Red Tampines BTO block gives residents the creeps with its crimson walls, ceilings & floor

Photos of the block have been making the rounds online.

Just by taking a glance at the crimson hallway, with the tiled walls, floor and ceiling dyed the colour of blood, it's not hard to feel why.

The development, Tampines GreenVines, is a newly built block situated in Tampines North.

It's temporary operation permit (TOP) was issued on Jun. 1, 20The BTO, bounded by Tampines Street 62 and Tampines North Drive 2, has lobbies with different colour schemes.

While other lobbies feature different colours, such as yellow and blue, the red lobby at Block 640B stands out as being particularly eerie.

Photos from a different angle show that the colour theme extends to the elevator landing on all floors of the BTO.

Red room

One TikTok showed various angles of the same red building.

The floor looked welcoming enough in the day, but the building was doused in an eerie red glow once the sun sets, making it look like a scene straight out of a scary movie.

Comments on the TikTok were mixed, with some saying that they would be too scared to return home at night, or calling it a "red light district".

However, others called the eye-catching design "aesthetic" and "perfect for photoshoots".

One user likened the lobby to an "art exhibition".

Amongst the opposing sentiments, most agreed that even though it might look nice to some, it may pose a daunting challenge to those who live in the BTO itself and return home late at night.

He told Lianhe Zaobao that the lift lobbies looked a little like Chinese New Year during the day, and a temple at night.

Recently, a Zaobao reporter visited the block, and saw workers repainting the ceiling to a less-ominous white colour.

The change was welcomed by residents that Zaobao interviewed, and said they were relieved that their worries were being addressed.

HDB's response

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment and MP for Tampines GRC Baey Yam Keng has also contacted the Housing and Development Board regarding the issue.

He assured the public that action was being taken by HDB to make the hallways less spooky, such as repainting the ceilings.

Responding to queries from Mothership, a HDB spokesperson said such colours were used to "aid in resident's way-finding of the lift lobbies as Tampines GreenVines is a big district".

Tampines Greenvines comprises 11 HDB blocks and 1,271 flats.

The spokesperson added that among the 11 blocks, four have lift lobbies that feature a red colour scheme, another four lift lobbies are painted in purplish blue and the remaining three spot a yellow hue. She mentioned that the colours chosen were inspired by tropical fruits.

"Following residents’ feedback that the colour of the lift lobbies that were painted in red was too strong, we have re-painted the ceiling of the lift lobby of Blk 640B to white, and will similarly be re-painting some of the walls white, to tone it down. We will also do so for the other blocks in the same precinct progressively. The tiled areas will remain to help with way-finding and maintain the precinct identity," the spokesperson concluded.

Red Tampines BTO Block gives residents the creeps with its crimson walls, ceilings & floor. Mothership.SG - News from Singapore, Asia and around the world. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://mothership.sg/2023/03/red-tampines-hdb-block/?utm_source=tele&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=MS