Iconic Bukit Timah Food Centre to be Demolished in 2024 to Make Way for Integrated Development
Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre has a long history. By that, I mean that the hawker centre is older than some of your grandparents. Its history dates back to the 1930s. Back then, it wasn’t the clean and breezy hawker centre you see today. It was just a rural market where people went to buy fresh produce and meats. However, in the 1960s and 70s, the hawker centre changed significantly. In the 1960s, the government began to see a need for regulation in the hawker scene. Back then, hawkers could not access water readily, making it a challenge to keep their utensils clean and prevent contamination by pests. Without a proper disposal area, hawkers left piles of waste on the street, threatening public health and hygiene.
Thus, from 1971 to 1986, the government began to relocate hawkers to markets and centres with proper amenities. The Housing Development Board (HDB) was the agency that ensured every hawker centre was built in well-populated areas. In light of this, the Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre underwent renovations to rehome street hawkers along the Bukit Timah Canal. The current Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre was thus built in 1975. That’s how the hawker centre became the one we know and love today. Not only is it home to 80 hawker stalls but it is also known for its variety of great local food.
Closure of Sungei Road "Thieves Market" or "Robinson Petang"
First established in the 1930s on the banks of the Rochor River, Sungei Road Market quickly became the biggest flea market where you could find cheap, old and strange items at a “steal”, giving it its nickname, the “Thieves’ Market.
Three years after filming its last days before the market was demolished to make way for redevelopment, documentary-maker OKJ hunts down the old vendors and discovers a tale of struggle to find a new home.
Can they pick up the pieces of the past and keep the memories and spirit of Singapore’s oldest and most infamous flea market alive?
Iconic Cathay Cineplex to close after Jun 26 2022 after 83 Years
Be it sneaking out to catch one of the Avengers movies or booking tickets with the family, we all have our unique memories of the iconic cinema. Unfortunately, The Cathay closed down on Sunday (26 Jun). Many were here to witness its last day, either to watch a screening or simply immortalise the classic signage at the front in photographs.
Here are some Singaporeans’ fondest memories of the cinema — and their opinions on the closure. The wistfulness of seeing one of Singapore’s few cinema halls go was certainly tangible that night. Moviegoers started thronging the area in front of The Cathay, taking one last shot of the striking vertical neon sign.
Jurong Bird Park to close 3 Jan 2023 after 52 years
Jurong Bird Park, one of Singapore's oldest and most iconic attractions, has announced that it will cease operations and shut its doors after more than 50 years.
However, there is some good news. The world-famous park -- home to some 3,500 birds including parrots, flamingos, penguins and eagles -- will join the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, as well as a new luxury Banyan Tree resort, to form an eco-tourism hub in northern Singapore. Jurong Bird Park's last day of operations at its current location will be January 3, 2023, 52 years to the day since opening in 1971. The upcoming Mandai eco hub is slated to open in 2023.
"There are many of us who joined the organization in its early days and have been here over the decades," the park's vice president Daisy Ling said in a statement on Tuesday, August 30, announcing the closure. Built at an initial cost of $2.5 million, the 20.2-hectare park draws about 850,000 visitors annually who flock to see its famed waterfall aviary, bird shows and exhibits. According to Singapore Tourism, it's the largest bird park in Asia. Since its 1971 opening, when there were just 1,000 birds from 60 species, the bird park's capacity has expanded greatly and is now believed to house birds from more than 400 species. Park officers have also been involved in several high profile rescues and rehabilitation efforts over the years.
“Little Thailand” in Golden Mile closed after 38 years
Thai Supermarket, a mainstay at the complex since 1985, photographed in 2018. The supermarket will move to Aperia Mall in Kallang Avenue in May 2023
Tenants at “Little Thailand”, as Golden Mile Complex has come to be known, are bidding it adieu as the building is set for redevelopment. A popular hangout for the Thai community and local residents for its array of Thai goods, eateries and bars among the mixed bag of tenants that included tour agencies and bus operators, Golden Mile will be vacated by May.
The iconic building, designed by local architects Gan Eng Oon, William Lim and Tay Kheng Soon and completed in 1973, was one of Singapore’s first high-rise mixed-use developments and is gazetted for conservation.
Nightlife outlets at Orchard Towers closing 31 Jul 2023
Nightclubs and bars at Orchard Towers were informed in 2022 that their public entertainment licences would not be renewed beyond May 31, 2023. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
The party has all but stopped at Orchard Towers, after nightlife outlets there ceased public entertainment operations on Tuesday.
The police said in a statement the same day that only one establishment – which it did not name – got the green light to continue operating, having been granted an interim two-month extension of its public entertainment licence.
It had made an appeal to the Public Entertainment Appeal Board, and can continue providing public entertainment until Sept 30, or until a decision on its appeal is made, whichever is earlier.
