'Just don't go upstairs': Residents of viral red Tampines HDB flat 'fine' with visitors doing photoshoots at their lift lobby
Since making headlines for being too "creepy", the red lift lobby at 640B Tampines Street 62 has been the talk of the town lately.
Although the design of the lift lobby was first perceived as too 'eerie', the location quickly became a hotspot for photography enthusiasts and content creators, who flocked to the Built-To-Order (BTO) flat to take pics for the 'gram.
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Surprisingly, the residents of this particular block aren't too bothered by the influx of visitors.
One of them, surnamed Lin, told 8world: "As long as they don't take pictures of us, because that's our privacy. They should also avoid capturing the faces of residents leaving their homes, as some may not like it."
Another resident, who declined to be named echoed a similar view: "Just don't go upstairs. It's not an issue if they stay at the lift lobby on the ground floor.
"I think as long as they don't disturb us it's fine, as this is a public area after all. Mine is a corner unit, so I don't think it's a disturbance. They may be coming to visit now, but they'll stop sooner or later."
8world also spoke to a photography enthusiast surnamed Ye, who happened to be at the site on Friday (March 10) evening.
Ye, who enjoys taking pictures of HDB flats, was aware that his presence might disturb the residents. Hence, he chose to shoot in an area where footfall was lower.
"I've seen many people come here to take photos, and I was curious to see how the place looked in real life, so I came down to take a look. I like the colour of the block and the design is very cohesive," he remarked.
The flat first hit headlines in early March when one resident, Zelia, shared some early photos of the lift lobby on TikTok, featuring the red tiles and red walls.
"Unacceptable," the woman captioned the video.
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Another resident told Lianhe Zaobao then: "In the day it looks like [it's] Chinese New Year, but at night it looks like a temple."
Responding to the residents' feedback, Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC, Baey Yam Keng later confirmed that the Housing Development Board (HDB) was looking into the matter.
A spokesman from HDB later told The Straits Times that they would paint some of the red walls white to "tone it down". The same treatment will also be given to the other blocks in the BTO project, which have different colour schemes.
“The tiled areas will remain to help with way-finding and maintain the precinct identity,” the spokesman added, noting that the brightly coloured lift lobbies are meant to differentiate the clusters of blocks.
ALSO READ: Singaporeans spooked by eerie red-themed HDB lift lobby, one says her daughter dares not take lift alone
claudiatan@asiaone.com
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