A very unique area. Hundreds of conserved and restored shophouses.
A combination of old and new. :cool:
But one thing I hate is how monotonous Far East and Capital Squares look. :(

China Sqaure:
http://img198.exs.cx/img198/8286/chsqmap0px.jpg
10 rows of shophouses in 3 blocks.

http://img189.exs.cx/img189/5929/csq1zc.jpg
Juxtaposition: China Sqaure on the left, Far East Square (in brown (:()) in the distance....

http://img55.exs.cx/img55/4458/csq22ja.jpg
This shophouse looks odd....

http://img55.exs.cx/img55/3426/csq31xy.jpg
Far East Square. The corner shophouse holds the flagship stall of Ya Kun. :cheers3: :eat:
I hate Far East's colour scheme.... :(

http://img190.exs.cx/img190/240/csq82ia.jpg
Glass roof almost touching the mast of this shophouse behind Great Eastern

http://img190.exs.cx/img190/3684/csq48kb.jpg
China Square facing Great Eastern... Looks dead...... :(
It is, I'll say the most unique office complex in Singapore.... :yes:

http://img190.exs.cx/img190/1605/csq57hy.jpg
Water Gate at Fare East facing Capital Square..... So many gates, I nearly got lost.... :bash:

http://img190.exs.cx/img190/3214/csq64tm.jpg
Part of Capital Square opposite Water Gate

http://img190.exs.cx/img190/9185/csq75uh.jpg

It's a nice place to chill out. :) Who did u go with? ;)

Oh, my cousin... :D
And that's why I couldn't take many pics....
She isn't interested in that stuff......

Great tour! I didn't know about china square initially.

Oh, my cousin... :D
And that's why I couldn't take many pics....
She isn't interested in that stuff......

on the contrary the number of pics ARE quite substantial for going with someone who isnt interested in such 'stuff'.

anyway those shophouses are originals right?

Great work!

Yup, these are real whereas those at Bugis Junction are duplicates. :D
But for Far East, only the ground floor is the shopping centre. :(

on the contrary the number of pics ARE quite substantial for going with someone who isnt interested in such 'stuff'.


Huh? :?

meaning you actually managed to get quite a number of shots lah!

Oh.... :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/redstone/shophouse/cbdshphse.jpg
Capital Square....

Seeing all those shophouses, it makes me wonder what stood on the site of Great Eastern...

http://www.streetdirectory.com.sg/buildings/049480_main.jpg
Anyone knows where this was taken from?

I think it was taken from the carpark opposite?

If only Far East had Bugis's comcept and marketing.... :(

It seems a place that caters more for office crowd, but theres no reason why it cant be more than that in future, with more residential projects over there.

Now only the ground floor is retail and F&B....

I actually hoped that the whole complex could be integrated into a shopping mall.
Think Bugis, but real shophouses....

http://img174.exs.cx/img174/1931/csqftc11cy.jpg

http://img174.exs.cx/img174/1935/csqftc22fn.jpg

http://img174.exs.cx/img174/17/csqftc39ju.jpg
Former Fu Tak Chi Temple, one of the oldest temples here.

Might return to the area tomorrow, attempt to take 'then & now' shots... :yes:

This time, WITH a tripod and cap! :D

http://img198.exs.cx/img198/8286/chsqmap0px.jpg
^China Square consists of 10 rows of shohouses

Capital Sqaure has 2 rows


Can be very confusing.... :dizzy:

Pics taken last week without tripod....
Not well, taken I know....
Quite a rush that day... :tongue3:

China Square
http://img52.exs.cx/img52/9239/011yq.jpg
^Nankin Row, view from fountain plaza. Nice light effect on shophouses...

http://img200.exs.cx/img200/6585/026gy.jpg
^Hokien Street row, behind Great Eastern

http://img228.exs.cx/img228/743/036rf.jpg
^South Bridge Court, facing South Bridge Road

http://img228.exs.cx/img228/6814/042cu.jpg
^Nankin Row, facing South Bridge Road

http://img228.exs.cx/img228/4170/059pm1.jpg
^South Bridge Court, Chin Chew Street pedestrian mall, facing Marsh & McLennan Centre

http://img32.exs.cx/img32/8869/069cx.jpg
^China Court, Chin Chew Street pedestrian mall, facing Marsh & McLennan Centre

http://img32.exs.cx/img32/2135/078xg.jpg
^China Court, facing China Street

http://img154.exs.cx/img154/359/085cw.jpg
^Nankin Row and Nankin Street pedestrian mall

http://img154.exs.cx/img154/2125/094mt.jpg
^Nankin Row facing China Street


Now I noticed there's 2 rows I overlooked... :doh:

Capital Square
http://img12.exs.cx/img12/15/capsq5on.jpg
^Capital Square Two

RC, interested to go to the 3 Squares to take photos, tell me! :D
SMS! :D

you SMS me lah! ^^

anyway those are very colourful, nicely restored. At night also quite a nice area.