Lee Pineapple to shut after 92 Years
92-year-old S'pore brand Lee Pineapple to close Johor factory by end-2023
After a 92-year run, the homegrown brand Lee Pineapple, known for its tangy and saccharine pineapple drink and other pineapple-related canned products, will close for good by end-2023.
A Facebook post in a foodie group on 3 Aug 2023 shared that the factory in Johor, Malaysia will be ceasing operations. According to the Lee Pineapple website, the factory in Jalan Skudai, Johor Bahru is its only factory.
Lee Pineapple was founded by Lee Kong Chian in 1931. The late Singapore businessman Lee Kong Chian, who was also known as the "Pineapple King", bought over the factory with his brother-in-law surnamed Lin in 1930. The company was established after the factory name was changed to Lee Pineapple in 1931. For the past 92 years, the Lee Pineapple factory has not stopped, not even during wartime, and has been occupying the same building in Skudai, Johor Bahru.
Iconic Esso with Tiger Statue closed on 27 Sep 2023
Esso petrol station with iconic tiger statue at Tampines Ave 7 closes
The Esso petrol station at Tampines Avenue 7 with the iconic tiger statue has closed down after serving motorists for more than 30 years. News of its closure was shared to Facebook by Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng.
Its last day of operations was on 27 Sep. 2023. The closure was due to the lease for the service station expiring, resulting in ExxonMobil’s Esso moving out. The Singapore Petroleum Company (SPC) will replace Esso in running a petrol kiosk there.
This was after SPC won the tender with a bid of S$500,540, according to the Singapore LandAuthority’s website. ExxonMobil's bid of S$376,000 was the lowest among five bidders. Other bidders included Sinopec (S$400,386), as well as Shell (S$450,000).
7 Places In Singapore That Will Be Gone Forever Before 2017
One last goodbye to these places before they disappear forever.
In the face of modernisation, old buildings and places of heritage will inevitably have to make way for the new.
Come 2017, these 7 places will vanish forever and gradually become nothing but a distant memory:
- Rochor Centre
- Dakota Crescent Estate Of Rental Flats
- Siglap HDB Flats
- Sungei Road Thieves’ Market
- Pearls Centre
- Funan DigitaLife Mall
- Zouk
20 Places In Singapore That Are Now Gone Forever
A list of places you’ll definitely miss.
Old buildings and infrastructure have to be demolished to make way for the new, in the face of rapid urbanisation and development of contemporary Singapore.
Here are 20 places in Singapore that no longer exist, some making its disappearance more quietly than the others:
- Fantasy Island
- Volcano Land
- A & W Boathouse at Sentosa
- New World Amusement Park “Xin Seh Kai”
- Great World Amusement Park “Tua Seh Kai”
- Gay World “Kwhy Luck Seh Kai”
- Escape theme park
- Van Kleef aquarium
- Sentosa Musical Fountain
- King Albert Park
- East Coast Park McDonald’s
- Former Methodist Girls School (MGS) at Sophia Hill
- Old National Theatre
- Old National Library
- Commonwealth Avenue Food Centre
- Big Splash
- Queenstown/ Queensway Cinema
- Queenstown Bowl
- Queenstown Remand Prison
- Queenstown Driving Centre
7 hawker centres in & around town that have gone extinct
The Satay Club @ The Esplanade
It’s home to all-time favourites like carrot cake, mee pok tah and nasi lemak. We have such hardcore feelings about them that most of us have hotly debated at some point about which is the best in town.
Most of all, it’s likely one of the top things every homesick Singaporean abroad dreams about. Yup, there’s no disputing that the humble hawker centre holds a special place in all our hearts.
Here, we remember 7 of them that have been shuttered and demolished. With many falling victim to redevelopment and modernisation, there will forever be a gaping hole the size of an extra-large plate of Hokkien mee in our souls (and stomachs):
- Gluttons Square
- Stamford Road National Library Food Centre
- Rasa Singapura Food Centre
- Taman Serasi Hawker Centre
- Esplanade Satay Club
- Lavender Food Square
- Scotts Picnic Food Court
9 hawker centres in land-scarce S'pore demolished to make way for something else
- Simon Road Market - Built in 1948, Simon Road Market was fondly referred to as “ow kang lark kok jio” (roughly translated as Hougang 6th milestone). The market shuttered in 1999 after serving families in the area for over 50 years.
- Whitley Road Hawker Centre - Whitley Road Hawker Centre was housed in one of the strangest parts of town -- under the huge Thomson Flyover. Its odd location aside, the hawker centre, popularly known as “under the flyover”, did a roaring business in its heyday sometime in the 1970s to early 1980s. Whitley Road Hawker Centre closed in the late 1980s to early 1990s, and in its place today is a Futsal complex.
