{"id":87074,"date":"2018-05-04T11:03:54","date_gmt":"2018-05-04T04:03:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/spore-architect-calls-for-national-referendum-on-fate-of-iconic-buildings\/"},"modified":"2018-05-04T12:03:18","modified_gmt":"2018-05-04T05:03:18","slug":"spore-architect-calls-for-national-referendum-on-fate-of-iconic-buildings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/spore-architect-calls-for-national-referendum-on-fate-of-iconic-buildings\/","title":{"rendered":"S\u2019pore architect calls for national referendum on fate of iconic buildings"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nLim Wenhui, partner at Spark Architects, is the first female head judge of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore).\u00a0 \u00a0
\nIn a bid to preserve our past, Singaporeans should rethink the belief that nation building requires older structures to make way for modern infrastructure, said Lim Wenhui, partner at Spark Architects, an award-winning architecture firm.
\n\u201cPerhaps we need to examine our assumptions. Despite our push toward economic and social progress, we have lost some beautiful buildings that I loved as a child like the National Theatre and National Library,\u201d said Lim, who was recently elected as the first female head judge of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore) 2018.
\nMore: Building Craze
\nBuilt in 1963, the National Theatre on the slope of Fort Canning Park was demolished in 1986 to make way for construction of the Central Expressway. The red-brick National Library at Stamford Road, which was completed in 1960, also met the same fate in 2004 so that construction of the Fort Canning Tunnel could proceed.
\nRecently, the issue of heritage conservation was raised once again after Pearl Bank Apartments in Outram was sold through an en bloc sale to developer CapitaLand for $728 million.
\nWhen it was finished in 1976, it set the record as Singapore\u2019s tallest residential building. But there are plans to tear it down and redevelop the site into a new condo tower.
\n\u201cGiven Pearl Bank Apartments is a national icon, perhaps there should be a national referendum on the building\u2019s future rather than the short-term view propagated by en bloc sales,\u201d Lim said.
\nWhen asked about her favourite buildings in Singapore, she named The Colonnade in Grange Road and Golden Mile Complex at Beach Road.
\nDesigned by the American architect Paul Rudolph for Pontiac Land, The Colonnade was completed in 1986 and stands out for its brutalist architecture.
\n\u201cIt is a sculptural masterpiece from a time before the mean-spirited market-driven shoebox apartment,\u201d said Lim, while praising its apartments for having double volume ceilings and large balconies.
\nIn fact, apartments at The Colonnade are so big that the two-bedders are 2,800 sq ft, three-bedders are from 3,600 to 4,000 sq ft, and penthouses from 7,000 to 12,700 sq ft.
\nCompleted in 1986, The Colonnade along Grange Road stands out for its brutalist architecture. (Photo: Chris Price, Flickr)
\nWith regards to Golden Mile Complex designed by DP Architects, Lim said it\u2019s probably the best example of late-metabolist architecture in Singapore, even though former Nominated Member of Parliament Ivan Png called it a \u201cvertical slum\u201d in 2006.
\n\u201cIt is a wonderful time capsule of 1970\u2019s nation building that still bustles with life inside with Thai food outlets and travel agencies\u2026wonderful architecture that does not rely on being covered in plants to be deemed good design,\u201d she noted.
\nHowever, Golden Mile Complex along with three other historical landmarks \u2013 the nearby Golden Mile Tower and Chinatown\u2019s People\u2019s Park Complex and People\u2019s Park Centre \u2013 may end up being bulldozed as the owners are attempting to cash in on the collective sales fever.
\nIncidentally, the three projects were built on sites sold under the first Government Land Sales programme in 1967, and represent an important chapter in Singapore\u2019s post-independence architectural history.
\nFor the latest property news, trends, resources and expert opinions, visit our\u00a0Property News\u00a0page. Home buyers looking for\u00a0Singapore Properties\u00a0may like to visit our\u00a0Listings,\u00a0Project Reviews\u00a0and\u00a0Guides.
\n\u00a0
\nRomesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email\u00a0romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
\n
\nSource : proppertyguru.com.sg\/Property Market
\nRead more…S\u2019pore architect calls for national referendum on fate of iconic buildings<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lim Wenhui, partner at Spark Architects, is the first female head judge of the PropertyGuru...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":87075,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/The-Colonnade-768x1024.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p75ss1-mEq","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":88847,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/designer-calls-for-national-referendum-on-fate-of-iconic-buildings\/","url_meta":{"origin":87074,"position":0},"title":"Designer calls for national referendum on fate of iconic buildings","date":"May 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Lim Wenhui, partner at Spark, is the first female head judge of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore).\u00a0\u00a0 CORRECTED: (Removes reference to Lim Wenhui as an architect in the title) In a bid to preserve our past, Singaporeans should rethink the belief that nation building requires older structures to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/The-Colonnade-768x1024-1.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":84980,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/propertyguru-asia-property-awards-singapore-2018-nominations-open-elects-first-female-head-judge\/","url_meta":{"origin":87074,"position":1},"title":"PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore) 2018 nominations open, elects first female head judge","date":"April 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Last year\u2019s Awards saw GuocoLand named as top local developer. 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