The Tanjong Katong Complex is a four-storey low profile building flanked by four enormous drums at the corners and marked by vertical slit windows, angled fins and horizontal sun- breakers. Its shape is said to take on the mantle of the space epics which evokes images of popular cinema at the time: Star Trek,Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars.

 

In addition, its simple elements like slit windows and concrete fins create a sense of dynamism. Ultimately, it has a down-to-earth combination of form and design features, ensuring that there are no extraneous features- each fin and slit window contributes to the OTTV (Overall Thermal Transfer Value) requirement of 45W/sq m; each south-facing curved shell skylight above the central atrium admitting light while cutting out the glare. The drums at its corners, not without functional purpose, create an exterior which is both striking and peculiar to this complex, which has 3-road frontages.

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Rectangular block with drums at each corner

 

 

Despite the fins in the exterior structure and narrow slit windows, the transparency usually associated with shopping centre facades is not removed as the angling of the fins would allow visibility through to the upper floors from the perspective at ground level. Meanwhile, the main frontage of the shops face inwards, towards the atrium. Yet, the use of glass to emphasize the use of the outside frontage to store boxes of goods, as seen in other medium- sized shopping centres, is avoided due to its reflective nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angled concrete fins

 

 

 

In the vicinity of the Tanjong Katong Complex lie modern shopping malls which were mostly built in the 21st century, such as the Paya Lebar Square, Singpost Centre and OneKm. These malls, all with similar interior layout, reflect the modern shopping concept, catering to the current tastes in shopping mall design. Consisting of multiple floors, these malls feature spacious interior atriums, allowing for an unobstructed view of the floors above. These malls house leading brands and outlets in fashion, dining and entertainment, thus catering to the general public. Such brands, including Uniqlo, H&M and Daiso, are now the staples of a typical mall.

 

Unlike Tanjong Katong Complex, where the shops are arranged in terrace configuration, the shops on the higher floors in these malls are arranged in the periphery of the mall, allowing shoppers on the walkway to have a general view of the floors above and below on one side, and view the shops up close on the other. Unlike the Tanjong Katong complex which was built by the Housing Development board, these malls are built by corporations like UOL and Capitaland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interior atriums of OneKM (left) and SingPost Centre (right)


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SingPost Centre

 

SingPost Centre, owned by Singapore Post and managed by CapitaLand, is the new lifestyle destination in the east of Singapore, is launched in 2017 after two years of redevelopment.SingPost Centre ambitiously aims to enable next generation retail in Singapore by housing the country’s General Post Office, the flagship of a new Smart Post Office network, and tenants offering a digital shopping experience.

 

Conveniently located next to the Paya Lebar MRT interchange station, it is situated in the middle of Paya Lebar Central, a major commercial hub under the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s master plan. The five-storey mall from Basement 1 to Level 4 has doubled the gross retail floor area to 269,000 square feet. In all, SingPost Centre houses up to 130 stores over a net lettable area of a whopping 178,000 sq ft.

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Tanjong Katong Complex shares a similar concept as it combines a variety of commodities and services alike under one roof all while boasting more than 170 shops. Contrastingly, the mall comprises of four floors entirely located above ground.

 

Despite being located in the heart of the Katong/Geylang Serai area, its distance from the MRT station places it at a disadvantage as compared to the newer malls. It is also obstructed by ongoing constructions near the station, making it harder to reach without an extended detour. Housing several stores that have been around for decades, the mall seems to been left behind by the times as newer trendy stores do not opt to set up shop within its walls.   

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Paya Lebar Square

 

Housing 556 office units and 159 shops over 159,000 square feet, Paya Lebar Square is a 13-storey building with the first three floors designated to the shops.  Like the other modern shopping centres, it has the basic staples of a food court and popular outlets like Toast Box and Gong Cha, becoming the one-stop hub of Paya Lebar Central.

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Unlike Paya Lebar Square, the definition of one-stop shop for Tanjong Katong Complex does not comprise of food outlets with a possible reason of its close proximity to a hawker centre further down the road. A similarity would be the presence of non-retail shops on the higher floors of the shopping centres. For Tanjong Katong Complex, the highest floor houses offices such as Second Chance Properties and Cushman & Wakefield Management Office as well as tuition centres and agencies for domestic helpers. Both malls also house a Giant supermarket, increasing the malls’ conveniency.

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OneKM

 

OneKM, by UOL Group, was opened in 2014, featuring a host of anchor tenants such as Uniqlo, Cold Storage, Popular and Harvey Norman. A 3-storey retail mall with one basement level and 244 residential units above, OneKM has a potential office catchment of 10,000 and 429 residential apartments. The shops in OneKM are a specially curated mix consisting of unique cafes and family restaurants, a food emporium, contemporary supermarket, enrichment schools with programmes for all ages, and beauty centres. It is located directly across from Tanjong Katong complex, along Geylang Road.

Located right across Tanjong Katong Complex, the difference between the modernity of both locations is stark. Marketed as a Mall + More, the flashy exterior of OneKM that lights up at night overshadows the dull complex. Housing a variety of household names and retail franchises, the attraction of OneKM supersedes that of the complex as well. The interior of OneKM also includes an atrium feature. Traditionally a Roman feature, an atrium draws the public towards this large open space. However unlike Tanjong Katong Complex, which has an atrium located to its entrance to draw customers in, OneKM has its atrium situated in the middle of the mall. Yet both features similar functions of presenting attractive material to promote the sales and activity within the mall.

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References:

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Geylang Planning Area: Planning Report 1994. (1994). Singapore: Urban Redevelopment Authority.

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The New Tanjong Katong Complex: Is the HDB changing its role? (1980, December). Southeast Asian Building Materials and Equipment, 43-47.

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[Interior atrium of OneKM]. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2018, from http://www.saagroup.com/project/one-km-katong-regency/

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[Interior atrium of Singpost Centre]. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2018, from https://www.capitaland.com/sg/en/lease/mall-listing/singpost-centre.html

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SingPost Centre, the new one-stop lifestyle destination in Singapore’s east is launched today. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2018, from https://www.singpost.com/about-us/news-releases/singpost-centre-new-one-stop-lifestyle-destination-singapore’s-east-launched-today

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Retail Leasing OneKM Mall. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2018, from http://www.savills.com.sg/property-showcase-pdfs/onekm.pdf

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Paya Lebar Square. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2018, from https://www.paya-lebar-square.sg/