- Hill Street Food Centre - Built at a cost of about $2.2 million, Hill Street Food Centre opened in 1984 and quickly became popular with the office crowd in the civic district. In 2000, the food centre pulled down its shutters for the final time, and shortly after, Hill Street Centre was demolished to make way for new developments.
- Siglap Market - Siglap Market, built around 1945, once stood at the junction of Siglap Road and East Coast Road. In 1988 that the case was settled and the hawkers finally moved out.
- Labrador Villa Food Centre - Size definitely didn’t matter when it came to Labrador Villa Food Centre. Though tiny, run-down and in a rather ulu location, this food centre more than made up with its ample supply of authentic, mostly Muslim hawker fare. Labrador Villa Food Centre was demolished in 2008 to make way for Labrador Park MRT, leaving behind many fans who were sad to see this old school icon go.
- Longhouse Food Centre - A stalwart and icon in the Thomson neighbourhood, Longhouse was a popular hawker hangout for residents, office workers and the occasional local celeb, with Caldecott Hill located nearby. Bought by one Mr Ng Choon Gim’s father in 1980 for $687,000, the Longhouse site was eventually sold for a cool $45.2 million to a developer, and the food centre closed in April 2014.
- Empress Place Food Centre - Empress Place Food Centre (not to be confused with a similarly named one at Farrer Road) was located near Victoria Theatre. Built at a cost of close to $600,000, it opened in September 1973 as part of Singapore’s clean up scheme to clear hawkers off the streets. In 1983, a group of 42 hawkers whose stalls were affected by construction of the MRT line linking Raffles Place and City Hall stations, had to move into the nearby Empress Place Transit Food Centre temporarily. By the early 1990s, however, the Empress Place Food Centre was demolished.
- Boat Quay Hawker Centre - Boat Quay Hawker Centre opened in 1973 with a “riverfront facing” -- that of the Singapore River which was then filled with tongkangs (bumboats). In the mid-1990s, the Boat Quay Hawker Centre fell victim to redevelopment, as it had to make way for plans to turn the area into a trendy food spot.
- Rasa Sentosa Food Centre - In April 1982, Sentosa opened Rasa Sentosa Food Centre, a collection about 15 stalls featuring famous hawkers on the mainland, including Albert Street Fatty Seafood, Hung Kee Chicken Rice and A1 Laksa and Prawn Noodles. However, due to redevelopment plans and building of the integrated resort, the food centres (and musical fountain) had to go.
10 Major F&B Outlets That Didn’t Last Long In S’pore But We Hope Will Return
We’ve marked our calendars, counted the days and endured long queues to try out popular food crazes. However, not all brands shared the same successful fate.
In this article, let’s take a look back at theses 10 popular F&B outlets that have left Singapore in recent years:
- Pablo Cheese Tart
- Hello Kitty Cafe
- Costa Coffee
- A&W
- April’s Bakery
- Wendy’s
- Beard Papa
- Joel Robuchon Restaurant
- Dairy Queen
- Mrs. Field’s
Rochor Centre Coloured Flats
5 Things to remember about the iconic HDB estate
Built in 1977 by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), iconic multi-coloured block of Rochor Centre is a commercial and residential estate.
Over the years, the colourful blocks have become iconic structures of public housing in Singapore. The former residential and retail complex sits on a 13,749 sq m site. Back then, the HDB estate was merely 41 years old.
In 2018, the buildings was demolished to make way for the construction of the North-South Expressway connecting towns in the northern region to the city centre. While residents are assured of replacement apartments at HDB’s upcoming Kallang Trivista flats, shop tenants have to find new homes.
CK Tang
During the 1950s, the Scotts Road side of Orchard Road was a quiet neighbourhood. This began to change on 20 October 1958 when businessman Tang Choon Keng opened his signature department store, C K Tang, by the Scotts Road junction of Orchard Road.
Tang had arrived in Singapore in 1923 from Swatow, China, and worked as salesman of fine lace and linen which he brought from his hometown. In 1932, Tang opened his first store at a rented shophouse along River Valley Road. As his business grew, he relocated to a row of seven shophouses at River Valley Road (now Gainurn Building, named after Tang’s father, Tang Gain Urn). After World War II, Tang learnt that some Orchard Road residents were preparing to leave Singapore and decided to buy their land, which was located across from the Teochew cemetery. Tang felt that Orchard Road was a good business location as residents of Tanglin and Holland Road, as well as people from Johor, would pass by the area on their way downtown. Tang thus commissioned architect Ang Keng Leng to design a five-storey building based on the Imperial Palace in Beijing, China, as he felt that a building with such distinctive features would attract the attention of shoppers. Consequently, the original C K Tang building had a pagoda-like roof with green tiles, which was supported by large red columns.
