area is now a site for arts-related activities, where various agencies like the
Economic Development Board (Development and Promotion),
JTC Corporation (Refurbishment and Construction) and
National Arts Council (Promotion of Singapore Arts Scene) work together to develop the area. In April 2015, five galleries — almost a third of the 17 galleries there — did not renew their leases, citing low human traffic, poor sales and a slow start to the arts enclave. This came after "three years of persistently low footfall". In February 2016, Galerie Michael Janssen also left, citing how it "felt the project has not taken off as envisioned". The Singapore design label Supermama, the Creamier ice cream shop and the Australian gallery Sullivan+Strumpf moved in instead. In 2019, due to
Singapore Art Museum undergoing renovations, the
Singapore Biennale was held at several venues including the
National Gallery Singapore and
LASALLE College of the Arts, with Gillman Barracks hosting several spaces distributed among three different blocks as well. In 2020, partially due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, two more galleries have left the art district, throwing further doubts on the future of Gillman Barracks amidst the difficulty times. On top of that, as a result of the cessation of funding from the
Economic Development Board and the inability for NTU to make up for the shortfall in funding following a financial restructuring, NTU CCA will have to close its exhibition hall and residency studios. In 2024, Gillman Barracks was considered for redevelopment into a residential area. == Buildings ==