http://img37.echo.cx/img37/7443/pano14bj.jpg
http://img37.echo.cx/img37/5728/pano22de.jpg

This is the only view I've got of the other direction cos the evil sales lady told me off when I took the pic.:D
http://img37.echo.cx/img37/8158/30be.jpg

enjoy(and save your money by not buying those crappy houses):)

actualy you didnt have to worry - she was worried you were talking pictures of the interior - so you could have just snapped away :)

It was so obvoius that I was pointing out the glass, yet she "EXCUSE ME?!"

evil evil evil woman...

Excellent views!!!!!!!:eek:

So lucky you......got such a good friend.......;)

These are amazing pics! :eek:

Crappy houses? Which house? Isnt High Street a commercial building?

Heres a pano by hyacinthus taken in February

http://img226.exs.cx/img226/3964/highpano5ys.jpg

Making an old unit as good as new again

28 Aug 05

Firm invested $7m in 37-year-old building in 2002; spent up to $3m on each of 5 floors it bought

By Melissa Sim

THE structure may be old, but the interior is as good as new.

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2005-08-28/22a.jpg

One Northbridge, which occupies the top five floors of High Street Centre in the Central Business District, is an example of a retrofitted development.

The 22 apartments which overlook The Esplanade, Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Fort Canning Hill range from 517 sq ft one-bedroom units to a 8,560 sq ft penthouse with a 360 degree view of the city.

The building has 63 years left in its 99-year lease.

Since they were put up for sale in April, 11 units on the 25th and 26th floors have been snapped up.

The penthouse on the 29th floor was sold by December last year.

The 28th and 27th floors are still under construction and will be ready only late next year.

At $750 per sq ft, the smallest units costs about $448,000 while the penthouse costs nearly $10 million.

The Goldhill Group of companies bought the five floors in the 37-year-old building for about $7 million in late 2002.

Planning took two years, and actual retrofitting began two months ago.

One Northbridge's project and design manager Pauline Goei said the developer spent between $2 million and $3 million to retrofit each floor, expanding the original four units to 11 units.

'We gutted out everything from the ceiling to the piping and decided to give the place a new modern contemporary look,' said Ms Goei.

The Goldhill Group, which has been concentrating its efforts on developments in Brisbane and Kuala Lumpur since the late 1980s, found this opportunity too good to miss.

'Land in Singapore is very expensive. So with the building already up, we could avoid land costs as well as cost incurred from construction of the building itself,' said Ms Goei.

'Without having to construct the building from scratch, we were able to obtain these undiscovered views of the city.'

Retrofitting, added Ms Goei, makes sound business sense in many instances.

'Where it takes at least three years to collect returns for a development constructed from scratch, retrofitted properties allow you to collect returns earlier,' she said.

She concedes, however, that there are some disadvantages. 'High Street Centre is a leasehold property so it has about 63 years left. From that aspect, we are slightly disadvantaged,' she said.

Meanwhile, Mrs Ong Choon Fah, executive director of property consultancy DTZ Debenham Tie Leung feels that many developers are not keen on retrofitting.

'When developers buy an old block of flats, they usually tear it down so that they can build up and get more units. The exception is when there is height control in the area and developers would rather keep the height and gut out the building instead of building a lower block of flats,' she said.

Another development which is being retrofitted is the Proximo in Robin Road, which is being developed by Hiap Hoe.

Ms Goei said: 'Mind you, retrofitting is not easy. Any developer will tell you that if one has to make a choice between building a new building as opposed to retrofitting, building is the way to go.

'If you're going to retrofit, location has to be good. At One Northbridge, the view is so spectacular, retrofitting was worth the effort.'

The condo occupies top 5 floors only? :(

yepp

Sorry but a little sidetrack into food... there is an eating place on the 3rd level of this building which serves fantastic Indian curry rice. Make sure you try it because the people working there line up for it everyday. I used to work nearby and also frequently join the queue. :eat:

LOL, good to know :-) I didn't enter this building since its refurbishment has been completed :-)

Some pics from up there taken a while back :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/hsv5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/hsv2.jpg\

Boat Quay

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/hsv6.jpg

Overlooking Fort Canning

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/hsv4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/hsv3.jpg

Clarke Quay

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

The perfect view?

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

Come to think of it, yes, it is a perfect view for fireworks!:d

Great pictures, and a really nice perspective :)

Singapore looks beautiful

Wow very nice.
Thanks for sharing

swee!!! :runaway:

good pics...
How tall the most dark bulding in second photo?( sorry i don´t know write english very well)

Would be better if the tinted windows can opened fully to get a brighter view.

Is Singapore a 1st world country, because it looks as it is.

Is Singapore a 1st world country, because it looks as it is.



When your taxi fleet consists of Mercedes Benzes, you know that you are in the upper crust of 1st world countries.

what an awesome views! :eek:

Singapore nice in the picture but in reality mmmmm... been there once

Would be better if the tinted windows can opened fully to get a brighter view.

Definitely. It is still possible (but risky) to stick out your camera though, especially if its small.

I wonder why awning windows...

good pics...
How tall the most dark bulding in second photo?( sorry i don´t know write english very well)

Thanks :)

Do you mean the brown building?

The brown building is 174m

It's still looking more like office space than residential, eh ? ;-)
Has it been sold/rented yet ?

Awning windows in residentials just dont make much sense to me, I don't like it :D

Well most floors in this building are for office commercial uses....i think the Sail@Marina also has these kinds of windows

Thanks :)

Do you mean the brown building?

The brown building is 174m

yes!!
thanks...

Wow, marina bay view.

Wish i lived in those penthouses great views of the city.

Is Singapore a 1st world country, because it looks as it is.

Are you kidding me? Singapore is a developed and wealthy country with per capita income matching those of France and UK.

beautiful views, great skyline

Spectacular!

The perfect view?

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

Wow ... this is definitely *the* front seat to watch fireworks. But looking at the angle toward the bay, this place can't possibly be a residential unit right?

wow. the views are amazing. thx for sharing the pics.

Why not? The residences take up the whole top 5 floors.

Go get a unit there and invite us over!:D

Wow beautiful!!

The most recent time I've been there was when I was 8..don't remember a THING!

I love "the Lion City".

Are you kidding me? Singapore is a developed and wealthy country with per capita income matching those of France and UK.

One question. Qatar and UAE are wealthy countries. And their GDP per capital exceed most of the western european countries.

Now, do you consider Qatar or UAE as a developed country?

singapore looks sexy ;)

Singapore nice in the picture but in reality mmmmm... been there once


Singapore is very safe with very little crime. Thr CBD looks clean and tidy.

World 2 World, would you elaborate as to why you were not impressed.
Poor areas? Boring? Too sanitized? too many rules?, etc.