Description of toilet steps of Level 5 in Ngee Ann City

During our orchard road trail, we interviewed Ms Poon, who works in Ngee Ann City. From our interview, we had found out that one of the major changes of Ngee Ann City was that the 5^th floor, which used to be a car-parking floor, had been converted into a floor that houses shops, eateries, and services. As a result, many things on that floor had to be rebuilt, and that caused some major changes to the floor’s aesthetic design.

One of the most obvious changes was the toilets on the 5^th floor. The 5^th floor’s toilets are very different from the rest of the toilets throughout Ngee Ann City.

Because the level was used for parking cars at that time, no drainage or sewage system was previously installed for that level. Therefore, every single one of the toilet cubicles had to have raised platforms for the drainage and sewage.

We found this fact very interesting as to us this was the most interesting change in a building we had seen on our Orchard Road Trail.

Source of Information: Ms Poon (our interviewee)

Killiney Kopitiam Research

History
A Hainanese coffee shop located at 67 Killiney Road, Killiney Kopitiam was established in late 1919 by a Hainanese family surnamed Foo and formerly known as Kheng Hoe Heng Coffeeshop . Back then, it was famous for its traditional charcoal-grilled white bread toast and well-brewed coffee and tea.
Description
Killiney Kopitiam is a traditional Hainanese coffee shop franchise in Singapore. It is popular for its bread toast and fresh kaya, produced daily in the shop as an assurance of quality and freshness to customers. Kaya toast and French toast are its signature offerings. The menu was extended in 1998 to include an all-day menu of local dishes like laksa, chicken curry, mee siam and mee rebus, in addition to its breakfast favourites of bread, coffee, tea and soft-boiled eggs.
Killiney Kopitiam offers a selection of food pastes to enable customers to enjoy their favourite Killiney dishes at home, such as laksa, curry, mee rebus, mee siam and lontong. The shop also sells Killiney Kaya. Only natural ingredients are used to make this coconut jam– eggs with larger yolks, freshly squeezed coconut milk, fresh pandan leaves and white sugar.
Preserving heritage, re-branding a traditional trade
One regular customer of Killiney Kopitiam for over 15 years was Woon Tek Seng, vice-chairman of Ong Tradition Singapore, a firm of international money brokers. A Hainanese himself, Ong wanted to preserve the Hainanese culture and bought over the shop from its retiring owners for $600,000 in late 1992 when he was 43 years old, giving up his broking company as a consequence. In 1993, he renamed the coffee shop and spent $60,000 on its renovation.
Three key Hainanese staff from the original shop stayed on and assisted him, passing on their skills in producing quality kaya (a jam made from eggs, coconut milk, sugar and pandan leaves), bread toast, coffee and tea. While Killiney Kopitiam no longer roasts its own coffee beans or makes its own bread, it continues to produce kaya and offers thick, charcoal-grilled white bread toast.
In 1998, Woon opened a second branch in Siglap, mainly to create jobs for his friends and ex-staff who were unemployed. The first Killiney franchise was opened in March 2001 in Serangoon Gardens. That same year, Woon opened Killiney’s first overseas branch in Kuala Lumpur.
On June 27 2004, Killiney Kopitiam collaborated with a non-profit volunteer welfare organisation, Teen Challenge, to open a Killiney Kopitiam franchise run entirely by ex-offenders at Tampines Changkat Community Centre. Woon waived the $30,000 franchise fee and offered a month of training in cooking and customer service to eight former drug offenders. The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports also lent support to the franchise by injecting $100,000 of capital from the ComCare Enterprise Fund. After three years, it closed with a loss of more than $100,000.
Over the past few years, Killiney Kopitiam has clinched several national distinctions. It was one of 16 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to be awarded with the Heritage Brand Award by the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) in November 2006. This accolade recognises local enterprises that have preserved heritage and tradition through their branding and evolved with the times. In addition, the 67 Killiney Road branch was listed in the Singapore Book of Records 2008 as being the “Oldest Existing Hainanese Coffeeshop”.
In recognition of his entrepreneurial spirit, Woon, the managing director of Killiney Kopitiam, was a recipient of the Spirit of Enterprise (SOE) Awards held on 23rd October 2006. In 2001, Killiney Kopitiam ventured overseas, and now has outlets in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Coping with crisis
During the bird flu outbreak in 2004, business at Killiney Kopitiam dropped by 40 percent. Singapore imposed a six-week ban on Malaysian poultry imports on 18 August, prompting Killiney Kopitiam’s 14 branches to take soft-boiled eggs off the menu during this period, and reserve its egg supply for producing kaya. However, it continued to offer French toast as liquefied eggs from Australia were used instead. For its curry chicken dish, it had to make use of frozen chickens, which cost ten percent more than fresh ones.
While Killiney Kopitiam typically used up to 4,000 fresh eggs daily, they received less than half their supply during the bird flu outbreak when egg prices spiked from 12 to 45 cents. After the ban was lifted, Killiney Kopitiam absorbed the price hike.

