Ngee Ann City, Singapore
Copyright © Timothy Tye.
Ngee Ann City
Orchard Road
Ngee Ann City is a massive commercial and civic development at the heart of the shopping belt of Orchard Road in Singapore. Costing S$520 million to construct, Ngee Ann City has a gross floor area of approximately 1.75 million sq feet.
Ngee Ann City takes the name from Ngee Ann Kongsi, the Teochew clan association that owned the land on which it is situated. The project was proposed as early as 1967, but it only got under way 22 years later. The delay was partly due to the dispute between Ngee Ann Kongsi and the Metro Group which acquired the redevelopment rights.
It was opened on 21 September 1993 by then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Goh Chok Tong. I explored Ngee Ann City and am documenting it as one of the shopping malls of Asia.
Ngee Ann City brings together the architecture of the East and West. The exterior façade is almost socialistic in appearance, reminiscent of structures in communist China or Russia. Inside however, is an unabashed haven of commercialism, housing some of the most upmarket retail outlets in Singapore.
The anchor tenant at Ngee Ann City is Takashimaya Department Store, which occupies 35,000 square metres of retail space. Another Japanese-based outlet, Books Kinokuniya, has Asia's largest bookstore in Ngee Ann City. Best Denki, a Japanese electronics retailer, is also found at Ngee Ann City. In addition, there are about 130 specialty stores from renowned brands such as Hugo Boss, Christian Dior, A|X Armani Exchange, cK Calvin Klein, to name a few.
In addition to the retail space, Ngee Ann City affords an expansive event area. The Takashimaya Square is where fairs and promotions take place. The Civic Plaza outside provides another venue for events, with capacity of holding over 3000 people.
