Along with a new 45-storey residential skyscraper Aurea, the preserved Golden Mile Complex will have four levels added.
Originally gazetted for conservation in October 2021 and will be renamed The Golden Mile, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) approved developer GMC Property permission to add four storeys of office space to the complex on Aug 29.
Permission to construct the 188-unit condominium Aurea was also granted to the developer; it will be linked to the original Golden Mile Complex by a link bridge.
URA stated the 1973 finished complex, which is “considered one of the most architecturally, historically and socially significant modern buildings in Singapore,” when the conservation was announced.
URA added at the time that the complex “is a symbol of the architectural and engineering ingenuity of Singapore’s pioneer generation of building professionals,” which included principal architects Tay Kheng Soon, Gan Eng Oon and William Lim, then of home-grown firm Design Partnership, today DP Architects – the firm working on the rejuvenation of Golden Mile Complex and the new condominium tower.
Considered as the first major strata-titled building to be preserved in Singapore, the 16-story structure Works done on conserved structures must follow URA policies as they cannot be destroyed.
Golden Mile Complex was bought for $700 million in a joint sale by Perennial Holdings, Far East Organisation, and Sino Land in May 2022 along with a package of incentives specific to the complex to ensure the financial feasibility of utilising it after the sale.
URA noted at the time the potential of Aurea included a partial development fee remission on the increased floor space, lease renewal to a fresh 99-year one, and bonus gross floor area resulting in a one-third increase above the initial construction intensity. The government had indicated that a new thirty-story residential skyscraper was under consideration.
URA told The Straits Times that asked why a 45-storey tower was approved instead, “had assessed that the proposed designs, including the new height of the residential tower as well as the materiality and facade treatment of the new extension, were in line with conservation requirements and within technical height controls.”
The Golden Mile and Aurea will have a combined gross floor space of 79,577.17 sq m, according agency statistics; 20, 457.77 sq m of this comes from bonus schemes, including 16, 269.48 sq m given as part of the conservation incentive package.
Of the entire floor area, 52,062.98 sq m will be for commercial uses; of these, around 70% will be utilised for offices and the remainder for retail spaces and hospital units.
Residential use will occupy another 25,191.96 sq m; architectural centre will use 2,322.23 sq m.
In response to ST’s questions on the design of The Golden Mile and Aurea, a spokesman for Perennial Holdings and Far East Organisation stated on Nov. 12 that specifics on the design approach, conservation measures and project timeframe would be revealed in a planned media event.
Written authorisation from URA to the consortium revealed that the Design Advisory Panel of the agency approves plans to utilise low-iron glass panels on the four-story expansion to Golden Mile Complex. Usually speaking, low-iron glass is very transparent.
Speaking with ST, Mr Tay, 84, the original architect of Golden Mile Complex, said the proposed 45-storey structure is “quite atrocious” as its dimensions are out of scale with the preserved building.
Mr Tay, who left Design Partnership in 1974, stated, “It is way too tall and will dwarf the main building.”
To be in line with the current construction, he said, the new residential structure should be erected on a bigger plot with fewer levels.
However, Mr. Tay claimed adding four floors to Golden Mile Complex, noted for its unique terraced façade, will not make the structure seem weird.
While maintaining a variety of structures for future generations is crucial, Architect Melvin Tan, president of the Singapore Institute of Architects, noted that retentions must be financially feasible given Singapore’s land shortage.
“The four-storey extension and the 45-storey tower have to be seen in this light,” said Mr Tan, a deputy managing director of Laud Architects.
He noted that a good balance is retaining and renovating Golden Mile Complex to ensure it is current and appealing while also allowing developers flexibility to add “just enough” without negatively impacting the appearance and feel of the original construction.
Said Mr. Tan, in considering legacy and relevance, The Golden Mile and Aurea’s designers would also have had to consider the most recent legislative requirements, current site limits and future objectives for the area.
“We have to trust that between the appointed architects and the authorities safeguarding these, the current proposal (for Golden Mile Complex) has found the correct balance,” he said.
