3 Wayfinding murals
Murals of popular local foods are painted on the walls of each apartment block to help people find their way. Photos: Dementia Singapore
See it in action
Singapore – Ang Mo Kio public housing wayfinding project
Clear wayfinding elements—such as signs, landmarks, and other visual and auditory cues—make it easier for people living with dementia to find their way and know where they are.
Challenge: Over 80% of seniors (age 65+) in Singapore live in public housing apartments, also known as HDB. However, Singapore’s large public housing estates can be difficult to navigate, particularly for people living with dementia. These HDBs often include several apartment blocks of multi-storey housing, many of which look very similar one to the next.
Solution overview: Dementia Singapore led a project to improve wayfinding in several public housing estates, in collaboration with the local community and people with lived experience. At one HDB estate in Ang Mo Kio, the community came together to paint murals of familiar, well-loved food items on each building, next to the building number, to help people living with dementia recognize their building.
The murals are painted strategically at key decision-making points and junctures throughout the site to help with orientation and wayfinding. They include a maximum of three colours to reduce confusion. Dementia Singapore has since expanded the mural program to other HDB estates around the city.
Solution overview: Dementia Singapore led a project to improve wayfinding in several public housing estates, in collaboration with the local community and people with lived experience. At one HDB estate in Ang Mo Kio, the community came together to paint murals of familiar, well-loved food items on each building, next to the building number, to help people living with dementia recognize their building.
The murals are painted strategically at key decision-making points and junctures throughout the site to help with orientation and wayfinding. They include a maximum of three colours to reduce confusion. Dementia Singapore has since expanded the mural program to other HDB estates around the city.
Relevance to the guidelines
Strategy 3.2 Public art
Strategy 3.3 Placemaking
Strategy 3.5 Signage