Uniquely Singapore! :D

when did you take those pics ?

cos it was raining again today and recently

Last week...
Quite a rush then....

That explains the rather poor un-artistic angles and I forgotten to take 2 rows of shophouses at China Square. :(

Maybe we'll go once the rain spell stops! :banana: :D

some pics I took previously

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/fes2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/fes4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/fes5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/rotpics03/seksi2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/fes5.jpg


I took this:
http://img144.exs.cx/img144/8968/105ue.jpg
:eek: :D

thats a problem sometimes when people are walking along similar routes! :lol:

Yup.... :lol:
The area can seem quite confusing, but the layout is actually very simple, 10 rows in 3 blocks. :D

Check out the map! :D

Heya peeps, u must all go check out the Prawn Mee (the cafe strip in between China Court and Nankin Row, facing main st).

Damn good, plus good ambience, esp the alfresco sitting area. Traditional Prawn Mee in a modern cafe setting...surrounded by soaring skyscrapers! Cool...

Uniquely Singapore! :D

Now, the shophouses one by one! :banana:

I took shots of every style of shophouse there... :D

http://img300.echo.cx/img300/6602/china183bw.jpg
18 China Street, occupied by coffeeshop chain Ya Kun....

http://img173.echo.cx/img173/4202/china18a0ya.jpg
Odd deco of a fruit called Buddha's Palm.

http://img105.echo.cx/img105/9018/chinaph6nr.jpg
China Street, occupied by Pizza Hut

http://img105.echo.cx/img105/1195/chinaph24yc.jpg
Pizza Hut again....

http://img297.echo.cx/img297/8452/chinaph38xu.jpg
And again... Altogether occupying 3 shophouses... :D

not bad..you sure have a lot of patience...I have never noticed that Buddha's Palm motif before :cool:

A very very very unique and creative concept.... :cool:

I'm talking about Far East and China Squares........


Unique architecture, unique comcept.
I've got old photos of the area. I'll capture by digicam and upload it here.
From slums to this....

http://img294.echo.cx/img294/8066/kbk072na.jpg
Next building, a very simple shophouse. :)

A beautiful white building
http://tinypic.com/70c5kg.jpg

Far East Square incorporates a glass roof over the walkways in between the shophouses adapting the spaces to all weather usage.

There are many eating and drinking choices here.

http://tinypic.com/70c5zd.jpg

http://tinypic.com/70c60p.jpg

It's great that this place is conserved. I like walking in that area during lunch time and sometimes deliberately walk through it on my way home. Simply pretty to take pictures after 6pm!

There're lots of good food there... in the evening, you do see lots of foreign and local professionals from nearby office towers chilling out at the restaurants & bars. :)

Moving down China Street, in direction of Cross Street...

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/9418/chinaph40of.jpg
Simple shophouse

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/8241/chinaph52eg.jpg
Very beautiful.... 'Flight' theme....
Pendiment features deco inspired by birds, and a statue of a bird on the facade. The white space below might be where the business's name would be put.

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/6042/chinaph65dr.jpg
25 China Street, Chinese-owned simple shophouse. The whie rectangles most certainly contained Chinese characters. End of China Street row.

Pekin Street pedestrian mall
Walking in direction of Telok Ayer Street....

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/1218/pekin015et.jpg
32 Pekin Street, the first shophouse in the row. Heavily 'modernized'. As in the old facade was replaced by one of a modern design

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/3888/pekin027fg.jpg
5 storey shophouse, the tallest heritage building of the Squares. 1953, it says. A lift is attached to the rear.

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/8066/pekin038ez.jpg
Twin modern shophouse beside the very tall one....

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/5306/pekin042it.jpg
Several Chinese shophouses that look the same beside the twin modern ones...
White rectangles supposed to contain Chinese characters....

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/8961/pekin053ep.jpg
Same design.... At corner of Pekin/Amoy Street pedestrian malls. The Chinese characters can be seen facing Amoy, but why not Pekin? :?

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/1273/pekin067yh.jpg
Other shophouse at Pekin/Amoy junction....

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/4261/pekin072tr.jpg
Pleasant and simple... :)


That's it for today, dun wanna spoil the fun! :D

I like the one with the bird deco!

I wonder if the upper floors of these conserved shophouses are in use/accessible?

most are occupied. I do see a few advertising/publicity companies e.g. BBDO etc...

Another shot of the Water Gate

http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/9308/watergate0om.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

This really is an amzing area. Hope sze and baq enjoyed it. :cool:

well I was walking through it with sze and he took quite a few pics...so I guess he must have found it at least visually interesting :banana:

Hope to see their pics soon. :cool:

Far East Square

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/ylstan02/Old%20buildings/DSC_0038.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/ylstan02/Old%20buildings/DSC_0043.jpg

China Square

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/ylstan02/Old%20buildings/DSC_0035.jpg

Some skyscrapers near Far East Square

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/ylstan02/City%20Landscape/DSC_0050.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/ylstan02/City%20Landscape/DSC_0047.jpg

Hmm.... are they crossing......
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/ylstan02/Old%20buildings/DSC_0042.jpg

to have a drink?? :D
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/ylstan02/Old%20buildings/DSC_0045.jpg

11 August 2006
Jazzing up China Square
By Valerie Law, TODAY

Shoppers at China Square Central could see more buzz and fanfare in the near future, as the retail cum office property is likely to undergo a $10-million makeover of its retail space as early as next year.

