By Lynn Ng
A 1.77 ha land parcel at Balestier Road, which is slated for hotel development with a maximum permissible gross floor area (GFA) of about 40,000 sqm, was released for sale by the URA on 31 March 2008. At least 60% of the total GFA will be for hotel and hotel-related uses, while the remaining GFA can be for complementary commercial and residential uses.
Vintage and modern inspirations
With excellent frontage along Balestier Road, the land parcel is also located in a spot with rich historical significance. It is a stone’s throw away from the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, a national monument and heritage centre that pays tribute to Dr Sun Yat Sen who led the Chinese Revolution in 1911.
This sets the stage for a distinctive hotel development that is envisaged to be contemporary, but draws inspiration from the Chinese culture and architecture of symmetry and geometric forms. Interspersing landscaped gardens and courtyards will further enhance the development’s overall attractiveness.
Nestled in a garden setting
Another unique aspect of the future hotel development is a 0.46 ha park which will be creatively weaved into its overall design. The park will be named “Zhongshan Park” and the developer will be able to capitalise on this feature to create a unique garden setting for the hotel and enhance the experience for hotel guests and visitors to the Memorial Hall.
The developer will also be required to provide a public event space within the park to serve as a venue for the staging of community events and activities. This event space – together with possible outdoor refreshment areas and tea pavilions which can be built – will help to inject greater vibrancy into the park and its surroundings.
Priorities in design
This hotel site is one of the two that will be launched for sale under confirmed list in the Government Land Sales Programme for the first half of 2008. The selection of the successful tenderers will be based on the bid prices when the tender closes on 16 July 2008.
Given that the site will be home to a key development in the area, the development proposal will be reviewed by a Design Advisory Panel to ensure a compelling project of appropriate design quality and standard.
Preserving the charm of a well-loved place
Balestier Road boasts a unique blend of old and new. The juxtaposition of heritage shophouses from the 1800s and new buildings tells of its significant past and vibrant present. In recognition of its strong heritage value and distinctive old world charm, Balestier was designated as one of Singapore’s Identity Nodes in URA’s Identity Plan in 2002. The area is also a food paradise, with stalls tucked away in shophouses serving familiar favourites such as Tau Sar Pia and Bak Kut Teh. To enable visitors to enjoy their walking experience in the area, URA has plans to improve the neighbourhood’s walkways and landscaping.
Article taken from URA Skyline, a bi-monthly newsletter (mar-apr 08) - http://greenhousedc.net/skylinemar08/text/06.htm
I hope the government will make this portion of Balestier a Hangzhou #2 - Singapore style. How about having a tau sar pia in one of the tea pavilions?
Map of the proposed hotel site in Balestier
