Building History
Singapore’s latest historical building is younger than many of the city-state’s inhabitants. Last October, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced its intention to pursue conservation status for Golden Mile Complex, a 16-storey hive of shops, offices and apartments best known for its concentration of Thai businesses and an eye-catching terraced facade that steps down towards Nicoll Highway like stadium bleachers. Completed in 1973, the hulking concrete edifice is a far cry from the Peranakan shophouses and colonial-era landmarks that are normally associated with Singapore’s conservation areas.
It hasn’t always been appreciated. In 2006, Singaporean economist and nominated member of parliament Ivan Png dismissed it as a “vertical slum” and a “national disgrace” for the patchwork of alterations made by residents and shop owners. But it represents the newest chapter in Singapore’s fight to preserve its heritage. “A sizeable chunk of Singapore’s heritage is modernist,” says conservation architect Ho Weng Hin. “And modernist heritage still has latent value that can be unlocked.”
Ho is a founding member of Docomomo Singapore, which was founded early this year as the local branch of an international group dedicated to promoting and preserving modern architecture. Its
