PUBLISHED ONNovember 23, 2025 4:58 AMBYCandice CaiFrom "furnace" to "red light district" — some Bukit Merah residents in a recently repainted HDB estate have raised complaints about the colour choice for their blocks.
One resident who has lived in the area for 20 years told Shin Min Daily News that the bright red colour for Blocks 12 to 14 is "visually uncomfortable".
The light reflected from the building's exterior also left his kitchen "awash in red" during the afternoon, he said.
"To put it bluntly, it looked like a red-light district!" exclaimed the 59-year-old photographer, surnamed Wen.
Wen stated that after he lodged a complaint to the town council in September, workers had repainted part of the exterior wall outside his kitchen white.
However, as it was only on one side, it didn't completely resolve the issue. The other side of the wall was only repainted in October, said Wen.
In photos published by Shin Min of the current situation, the light reflected now has a softer, pink hue.
According to Wen, other residents have also raised complaints about the same issue, but only those who did so had the exterior walls repainted in white or a lighter colour.
On Nov 19, a Stomp reader and resident in the same neighbourhood had also expressed displeasure with the colour choice.
"During hot sunny days, the rooms feel like a furnace. Even after heavy rain, the whole flat still feels hot and humid," said SamY in a contribution to the citizen journalism site.
He wondered: "Are they really using real reflective paint or is the town council not considerate enough towards the residents by painting the buildings red?"
However, it appears not all residents share the same sentiment.
One 70-year-old resident told Shin Min that the colour is not only appropriate due to the historical connection, but some neighbours hope the auspicious colour will "bring luck" to the estate, in terms of housing prices.
In response to Shin Min and Stomp's queries, a Tanjong Pagar Town Council spokesperson stated that the red paint was chosen to reflect the neighbourhood's historical origin, representing the brick factories that were once a key feature in the area.
"Many long-time residents would remember that the residential blocks in this estate were traditionally painted in shades of red to reflect this heritage," said the spokesperson.
They stated that it was also the choice made by a majority of residents during the voting process prior to the Repairs & Redecoration (R&R) works.
The spokesperson added that the town council has not received additional feedback from residents about the colour following the adjustments.
"Over the past months, we have received some feedback regarding the intensity of the red colour and how it reflected light into some units.
"In response, we worked closely with the R&R contractor to adjust the colour scheme by incorporating more white surfaces to tone down the overall redness.
"These mitigation measures have been implemented, and so far, no further related feedback has been received. Residents appear to be adapting well to the refreshed look as the R&R works continue," said the spokesperson.
Just last year, some residents in HDB blocks near Tampines Street 44 had also complained about a red paint job which purportedly cast and eerie glow into their flats.
The walls were subsequently repainted largely in white during the refurbishment project.
And in 2023, crimson red tiles and paint for a new BTO block in Tampines North also raised the ire of residents, with netizens commenting that it looked "spooky" and "like a horror movie".
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candicecai@asiaone.com