As the first department store along Orchard Road, C K Tang quickly became a landmark shopping destination. The original building was replaced by the larger Tang Plaza in 1982, although some of the distinctive features of the original building such as a green-tiled roof and red colonnades were incorporated into the design of the new plaza. Today, its 33-storey pagoda-like tower and podium house the Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel and Tangs Department Store.
Pearls Centre
Pearls Centre, located along Eu Tong Sen Street, was a 22-storey residential-commercial building completed in 1977, although its 99-year lease began as early as 1969. It was a joint venture by Outram Realty, Keck Seng Pte Ltd and the Sim Lim Investment Group, under the private development of the Urban Renewal Programme, to construct a modern multi-functional complex at the bustling Pearl’s Hill district which, in the seventies, had several well-established malls such as the People’s Park Complex, People’s Park Centre and Ocean Garment (OG) Shopping Centre.
In the late seventies, Pearls Centre was heavily advertised in the newspapers for its luxury apartments, shopping units, theatre, night club, restaurants and a 7-storey carpark spacious enough for 380 cars. During its peak in the eighties and nineties, Pearls Centre was almost fully occupied with 199 shops in its 4-storey of shopping centre, mostly made up of small strata-titled retail businesses such as food and beverage stalls, coffee houses, travel agencies, beauty centres, tailor shops, traditional Chinese medicine stores and hairdressing salons. In addition, there were 44 residential units in Pearls Centre’s 12-storey apartment tower made up of single-, double- and three-bedroom units. The apartments would cost between $65,000 and $190,000 in the seventies. Pearls Centre also boasted one of the earliest versions of food courts in Singapore. On the fourth floor of the building, it housed Fast Food Centre, an air-conditioned hawker centre that was popular among office workers and cinema-goers when it was opened in February 1978. As many as 30 stalls, selling Chinese, Malay and Western food, operated in the hawker centre that could seat 450 people.
In August 2012, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) announced plans to acquire Pearls Centre for the construction of underground tunnels for the Thomson Line (TSL), and tenants and residents given two years to vacate their respective premises by August 2014. (Note: The deadline was subsequently extended to 2015). According to a SLA press release dated 25 Apr 2013, 241 of the 243 owners (44 residential units and 199 shops) and 174 of the 175 eligible tenants had accepted the government’s compensation package which comprised statutory compensation and an ex-gratia payment.
Van Kleef Aquarium
Situated at the foot of Fort Canning Hill near the corner of Clemenceau Avenue and River Valley Road, the Van Kleef Aquarium was Singapore’s first public aquarium. The institution was named after Dutchman Karl Willem Benjamin van Kleef, a resident of the island in the late 19th and early 20th century who had bequeathed his fortune for the beautification of the town area. Upon his death in 1930, members of the City Council debated over how best to spend the Van Kleef Bequest.
Eventually, it was decided that the money was best spent on building an aquarium but progress on the project was delayed by changes in site location, construction plans and the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945).Opened to the public on 8th September 1955, the aquarium initially had more than 180 varieties of fishes housed in different marine environments. More varieties of marine creatures were added to the aquarium’s collection in subsequent years, including lion fishes, Amazonian piranhas and crocodiles. The aquarium was a popular local attraction, with visitorship peaking at an annual average of 400,000 visitors by the late 1970s.
The aquarium was closed in 1986 for major renovation works and re-opened in 1987. Despite the facelift, visitorship continued to decline and the aquarium was closed down soon after the opening of the Sentosa Underwater World oceanarium in 1991. The aquarium was subsequently leased out to a private company, World of Aquarium, but this enterprise folded in 1993. The site was reopened as the Fort Canning Aquarium later that year and the venture lasted for two years before it too closed down. The Van Kleef Aquarium closed its doors on 31 May 1991. Following these failed attempts at reviving the aquarium, the building was demolished in 1998.
National Theatre
The National Theatre (Malay: Panggong Negara; Chinese: 国家剧场) was built on the slope of Fort Canning Park along River Valley Road in the Museum Planning Area of Singapore. The theatre was officially opened on 8 August 1963 to commemorate Singapore's self-governance and was the first and largest national theatre in Singapore back then. It was once the venue for various international performances, universities' convocations and the National Day rallies until it was demolished in August 1986 due to structural reasons and to make way for the nearby construction part of Central Expressway along Clemenceau Avenue.
Prior to the National Theatre's establishment, the western slope of Fort Canning Hill (known as King George V Jubilee Park) was relatively bare as the only occupant being the Van Kleef Aquarium. The establishment of the Ministry of Culture, as it notes, Mr. Lee gathered the various cultural groups in Singapore to stage a series of concerts (Aneka Ragam Ra’ayat) wherein cross-viewing of others’ ethnic performances was advocated. The success of these concerts sparked the idea of a National Theatre thus in that same year, the building was commissioned.
