Road, Singapore 238872)
Brief Introduction:
Ngee Ann City is a shopping and commercial centre located on Orchard Road. The S$520 million building, as many Singaporeans refer to as "Taka", which is a slang-abbreviation of the anchor tenant's name, Takashimaya. This name is now probably more commonly-used in everyday conversation compared to the building's original name -- Ngee Ann City.
History:
Back in the 1950s, the land that Ngee Ann City sits on was a burial ground, owned and managed by Ngee Ann Kongsi. A ten-storey Ngee Ann Building was then built on the site, and was then demolished in order to make way for Ngee Ann City. Revamp of the Ngee Ann City was first considered in 1967 and was then planned by Ngee Ann Development and the Orchard Square Development Corporation in the late 1980s.
Raymond Woo, the architect who designed the Ngee Ann City building, drew inspiration from the Great Wall of China. The intention was to reflect the dignity, solidity and strength of the Ngee Ann Kongsi. In total, He spent five years designing and overseeing the whole plan and project. The land that belongs to Ngee Ann Kongsi was a much sought-after piece of real estate in Singapore. Previously, Ng Teng Fong of Far East Organisation offered S$175 million as a bid to buy the land and it was also sought by the owners of Hilton International Hotel, however it was unsuccessful.
Unfortunately, there were also a series of disputes between Ngee Ann Kongsi and the Metro Group which had subsequently acquired the redevelopment rights. Both parties paid heavily for the dispute, as the Singapore Government acquired half the site in 1983. Hence, this left them only 28,322 square metres for development. They began to work on Ngee Ann City 22 years after the project was first proposed. The construction of the S$520 million building took about four years. Ngee Ann City was finally officially opened by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on September 21, 1993.
Landuse:
Ngee Ann City uses a mixed landuse strategy. The source shows an office building built in together with shops in Ngee Ann Citry. In Ngee Ann City, it maximises the mixed landuse as there is an office with shops around so it is more convenient for the workers if they want to relax.
Transformation through time and space:
1950 - The land that Ngee Ann City sits on was a burial ground, owned and managed by Ngee Ann Kongsi. A ten-storey Ngee Ann Building was then built on the site, and was demolished to make way for Ngee Ann City.
1967 - Redevelopment of the site was first considered.
1980s- Ngee Ann City was planned by Ngee Ann Development and the Orchard Square Development Corporation.
1981 - The land belonging to Ngee Ann Kongsi was a much sought-after piece of real estate in Singapore. After a series of disputes between Ngee Ann Kongsi and the Metro Group, a joint venture resulted, in which Ngee Ann had a 73% stake, and Metro the balance 27%.
1983 - The Singapore Government acquired half the site as a result of the disputes between the partners that left them only 28,322 square metres for development.
1989- Work on Ngee Ann City began. It took four years to complete the building.
1993 - Ngee Ann City was officially opened by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on September 21, 1993.
Compare and Contrast:
Almost 50 years ago, the site where Ngee Ann City stands on now, was a burial ground that was owned and managed by Ngee Ann Kongsi. In 1967, the cemetery was cleared to make way for Ngee Ann Building. However after a while, Ngee Ann Building was also demolished to make way for Ngee Ann City. Over the years, the usage of that area transformed from residential to commercial uses.
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