5 S’pore Shopping Malls That Were Built Before You Were Born

Last Updated on 2022-07-22 , 4:02 pm

With so many shopping malls popping up all over the country, it is easy to forget some of the older, less glamorous shopping malls that were built decades ago.

Sure, newer malls have more facilities compared to these older malls (like…free WiFi!!!) but these malls were places where many memories of Singaporeans were made and are still attractive in their own right.

Also, malls built in the 70s; doesn’t that scream “Instagram”?

Tanglin Shopping Centre (1971)

What used to be a luxury mall has now transformed into a mall filled with stores selling old Chinese artefacts, Southeast Asian and Japanese textiles. Tanglin Shopping Centre was and still is a culturally rich mall that reflects how Singapore used to be in the 1970s.

Located in Orchard, it’s a surprise that this mall has not been redeveloped, given how atas (and high-tech) Orchard is nowadays.

Peninsula Shopping Centre (1971)

The land that now sits Peninsula Shopping Centre used to house a high-end luxury hotel back in 1865. Sir Stamford Raffles’ advisor, George Coleman built his house here and after he left Singapore, his old residence was converted into the high-end hotel as previously mentioned. However, after the second World War, the state of the building deteriorated severely and was eventually demolished with the current Peninsula Shopping Centre built in its place in 1971.

This mall is now one of the best places to shop for affordable sportswear and it is also littered with various music and photography stores, as well as tailor shops.

Golden Mile Complex (1972)

What we now know as Little Thailand used to be Singapore’s first commercial-residential projects where offices, residences, and shops congregated in one building. Despite its old-fashioned design, Golden Mile Complex actually won quite a few architectural awards back in its prime when it was known as Woh Hup Complex.

Other than being Little Thailand, this place is also packed with Singaporeans and Malaysians waiting for their buses to various cities in Malaysia.

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People’s Park Complex (1973)

Although it may not seem like much, the 31 floors high People’s Park Complex used to be the biggest shopping complex back in 1973 when it was built, consisting of 6 levels of retail stores and a 25-level residential block.

Now, all we know of this place is the famous money charger with great rates, cheap electronic goods, and plenty of flyer distributors loitering about the entrance of the building.

Katong Shopping Centre (1973)

Despite its humble exterior, Katong Shopping Centre was the first ever air-conditioned mall to ever be built in Singapore. In the past, the shopping centre used to be filled with textiles, footwear, and food stores but now, tailor, photocopying, and various employment agencies have taken over.

The developer of Katong Shopping Centre have also undergone en bloc sales twice since 2010 but has yet to be redeveloped.

Featured Image: Wikipedia + Foursquare