Stellar Lifestyle Collaborates with LASALLE Students to Reimagine Retired Train Cabins

Stellar Lifestyle, the largest managing agent of retail and advertising spaces in Singapore’s rail network, collaborated with students from LASALLE’s BA (Hons) Interior Design programme to breathe new life into retired train cabins.

The project centred on the challenge of repurposing SMRT train cabins for both community and commercial use, inviting fresh ideas that balanced creativity with functionality. Through this collaboration, students had the opportunity to respond to an industry brief while developing concepts shaped by real-world considerations.

Their proposals reflected a range of community needs and potential commercial applications. Using detailed diagrams, intricate drawings and immersive 3D visuals, the students reimagined the interiors as vibrant activity hubs, with ideas spanning mobile libraries, mini-cafes, pop-up shops and interactive art installations.

The collaboration was further enriched by mentorship from experienced engineers at SMRT, who shared technical insights into train cabin design and the practical considerations involved in repurposing the spaces.

The top three groups were invited to deliver their final presentations at SMRT headquarters. Their work will also be displayed in MRT trains and stations.

Bringing together industry and education, the collaboration highlights the potential of adaptive reuse and sustainable design while creating meaningful opportunities for emerging designers to apply design thinking, problem-solving and collaboration in practice.