In the early 1980s, the theatre was labelled structurally unsafe due to defects discovered in its cantilever roof. Also, with the proximity of the proposed Central Expressway tunnel to the theatre coupled with its declining use due to the lack of air-conditioning, led to a government decision to demolish the National Theatre. Without any ceremony or fanfare, the National Theatre boarded up its doors and pulled down the curtains on an eventful era for local theatre. Its last performance was held on 15 January 1984. After the National Theatre Trust moved to the smaller Kallang Theatre in March 1986, demolition works took place between June and August 1986, just as the Kallang Theatre opened to its first performance in June of that year. Its former site has been marked as a Heritage Site by the National Heritage Board for "signifying a spirit of self help and nationhood in the early days of nation building". The two historical markers have since been removed to make way for the Fort Canning MRT station which was opened on 21 October 2017.
National library
The Old National Library traces its roots to Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore, who in 1823 started a small private collection of books housed in the Raffles Institution. This was known as Raffles Library, and access to the collection was limited to the British and privileged class. Dr. Robert Morrison, an eminent missionary and educator became the first librarian from 1823 to 1845. He was mainly responsible for establishing the plans with Raffles and soliciting book donations for the Library.[2] When it was first built, it has a red-brick façade.
Despite a huge groundswell of public dissent, the library was closed on 31 March 2004, and was demolished in July that year to make way for the construction of the Fort Canning Tunnel to ease road traffic to the city. The controversy surrounding the building's demise has been credited for sparking greater awareness of local cultural roots and an unprecedented wave in favour of heritage conservation among Singaporeans.
New World Amusement Park "Xin Seh Kai"
The New World Amusement Park (Chinese: 新世界) was the first of three amusement parks, along with Great World (estd. early 1930s) and Gay World (estd. 1936), that wooed Malaya and Singapore night crowds from the 1920s to the 1960s. New World was a prominent landmark along Jalan Besar, in modern-day Kallang planning area, as it occupied a large area of 45,000 square feet (4,200 m2) in size. Before the arrival of televisions and radios, it attracted people from all walks of life from labourers to Europeans with its exciting attractions such as striptease, cabaret girls, opera shows and boxing matches during its heyday. Of all the artistes and athletes who have performed at the New World through the years, four have left a lasting impression – striptease queen Rose Chan, wrestler King Kong, strongman Mat Tarzan, and boxer Felix Boy.
New World was set up on 1 August 1923 by two Straits Chinese brothers, Ong Boon Tat and Ong Peng Hock under the company Ong Sam Leong Ltd. 1930s, the Shaw Organisation expanded their leisure business with a 50% joint venture with Ong Sam Leong Ltd. Shaw eventually bought out their partner and owned both the New World and the Great World at Kim Seng Road.[2] Admission fee was only 10-cent per entry but visitors had to pay separately for its various entertainment programmes and hawker stalls within. Advertising itself as the "pioneer amusement park in Malaya", New World had a huge fairground for all walks of life; couples would go to the park for evening strolls, housewives frequented the food and diverse stalls, men would hop from the barber shops to the nightclubs, while families piled into the cinemas and onto fairground rides like ferris wheels and carousels where two of its rides, the Ghost Train and Dodg'em were crowd-pullers.
With the advent of shopping centres, discos and, particularly, television in the ensuing decades, the park business gradually became poor, and it was finally closed for good after being sold to a property developer for redevelopment in 1987.
Great World Amusement Park "Tua Seh Kai"
The Great World Amusement Park (Chinese: 大世界) also known locally as "Tua Seh Kai" in Hokkien, was the second of three former amusement parks in Singapore, along with New World (established 1923) and Gay World (established 1936). It was established in 1929 and closed down in 1978. It provided entertainment and leisure to people, catering especially to the middle and lower income groups of citizens in the past.
The amusement park was situated between Zion Road, River Valley Road and Kim Seng Road in the central part of Singapore. In the 1920s, the site was originally a Chinese cemetery. Taking reference to a map of Singapore in 1909, the place was covered with swampy marshes back then and a small canal run across the site, eventually meeting with the Singapore River thereafter. The landowner, Lee Geok Kun (brother of philanthropist Lee Kong Chian), redeveloped the site into an amusement park in the 1930s. Business within Great World did not fulfil the expectations of the owners so in 1941, the park was sold to the Shaw Brothers who took over the operations of the park.
As television gained popularity here from the 1960s onwards, people visited the park less thus business started to decline. Finally, the park had its last session opened to the people in 1964 and was subsequently sold off to Kuok Holdings in 1978. A retail shopping mall, Great World City (now Great World) which includes residential and office spaces now sits on the very spot where Great World Amusement Park used to stand. The Park closed down in 1978.
