Photographer Showcases Half-Red Tampines BTO Lobby In Photoshoot, Says It’s A ‘Vibe’

Photographer Carries Out Photoshoot In Tampines BTO Lobby

Over the past few days, the uniquely red walls of a lift lobby at a new Build-To-Order (BTO) project in Tampines have been all anybody’s talking about.

Due to public backlash, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has repainted some of the walls white.

Following that, a photographer decided to seize the opportunity to hold a photoshoot in the building.

With his models posing against the walls, he claimed that the mix of red and white was “a vibe”.

Photographer holds photoshoot at half-painted red Tampines BTO lobby

On Saturday (4 Mar), photographer Jayden Tan shared pictures that he’d taken at the BTO to Instagram.

To memorialise what was left of the half-whitewashed lift lobby, he brought two models down for a photoshoot.

Clad in simple black and white outfits, the models contrasted well with the warm red aesthetic of the walls.

Leaning against the half-painted walls, the models definitely looked like they jumped right back into the 90s.

With the added use of Mr Tan’s camera flash and the grainy film effect, the pictures have a retro quality.

Mr Tan also posted behind-the-scenes footage of the photoshoot to TikTok.

Ultimately, his pictures were effective in making the red walls seem more stylish than eerie.

“The red BTO block is totally a vibe, if you get it, you get it,” Tan noted.

However, he did admit that such a shade could be displeasing to mainstream tastes, stating, “Perhaps it’s just a wrong shade of red to be palatable for the general public?”

Commenters impressed by photoshoot

Most netizens seemed to appreciate the effort that went into Mr Tan’s photoshoot, complimenting his style.

One user mentioned that his pictures would go a long way in making the public appreciate the unique nature of the lobby.

Another netizen stated that they preferred the white ceiling over the initial “scary” all-scarlet look.

Pictures were shot on film

Speaking to MS News, Mr Tan shared that this photoshoot is close to his heart as a lot of his work revolves around Singapore as a theme.

He used a film camera to take the pictures, which was particularly tricky as he wasn’t able to preview the shots beforehand.

“So there was a possibility for the whole roll of film to turn out bad,” he said.

As for what he personally thought of the repainting, Mr Tan noted that it looked “hastily” done to him.

“The paintwork wasn’t done well — you could see the strokes of paint upon closer inspection,” he said. “Overall, it could have been a more collaborative and creative process to best solve the ‘spooky’ issue.”

However, that clearly did not stop him from producing shots that really slay.

Conversation around Tampines BTO lobby continues

We can probably expect the debate around the lift lobby to continue for quite some time.

While some view the walls as reminiscent of a scene out of ‘Saw’, others, like Mr Tan, are more willing to see the positivity in their original look.

Do you agree with Mr Tan? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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Featured image adapted from @jaydenation on Instagram.