Perennial Holdings and Far East Organization have announced the next chapter in the long and rich history of the former Golden Mile Complex. At a press conference held on Dec 10, the development partners shared their vision for the revitalized conservation building, now known as The Golden Mile, and announced the preview of the strata-titled commercial units under the name Golden Mile Singapore.
The Golden Mile Singapore is Singapore’s first large-scale strata-titled conserved building, preserving its iconic identity as a tropical linear urban complex with brutalist architecture. The building will comprise 156 Grade A office units, 19 medical suites, a two-storey retail component spanning 123,388 sq ft, and a public access architecture centre.
According to Perennial and Far East, the office units and medical suites will be available for sale this month, although no indicative pricing has been released yet for these units. In addition, a new 45-storey residential tower called Aurea will be developed on the site previously occupied by the residential carpark. The 188-unit condominium is scheduled to be previewed next quarter.
Pua Seck Guan, CEO of Perennial Holdings, fondly recalls the vibrant and eclectic retail mix that characterized Golden Mile Complex during its heyday in the 1970s. However, over time, the strata-titled ownership structure brought about changes in the development and eroded its status as a prime mixed-use development. Pua emphasizes that Perennial Holdings and Far East Organization are determined to restore and elevate the building’s status as a next-generation urban complex in Singapore.
The joint venture has collaborated with homegrown architecture firm DP Architects and architecture conservation specialist consultancy Studio Lapis to bring to life their vision for Golden Mile Singapore. DP Architects, previously known as Design Partnership, was the architecture firm behind the iconic design and mixed-use concept of Golden Mile Complex.
Previously, approximately 40% of the strata area at Golden Mile Complex was allocated for retail, with office units taking up 41%, and the remaining 19% for residential use. The refreshed Golden Mile Singapore, which includes Aurea, will see a shift in this proportion, with retail taking up 15% of the strata area, offices occupying 48%, and 30% set aside for residential use. The remaining 4% and 3% will be used for the new medical suites and architecture centre, respectively. The architecture centre will be established under the government’s Community/Sport’s Facilities Scheme, and the joint venture partners have returned 24,994 sq ft of space to URA for the setting up of this architecture centre.
Two new public access urban gardens will also be created on the 9th floor and the 18th floor, utilizing previously vacant spaces in the former Golden Mile Complex, including the building’s rooftop, which will be transformed into a sky garden on the 18th floor.
Golden Mile Singapore will feature a revamped two-storey retail atrium with a new event space and F&B offerings. The new design of the retail atrium will bring back natural light and ventilation, creating a shopping experience that more closely reflects the original design of the building. Pua hopes to recreate the street shop-style retail experience that was present during the heyday of Golden Mile Complex.
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The retail units will not be available for sale and will instead be curated and retained by the joint venture partners. Pua believes that the retail component, although not a major component of The Golden Mile, will serve to complement and augment the offices and residential units, as this locale is not known as a major retail hub in Singapore.
This month, Perennial and Far East will launch the preview of the strata-titled office units at The Golden Mile. The office layouts have been thoughtfully crafted to cater to a wide range of end-users. The office suites will have a dedicated office lobby, and new lift cores have been added to support the office floors above. The original Golden Mile Complex featured two end lift cores, but these have been upgraded to serve the increased number of office units and to provide private lift access. The new office lobby will feature a 6m high ceiling and facilities befitting a modern Grade A office development, such as a concierge and centralized access control.
The Flagship office units on the 4 – 7th floors will have a dedicated lift lobby with direct access to the basement carpark and retail floors. Each Flagship office unit will have two toilets, with sizes ranging from 1,378 sq ft to 4,682 sq ft.
The Loft Suites on the 4th floor and Loft Executive units on the 5th floor will offer full-height windows with views of the surrounding landscape. Loft Suites range from 958 sq ft to 2,034 sq ft, while the Loft Executive units range from 710 sq ft to 926 sq ft.
The Loft Mezzanine units on the 6th to 15th floors are located in the iconic stacked terrace portion of the building and offer bay views, a double-volume ceiling, and a balcony for natural ventilation and illumination. These units feature a dual-key design, a first for a strata-titled commercial development, and range from 1,528 sq ft to 2,799 sq ft. Each Loft Mezzanine unit is a combination of two former residential units, with a portion of the ceiling removed to create a single office unit with a double-volume ceiling of around 5.4m. Access to the upper office space is via a staircase, which has its own entrance or can be accessed from the lower floor.
The Enterprise Office units on the 16th and 17th floors used to be the duplex penthouses and offer panoramic views of the city and the bay. These units come with two toilets each and range from 1,851 sq ft to 3,122 sq ft.
The newly built Crown Office units will be located on the top four floors of The Golden Mile, with four units per floor except for the penthouse floor, which will have two units. Sizes of these office units range from 3,315 sq ft to 5,393 sq ft.
“We believe our office units, especially the Loft Mezzanine units, will appeal to family offices, and we hope to attract many of the 2,500 family offices that have established themselves in Singapore in recent years,” says Pua. He adds that the various office layouts will also attract a diverse range of corporate tenants.
Pua envisions a good mix of tenant profiles at The Golden Mile, from corporate tenants to family offices. To create a conducive ecosystem, the joint venture partners will carefully screen each prospective buyer to ensure their suitability.