Gay World Amusement Park "Kuai Lak Seh Kai"
Gay World (simplified Chinese: 繁华世界; traditional Chinese: 繁華世界), formerly known as Happy World (simplified Chinese: 快乐世界; traditional Chinese: 快樂世界) was one of the famous trio of "World" amusement parks in Kallang, Singapore. It was formerly located between Geylang Road and Grove Road (now Mountbatten Road). Together with the other two "Worlds", Great World Amusement Park (1930s–1978) at Kim Seng Road and New World Amusement Park (1923–1987) at Jalan Besar, Gay World Park was hustling and bustling with nightlife during the 1930s to 1960s.
These amusement parks were especially popular among Singaporeans, as it was the locals' only form of entertainment, before television or shopping malls were introduced.[3] Gay World Park was an all-in-one complex, where visitors were offered a wide range of entertainment, from films to shopping and games. However, as its popularity began to dip in the 1970s, Gay World Park was eventually demolished in 2000 to make way for residential estates
As visitors became scarce, the state of Gay World Park deteriorated and the park was no longer properly maintained.] It was even reported that rats and stray dogs were often seen running around the complex. In 2000, it was announced that this 3.2-hectare amusement park was to be torn down as the site has been zoned for future residential estates.[4] Eng Wah Organization discontinued its lease to the park and the 150 tenants were notified by the Land Office to vacate the building. However, many tenants were reluctant to leave, and when the lease for Gay World Park was temporarily extended, some shops continued operations. Unfortunately, as power and water supply were cut, these remaining tenants had to resort to portable generators and car batteries for electricity. In 2001, the last basketball match at Gay World Park was played. The following day, the entire park was torn down along with the Geylang Indoor Stadium (originally the Gay World Park indoor stadium).
Theme Parks in Singapore
"Xin Seh Kai"
"Tua Seh Kai"
"Kuai Lak Seh Kai"
Before the advent of television and the glittering thoroughfares of Orchard, many looked to other avenues of amusement to entertain themselves.
From the 1920s to the early 1990s, Singapore’s nightlife was filled with the sights and sounds of revellers enjoying themselves at its amusement parks. An era of variety shows, risqué cabaret dances, Hokkien and Malay troupe performances, rickety rides, and wrestling matches, these parks captivated both adults and children alike.
Today’s glitzy amusement parks court relatively tamer acts, but the amusement parks of yesteryear defined and set the tone for them:
- New World Amusement Park, Singapore’s earliest amusement park was set up by Straits Chinese brothers and businessmen, Ong Boon Tat and Ong Peng Hock in 1923. Riding on the coattails of the previously successful Malaya-Borneo exhibition that had attracted 300,000 visitors with its Ferris wheel and carousel, international trade fair, cinemas, football matches and cultural performances, the brothers established New World amusement park along the area bounded by Jalan Besar, Kitchener Road, Serangoon Road and Petain Road.
- The second “world” to open was Great World amusement park in 1931 – its owner, Lim Choon Yung – a relative of philanthropist Lee Kong Chian. Sitting on the crossroads of Kim Seng, River Valley and Zion Road , the park boasted live shows, travelling circuses, Shanghainese and Cantonese operas, Malay Bangsawan theatre, boxing matches, as well as a zoo and a coloured water fountain.
- The third “world” to open was Gay World amusement park in 1936. Initially christened Happy World in 1936, but later renamed in 1964, Gay World was the third and last of the “World” parks troika to open in 1937. Owned by George Lee Geok Eng – a businessman – it occupied a 10 acre plot of land at the junction of Geylang Road and Mountbatten Road. Similar to the two other parks, Gay World also had the conventional food stalls, open air cinemas, game booths, and performances that catered to families with children.
The lost landmarks and buildings in Singapore
Behind Modern Singapore's shiny skyscrapers are the ghosts of landmarks that once stood the test of time. Not only were they the modern marvels of yesteryears but they held rich histories and lesser-known stories that are worth digging up for.
And that's exactly what we've done. Travel back in time with us as we uncover the various amusement parks, theatre, and library that we've lost but not forgotten.
Major nostalgia alert: these iconic landmarks will bring back some happy or bittersweet memories:
- Pearl Bank Apartments - Demolished in 2020
- Escape Theme Park - Closed in 2011
- Old National Library Building - Demolished in 2004
- Van Kleef Aquarium - Demolished in 1998
- New World Amusement Park - Demolished in 1987
- Old National Theatre - Demolished in 1986
- Great World Amusement Park - Closed in 1964
Goodbye to the Iconic Landmarks of Shaw Tower and Liang Court
Shortly after Singapore’s independence, particularly in the seventies, it was an era of rapid development. Dozens of new multi-million buildings and skyscrapers were springing up at the downtown and city areas, including the Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) building, United Industrial Corporation (UIC) building, Robina House, Shenton House, Shing Kuang House (at Shenton Way), Hong Leong Building, Central Provident Fund (CPF) building (at Robinson Road), United Overseas Bank (UOB) building (at Raffles Place), Chung Khiaw Bank building (at Cecil Street), Straits Trading building, Cecil House (at Battery Road), Peace Centre (at Selegie Road) and Textile Centre (at Jalan Sultan).
