Kovan MRT station

The station is located in the Kovan neighbourhood, underneath Upper Serangoon Road.[12] The station serves the residential developments of Kovan Melody and Kovan Residences, the retail development of Heartland Mall, and is within walking distances to the Kovan Market and Food Centre and the Paya Lebar Community Club.[13]

The station serves the North East line (NEL) between the Serangoon and Hougang stations. The station code is NE13 as reflected on official maps.[14] The station operates between 5.51 am and 12.21 am daily[15] with headways of 2.5 to 5 minutes depending on peak hours.[16]

Exit B of the station

Kovan station has three entrances and two underground levels.[17] The entrances have a steel structure with a curved aluminium roof intended to create a "streamlined effect". In addition, to create a spacious interior, there are no pillars in the station.[17][18]

The artwork at the platform level.

An artwork The Trade-off by Eng Tow is displayed at this station as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit (AiT) programme.[lower-alpha 1][19][20][21] Reflecting the time and progress of the Kovan area, two maps are depicted: One of the past and the other of the present. The former includes natural areas such as mangrove swamps, forests, plantations and water bodies around the existing arterial roads of Serangoon Road and Tampines Road, while the latter has the vegetation removed with only the new roads, expressways and new developments.[18][19] Laid on granite (used as it is indigenous to Singapore and familiar to many), the colours of ochre, black, dark green, red and grey were used to reflect earth tones. The tiles were cut using computer-controlled water jets, a novel feature of construction technology in Singapore, and fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle to be displayed on the platforms.[18]

The artist intended for the artwork to reflect the advancements in our way of life as a result of development, transportation and globalisation, by contrasting the styles of the two maps. The older map is mainly "curvilinear and organic" while the modern map is more "geometrical". Eng Tow also kept in mind LTA's aim in the AiT programme - to allow commuters to interact with the artwork.[18] Being located in a station, the work has a tone of irony, as the station was the "embodiment" of a fast-paced lifestyle, with travellers using direct routes to their destinations without stopping.[22]

Before starting on the concept, the artist went through the archives to research on the area's history and discovered interesting details about the area. The artist learnt that the area was in a watershed that began at Paya Lebar and ended at the Singapore River. Additionally, around Serangoon, there were rubber and coconut plantations and orchards indicated by agricultural icons in older maps.[22] To accompany the artwork, Eng Teo initially planned to create wall panels engraved with cartographic symbols. However, this idea was not considered practical due to the mechanical and engineering criteria for the station. Instead, the icons were inscribed in stainless steel and randomly distributed across the floor of the concourse level. Each of the three entrances has a particular symbol which "subtly" aids commuters in identifying the entrances.[22]

The Trade-off has been "widely regarded" as one of the more "sophisticated, thoughtful artwork" on the NEL. A member of the Art Review Panel Joseph McNally remarked that the work has a degree of sophistication not seen in other public works. While "standing on its artistic merit", the work has offered a view of the area and its heritage.[23] The artist remarked that she did not expect commuters to immediately understand the purpose of the work, saying that it might even take "years of travelling" through the station to discover the maps. She hopes the work, when noticed by commuters, will "light up" their commute and urge them to think about the artwork's message.[23]