The future of the former Golden Mile Complex has been revealed by Perennial Holdings and Far East Organization during a press conference on Dec 10. The joint development partners unveiled their plans for the preserved conservation building, now known as The Golden Mile, and announced the preview of the strata-titled commercial units.
The entire development, named Golden Mile Singapore, will be Singapore’s first large-scale strata-titled conserved building, maintaining its iconic identity as a tropical linear urban complex with brutalist architecture.
The revamped Golden Mile will consist of 156 Grade A office units, 19 medical suites, a two-storey retail component spanning 123,388 sq ft, and a public access architecture centre.
The development, designed by homegrown architecture firm DP Architects and conservation specialists Studio Lapis, aims to recapture the vibrancy and eclectic retail mix that defined Golden Mile Complex in its heyday. The refreshed Golden Mile Singapore will also feature two new public access urban gardens on the 9th and 18th floors.
The office units and medical suites will be available for sale this month, with indicative pricing yet to be released. Additionally, a new 45-storey residential tower named Aurea will be built on the site of the former residential carpark and is set to be previewed next quarter.
Perennial Holdings CEO Pua Seck Guan reminisced about the original Golden Mile Complex as a mixed-use development with a bustling retail scene in the 1970s. However, as the ownership of the strata-titled units changed hands over the years, the building’s identity as a prime mixed-use development faded.
Perennial Holdings and Far East Organization are determined to revive the building’s status as a next-generation urban complex in Singapore, in partnership with the government’s Community/Sport’s Facilities Scheme. As part of the project, 24,994 sq ft will be given back to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) for the establishment of an architecture centre.
The retail component at Golden Mile Singapore has been reduced from 40% to 15% of the strata area, with offices taking up 48%, 30% allocated for residential use, and the remaining space for the new medical suites and architecture centre. The joint venture partners will retain and curate the retail spaces, which will not be available for sale.
The offices at The Golden Mile will feature a revamped two-storey retail atrium, bringing back natural light and ventilation to the shopping experience. The new retail atrium will also include a new event space and F&B offerings, emulating the street shop-style retail experience that was characteristic of Golden Mile Complex in its early days.
The advertisement states that the partners aim to create an ecosystem of tenants from various industries and market segments. The office units, available in six different layouts, will cater to a wide variety of end-users. Flagship offices on the 4th to 7th floors will have a dedicated lift lobby and direct access to the basement carpark and retail floors. Loft Suites on the 4th floor and Loft Executive units on the 5th floor will feature full-height windows with views of Beach Road.
The Loft Mezzanine units on the 6th to 15th floors, located in the recognizable stacked terrace portion of the building, will enjoy bay views, a double-volume ceiling, and a balcony for natural ventilation and illumination. Each unit will also feature a dual-key design, a first for strata-titled commercial units in Singapore.
The upper office space, accessible via a staircase with a separate entrance or from the lower floor, will be formed by combining two former residential units to create a double volume ceiling of approximately 5.4m. The Enterprise Office units on the 16th and 17th floors, originally duplex penthouses, will offer panoramic views of the city and the bay. The newly built Crown Office units, situated on the top four floors, will range from 3,315 sq ft to 5,393 sq ft.
Perennial Holdings CEO Pua Seck Guan mentioned that the office units, particularly the Loft Mezzanine units, are expected to appeal to family offices, a segment seeing significant growth in Singapore. The joint venture partners aim to create a diverse and balanced mix of tenants from various industries and market segments.