One set of buildings particularly caught the eye due to their daring Brutalist architectural designs. Built between the early and mid-seventies, they were the Golden Mile Complex, People’s Park Complex and Shaw Tower. Upon its completion in 1975 at a cost of $36 million, Shaw Tower was one of the tallest buildings in Singapore, standing at 36 storeys and 134m tall. The record was short-lived though, as it was broken a year later with the completion of the 198m-tall OCBC Centre.
Shaw Tower
Shaw Tower, also sometimes referred to as Shaw Towers, is a defunct high-rise commercial building located on Beach Road in Singapore. At the time of its completion in 1975, the tower housed the largest cinema in Singapore. The building was part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s plans in the 1960s to create a “Golden Mile” stretch of mixed-use buildings that merged living, work, and play.
The construction of Shaw Tower was completed in 1975, on the site of the now-expunged Hoi How Road, and two previously existing cinemas: Alhambra Cinema and Marlborough Cinema. Shaw Tower is owned and managed by Shaw Towers Realty, a subsidiary of Shaw Organisation. The project was previously referred to as Shaw Mansion in newspaper articles dated to as early as 1972 and was then reported to cost S$36 million. Two cinemas managed by Shaw Theatres, Prince and Jade Theatres, opened inside the building shortly after it was built. They were located on two opposite ends of the building, with Prince facing Beach Road, and Jade angled towards Nicoll Highway. At the time of its opening, Prince was the largest cinema hall in Singapore.
In 2018, the management of Shaw Tower gave notice to tenants to vacate the building's premises by June 2020. However, the last tenants vacated the building in July 2020 due to delays caused by Singapore's lockdown measures as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak earlier in April. In October 2020, the building owners appointed Lendlease to manage the redevelopment, which will be synced with that of GuocoLand's Guoco Midtown. Construction will begin in late 2020 and slated to be completed by 2024. At a height of 200m, the new 35-storey Shaw Tower is expected to have 450,000 sq ft of Grade A office space and 30,000 sq ft of retail space. Upon completion, the new Shaw Tower will form an integral part of the Ophir-Rochor Corridor, a revamped, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use district centred around Bugis MRT station.
Liang Court
Liang Court (Simplified Chinese: 亮阁, Traditional Chinese: 亮閣, Pinyin: Liàng Gé) was a shopping mall located in the vicinity of Clarke Quay, on the Singapore River. It was part of a mixed-use complex that includes the hotel Novotel Clarke Quay (formerly Hotel New Otani) and Somerset Liang Court Residences (formerly Liang Court Regency).
Developed by the Wuthelam Group in collaboration with Daimaru Inc, Liang Court opened in January 1984 as the first major shopping mall along River Valley Road. At that time of opening, it had Japanese department store and supermarket chain Daimaru, lifestyle bookstore Kinokuniya, Chinese restaurant Tung Lok Signatures, karaoke chain Party World, consumer electronics chain SAFE Superstore and more than 60 specialty tenants mostly catering to Japanese expatriates. Above Liang Court were two 25-storey tower blocks occupied by Hotel New Otani Singapore and serviced apartment Liang Court Regency, which opened in November 1984. In 2000, Rainforest Cafe opened in the lower floors but was closed in 2004 due to declining patronage.
In November 2019, CapitaLand and its subsidiary Ascott REIT, along with City Developments Limited announced that Liang Court will be redeveloped into a mixed-use, integrated development named CanningHill Piers featuring two residential towers with 700 condo units, a 2-storey retail podium named CanningHill Square, a hotel managed by Marriott International under the Moxy brand and a 192-unit Somerset serviced residence. CanningHill Square and CanningHill Piers are expected to be completed in phases from 2024, with the Moxy Hotel opening in 2025. An underground link to Fort Canning MRT Station will be built as part of this development. As of August 2021, Liang Court has been completely demolished.
Funan DigitaLife Mall
Funan DigitaLife Mall, formerly Funan The IT Mall and Funan Centre, was a shopping centre formerly located near the Civic District in Singapore. Completed in 1985, the mall specialised in electronics and IT-related goods. It was a more upmarket competitor of Sim Lim Square, the latter of which catered more to those seeking more budget purchases. It was closed and demolished in 2016.