"We are presently in the process of getting the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to consent to our development plans," Allco Real Estate Investment Trust manager Nicholas McGrath told Today.

Allco Reit yesterday reported $9.76 million in net property income for its fiscal second quarter ended June 30 on gross revenue of $11.74 million. Its available distribution per unit of 1.53 cents was 4.8 per cent above its forecast.

If it gets approval from the URA, Allco Reit hopes to begin redevelopment works for China Square early next year, with completion targeted within 6 to 12 months.

With a 92-per-cent occupancy rate and an average rental of $3.60 per square foot per month, Mr Mcgrath admits that China Square's retail space has not achieved its full potential when compared to nearby retail places.

"Therefore the opportunity for us is to increase the traffic by implementing by a coherent retail leasing strategy, making it a more comfortable and vibrant place to visit, by way of spending a significant amount of capital on the retail component of the asset," he said.

The trust has appointed the Lend Lease Group, an international property company based in Australia to come up with the redevelopment plans.

Lend Lease was involved in the revival of Parkway Parade in Singapore after acquiring it from Parkway Holdings in 2000.

The China Square facelift may involve converting a small amount of its 260,000 square feet of office space for retail use.

This is despite strong demand having kept China Square's office space at full occupancy at improved lease terms, said Mr McGrath.

Allco Reit, which was listed in March, was the first Reit on the Singapore Exchange to hold a mix of Australian and Singapore properties.

Its initial property portfolio consisted of China Square in Singapore and Central Park in Perth. In June, it announced the acquisition of 55 Market Street.

Yesterday, Allco Reit units closed unchanged at 85.5 cents. - TODAY/fa

Copyright © 2006 MCN International Pte Ltd

ANyone knows what this used to be?

http://i16.tinypic.com/6c6iloh.jpg

ANyone knows what this used to be?

http://i16.tinypic.com/6c6iloh.jpg

It's still occupied by Ying Fo Fui Kun, it's a clan association :)

ok...I kinda confused it with the temple next door.

Allco REIT gets go-ahead to build hotel at China Square Central

30 June 08

SINGAPORE : Allco Commercial REIT has been given the green light to build a 10-storey hotel with about 350 rooms at China Square Central.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has granted Allco REIT permission to add 16,000 square metres of gross floor area to the development in the central business district.

The development currently consists of a 15-storey office block and 38 conservation shop house units.

Allco REIT has also been granted permission to convert some existing car parks into office space.

The URA approval is valid for six months starting from the end of June.

New-look China Sq

5 Jun 09

Landlord hopes more pubs, better shops will draw after-office crowd

http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20090605/twchina1.jpg

http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20090605/twchina.jpg

OFFICE workers in the business district can look forward to another after-work watering hole, with the $2 million revamp of China Square Central.
Landlord Straits Trading is promising, by year-end, an upmarket complex featuring more bars, live music pubs and shops, in the vein of Shanghai's famed lifestyle complex Xintiandi.

The latter is known for its hip mix of shops, restaurants and bars - all housed in converted old housing blocks called shikumen.

Bounded by Cross Street, China Street and South Bridge Road, the seven-year-old China Square Central consists of clusters of conserved shophouses and a 15-storey office block.

These now house a mix of mid-priced eateries, toy shops and budget-clothing stores spread over 100,000 sq ft of retail space. The tenants include Japanese restaurant chain Sushi Tei, coffee joint Spinelli's and Cold Storage supermarket.

Straits Trading hopes to jazz things up by getting entertainment outlets to make up a third of the tenants, roping in more brand-name retailers and upgrading the walkways and fountain square.

Planned crowd-pullers include charity events, flea markets and night movie screenings.

Straits Trading's executive vice-president Eric Teng said: 'It has old-world charm but also a modern-day feel. There is a lot of potential here.'

The revamp of China Square Central treads a path well-worn by other downtown conservation areas turned watering holes, such as Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Far East Square.

Mr Teng, however, is confident the complex will stand out.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_386281.html

Thats great news. I love Xintiandi area. Great mix of tenants and people. They even have their own website. http://www.xintiandi.com/ Although of course, I do not think by being just a watering hole can pull in the crowds. They is already a heavy clustered of that around the area. Tanjong Pagar, Clarke Quay, Robertson Quay, Boat Quay and Far East Square. A more mixture of Hotel, Retail, Bars, Pubs, Restaurants as well as artist enclave where there could be a freedom of creativity could perhaps enlightened China Square central.