SINGAPORE: The iconic Golden Mile Complex is deemed to have heritage value and authorities are in the process of exploring options to facilitate conservation, said the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Wednesday (Oct 31).
This comes even as the development tries to find a buyer, with the collective sale tender launched on Wednesday at a reserve price of S$800 million.
The building may not be demolished, as an outline application has been submitted to retain the existing 16-storey building, with the addition of a new block next to it, said the property’s marketing agent Edmund Tie & Company’s (ET&Co). This is subject to authorities’ approval.
“Regarding the outline application, URA has advised that Golden Mile Complex is under conservation study and they are open for discussions to facilitate conservation,” said the marketing agent in its tender announcement.
An en bloc of a large-scale conserved building in Singapore is unprecedented, said ET&Co’s senior director of investment advisory Swee Shou Fern. She added that a longer tender process will be conducted to allow interested parties to carry out a detailed study.
READ: From the occult to a derelict pool: 12 things about Golden Mile Complex you didn’t know
Completed in 1973, the signature step-terraced building along Beach Road and Nicoll Highway was designed by DP Architects, formerly known as Design Partnership.
The building, which was built in 1973, was designed by DP Architects. (Photo: ET&Co)
DP Architects will be the consultant architect for the development, as appointed by the Collective Sale Committee.
Located along Beach Road and Nicoll Highway, the property has a land area of about 1.3ha and is zoned for commercial use under Master Plan 2014.
READ: ‘I’m afraid one day it’s going to go’: Saving Singapore’s old buildings one photograph at a time
Describing Golden Mile Complex as “an architectural icon”, director of DP Architects Chan Hui Min said that the building is important to the public memory of Singapore.
“Many successful developments that integrate older buildings not only manage
to optimise the land use efficiency, but also leverage on the history of the site to bring value to the sense of place and identity of the development,” she said.
“We can create win-win situations with sensitive adaptive reuse.”
Formerly known as Woh Hup Complex, the Golden Mile Complex was built in 1973. It was designed by Singapore’s pioneering architects Gan Eng Oon, William Lim and Tay Kheng Soon. (Photo: Darren Soh)
In response to Channel NewsAsia’s queries, URA said: “Modern architecture, dating from our recent past, is a significant aspect of our built heritage, and we have selectively conserved a number of such buildings.
“Where there are strong support and merits for conservation, we will work with the relevant stakeholders to facilitate the process.”
The differential premium to intensify the land use as well as the premium to top up the lease to 99 years will depend on the developer’s proposed land use mix, said ET&Co.
The tender exercise will close on Jan 30 next year at 3pm.