The mall opened in January 1985 as Funan Centre as a general shopping centre, which provided more options for shoppers to shop at other than Orchard Road. In the early 90s, the mall began to attract a critical mass of electronic and IT retailers over the years. Its main and long-time anchor tenant is Challenger Superstore, a major homegrown IT store established in 1984. In 1992, the mall was refurbished. It later adopted the name Funan The IT Mall in 1997 to reflect its current focus on IT related outlets. In 2005, the mall received minor upgrades, and was again renamed to Funan DigitaLife Mall. There were a total of 178 outlets spread over six floors. Challenger Superstore occupied almost the entirety of the sixth floor and was accompanied by another anchor tenants such as Harvey Norman in the other floors.
Due to the popularity of online shopping, business at the mall had been declining over the past few years, forcing tenants to close down. The mall was initially planned to be renovated in 2014. However, it was later slated for demolition. The last day of mall operation was 30 June 2016. All tenants have since relocated and the building was later demolished. The new commercial building whose name was stripped down to Funan was being built on its former site. The new commercial building would have a 24-hour drive-thru, underground walkway to City Hall MRT station, The Adelphi Lifestyle Mall and Capitol Theatre It also would have serviced apartments and offices as well. Originally slated to be reopened in 2020, the building was re-opened earlier than the scheduled reopening date on 28 June 2019.
Kallang’s Grand Old Dame
The former Singapore National Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Kallang, which opened in July 1973 and closed on 30 June 2007
The beloved National Stadium was the site of sporting triumphs and losses, celebrations and concerts. It birthed sporting legends as well as the euphoric Kallang Roar and communal Kallang Wave.
Its soaring concrete frame also hosted tens of thousands of Singaporeans who, on 18 occasions, gathered in a sea of red to mark the nation’s birthday. The site was not reserved for Singaporeans alone. When international headliners such as Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey took the stage, music fans from across the region descended upon the arena in Kallang to get in on the action.
Built for the people, the venue took its final bow in 2011 — 38 years after it was completed, closing the chapter on what was once Southeast Asia's largest stadium.
Singapore's Iconic Buildings & Landmarks
Capitol Theatre
Capitol Theatre, briefly Kyo-Ei Gekijo, is a historic cinema and theatre located in Singapore. It was adjoined to four-storey building known as the Capitol Building. The Capitol Theatre was considered one of Singapore's finest theatres in the 1930s during that time.
In 1929, Mirza Mohamed Ali Namazie, a Persian businessman of the Namazie family, commissioned the theatre to be built in Singapore, with S. A. H. Shirazee, an Indian-Muslim merchant and community leader, and the South African brothers Joe and Julius Fisher from First National Pictures, joined in to form Capitol Theatres Ltd as its operator. Namazie would serve as the theatre company's chairman with Shirazee as director, Joe Fisher as managing director and his brother Julius Fisher as the publicity manager. Architecture and equipments
Joe Fisher travelled overseas to acquire the materials for the theatre's furnishings, decorations and design. The Capitol Theatre was designed neoclassical architecture by British architects Keys and Dowdeswell, with its general plan, seating arrangements and lighting inspired from the Roxy Theatre in New York, United States. Builders Messrs Brossard and Mopin began construction of the foundation around July 1929. Messrs Sherwin-Williams Paint Co. in collaboration with local partner Messrs Lohmann and Co., designed the theatre's walls' and ceilings' detailing. Although installed with ventilation system, the theatre's roof was able to slide open which leave a 40-foot aperture for more ventilation.
The first layout of the theatre could accommodate at least 1,600 people, with 1,100 seated on the ground floor. Another 500 seats were available at the circle that could be accessed via lifts or staircases. The seats were a few inches wider than normal British cinema seats, and the upholstery was supplied by a New York company. The theatre had a large projection room located below the balcony and ran the length of the building instead of being traditionally sited in the rear. It housed the latest Simplex projector installed with fireproof protection shutters. The theatre's acoustics and soundproofing were said to be exceptional at that time. Special expensive sound installations costing at least 40,000 Straits dollars were imported from Western Electric Company. The theatre's stage was also designed for stage productions, with changing rooms and organ chambers built into the theatre. It was also the first to equip multihued lighting system using concealed lamps with a dimmer function, which was never used in other existing theatres in Singapore at that time. Besides having the floodlit main entrance at the junction of Stamford Road and North Bridge Road, there are also two side entrances from Stamford Road and North Bridge Road, with a parking lot to accommodate at least 200 cars. There were several food outlets at the theatre. The main café on the first floor had a dance floor where cabaret was held at the selected nights, and adjoining the café was a restaurant known as the Capitol Restaurant. A café lounge was located at the circle. A special cooling room for making French pastries was built in the kitchen on the ground floor. Its adjoined building known as Namazie Mansions, which was named after the Chairman Namazie, was completed in the early 1930.
