Sauna outside flat in Serangoon Central removed by town council staff

SINGAPORE: Marine Parade Town Council staff on Thursday (Jul 11) afternoon removed a sauna outside a Housing Board flat in Serangoon Central.

Photos of the wooden structure – placed on a platform outside the owner's house – went viral after they were uploaded on social media platform Reddit earlier this week.

When CNA visited on Thursday morning the sauna was still present but appeared to have had some features removed.

A few potted plants placed outside the wooden cabin, and a short flight of steps leading to the raised metal platform had been removed.

The wooden structure was visible from the lift landing. It appeared to be in disuse and was not connected to an electricity source.

The cabin contained a wooden bench, a gauge and a small teddy bear hanging from a wooden beam. A disconnected cable was suspended from the ceiling. Various other paraphernalia that were within the sauna previously had been removed.

A panel with dials and switches for the sauna was on the exterior beside the cabin's door. 

Numerous potted plants were placed outside the unit, including in a row in the corridor under the owner's windows. A sofa and a wooden bench flanked the entrance to the unit. 

The owner, identified by neighbours as a woman in her 50s or 60s, did not respond to knocks on her door. 

When CNA visited at about 2.40pm on Thursday, the wooden cabin had already been dismantled and moved to the ground floor by town council staff.

At least two staff members were seen loading parts of the sauna onto a cart, which then hauled them away within minutes. Staff declined to respond to questions when approached.

At the floor where the sauna once stood, potted plants and a wooden cabinet were left untouched. The stuffed bear which had been in the sauna was seen lying on the doormat of the owner's flat. 

In response to queries from CNA, Marine Parade Town Council said on Thursday that the sauna had been removed at the request of the owner.

"The owner has approached us yesterday to arrange for the removal of the sauna fixture, and with our assistance, the fixture was removed from the common area earlier today," the town council said.

It said that it "has been engaging the owner to reduce the clutter outside her unit over the years, and the owner has made some effort in doing so".

"The owner has made another appointment with the town council to further declutter the area. We will work closely with her to do so," it added.

The town council also urged residents not to install unauthorised structures in common areas or obstruct corridors or staircases and their landings, and to reduce clutter. This will help to create a safer and more comfortable living environment, it said.

Neighbours who declined to be identified said that the sauna was not an inconvenience.

A neighbour, who gave his name as Mr Lim, said that the structure had been present for a "long time", but did not pose a problem as he took another lift to access his unit.

While the sauna was not an issue to him, he complained about the plants along the corridor as the leaves would blow over to his side. 

Another neighbour said that the sauna had already been present when he moved in a few years ago. He added that he had only seen the owner fewer than a handful of times.

Other neighbours said they seldom see the owner, but that she would greet them and appeared "pleasant".

Drawn by the news, other passers-by came and went throughout the day wanting to see the sauna for themselves. 

After the sauna was removed, two Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers arrived outside the flat and were seen taking measurements of the corridor's width and photos of the area. They declined to speak to the media.

CNA has reached out to SCDF for comment.