Peace Centre was meant to go by August, but the old mall in Sophia Road has been given an extended lease of life.
Built in 1977, Peace Centre was sold in a joint collective sale to CEL Development, Sing-Haiyi Crystal and Ultra Infinity two years ago, and was slated for demolition in August 2023.
But its owners decided to postpone the demolition to 2024 after hearing about the building's potential to house community-building efforts an idea raised by good friends Gary Hong and Yvonne Siow.
The pair then mooted PlayPan, a social movement to transform the 400,000 sq ft retail space into a vibrant playground for creative collaborations, businesses and events driven by positive change.
In October, PlayPan took over the building and can use the space until January 2024 for non-profit, community and social engagement activities.
Mr Hong, who founded carvending machine Ten Square, said that PlayPan is a social experiment that aims to drive positive change through "play for good".
Ms Siow said: "In this space, we all come together and collaborate to reimagine how we give back." She said she hopes their new way of engaging the youth can train them to be leaders who are empathetic and compassionate.
PlayPan has offered its space to various social enterprises, and worked with about 50 collaborators to host events such as World Sight Day, where eye screening has been offered to more than 120 elderly residents.
This story is from the November 15, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the November 15, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
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