6 Singapore landmarks you will not see in 2017
Out with the old and in with the new is one of the most clichéd sayings for the New Year. But Singapore seems to be taking it quite literally as 2016 looks to be a year of demolition.
After closing out the first week of 2016, Yahoo Singapore takes a look at six landmarks you will not see in 2017.
1. Rochor Centre
The demolition of the colourful Rochor Centre will pave the way for the Land Transport Authority to build the North-South Expressway. The bright red, green and yellow HDB blocks, which were built in 1977, has been an iconic landmark of the area and tearing it down will involve relocating hundreds of business owners and residents.
2. Sungei Road
From typewriters to a microscope set, you can find it all at this gem of a flea market. But the place, which is also known as Thieves’ Market to some, is running out of time as Singapore moves ahead with the construction of the Downtown Line. Already reduced in size in 2011 to make way for the Jalan Besar MRT station, this year might be your last chance to visit the market as Sungei Road station is scheduled to be completed by 2017.
3. Funan
Funan will close in the third quarter of 2016 as it undergoes redevelopment for about three years to become a “experiential creative hub”, according to CapitaLand Mall Trust Management. The building itself will not be torn down but the iconic IT shopping mall will be sorely missed by Singapore’s gadget-crazy population.
4. Zouk
When its tenancy was up in 2014, Zouk was given multiple extensions before finally confirming its move to a spanking new 30,000 square foot location at Clarke Quay. The mega club, which has been at its Jiak Kim Street location for the past 24 years, will move to its new location by the end of September 2016. Club-goers will have one last party at the current location during Zouk’s silver jubilee in April.
5. Pearls Centre
A mainstay of Chinatown and formerly home to the infamous Yangtze cinema, demolition works will begin at Pearls Centre this year to make way for the Thomson Line. Construction for the new MRT Line is already ongoing just behind the building. The public still can explore the inside of the building, an eerie empty shell of its former self with relocation notices pasted on many of the shops’ shutters.
6. Dakota Crescent
Residents of Dakota Crescent will have to vacate their flats by the end of 2016 to make way for new redevelopment plans in the area. Dakota Crescent is one of the oldest housing blocks in Singapore and the demolition announcement has attracted the public’s attention. Local musicians and filmmakers have organised events and created documentaries to raise awareness about the heritage of the place and calling for the place to be gazetted for conservation.
