Dove Playground @ Dakota Crescent

It’s #ThrowbackThursday! Featuring a little slice of history today -- the Old Dove playground, which used to be tucked snugly among Dakota Crescent’s HDB blocks. It was designed by Mr Khor Ean Ghee in 1979, who also designed the other iconic playground previously spoken about, the Dragon playground in Toa Payoh!

Just like the other playgrounds of old, the Dove playground was adorned with mosaic tiles. It also featured a long metal bridge joining the two segments of the playground together, and was built mainly out of concrete, resulting in a large, imposing structure in the estate landscape.

But despite its looming appearance, it was a vibrant space filled with laughter, energy, and excitement. Children of all races played in the sandpit or ran around the area, and groups of parents chatted whilst keeping a watchful eye over their children. The Dove playground was so iconic, its twin was instantly recognised when spotted in a housing estate in JB.

Sadly, the playground (and majority of the old Dakota estate) were eventually demolished to make way for other prime area developments. But not all were lost, as a central cluster of blocks were retained and repurposed as part of conservation efforts -- preserving at least a sliver of our HDB heritage!

Interestingly, there used to be online debate raging over whether it was a seal or a dove (kind of like the blue vs gold dress debate, or the Laurel v Yental debate). What’s your opinion -- is it a seal or a dove? Let us know in the comments!

#ThrowbackThursday #ThrowbackThursdaySG #Singapore #Dakota #Doveplayground #HDB #housing #heritage

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