Timeline
Late 1919 : Killiney Kopitiam, formerly known as Kheng Hoe Heng Coffeeshop, opened on 67 Killiney Road.
Late 1992 : Woon Tek Seng, bought over, renamed and renovated the coffee shop.
1998 : Killiney Kopitiam opens its second branch in Siglap.
March 2001 : Killiney Kopitiam opens its first franchise in Serangoon Gardens.
2001 : The Killiney Kopitiam brand goes overseas with its first outlet in Kuala Lumpur.
27 June 2004 : Killiney Kopitiam partners Teen Challenge, a non-profit organisation, to open a franchise at  Tampines Changkat Community Centre run entirely by former drug addicts.
18 August 2004 : The six-week ban on Malaysian poultry imports prompts Killiney Kopitiam to drop soft-boiled eggs from the menu temporarily.
23 October 2006 : Woon Tek Seng was a winner in the Spirit of Enterprise (SOE) Awards for his entrepreneurial spirit in building up Killiney Kopitiam.
November 2006 : Killiney Kopitiam receives the Heritage Brand Award from the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME).
2007 : Killiney Kopitiam franchise at Tampines Changkat Community Centre closes with a loss of over $100,000.
2008 : 67 Killiney Road branch is listed in the Singapore Book of Records 2008 as being the oldest existing “Hainaniese coffeeshop”

http://wikitravel.org/en/Singapore/Orchard http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1620_2009-12-23.html http://www.killiney-kopitiam.com/coprofile.html

TANGS Research

History

Tangs, founded in 1932 by Tang Choon Keng, is one of Singapore's oldest surviving departmental stores. It is also one of the earliest retail occupants in Orchard Road, Singapore's premier shopping district. Its flagship store with its distinctive green-tiled Chinese roof is a familiar landmark to shoppers and tourists.

House of Tang at Orchard Road

After the war, Tang saw that the time was ripe for expansion. The chance came when the Manasseh family decided to sell their land at No. 2 and 4 Scotts Road. During that time, many Jewish families were returning to the newly formed Israeli state and were disposing their properties at low prices. So in 1958, Tang bought a 1,351 square metres piece of land at a cost of $3.45 per square foot, at 310 Orchard Road which he built the third House of Tang at a cost of $200,000. When Tang first acquired the land, many decried the inauspicious location because the site faced the Tai San Ting cemetery. Orchard Road was also an isolated and quiet neighbourhood then. However Tang recognised the potential of the location. Residents living in Tanglin and Holland Road, and Malaysians from Johor Baru, had to drive pass his store in order to get to the city centre. The new House of Tang had a distinctive architecture. Its green-tiled roof with upturned corners and red columnades were modeled after the Chinese pavilions and palaces which Tang saw during his visit to Beijing.

Renamed to C. K. Tang

In 1960-61, the House of Tang closed briefly due to a disagreement with the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers' Union. The dismissal of an employee had triggered a series of events which led to the staging of two strikes. The matter finally came to a close when the House of Tang went into voluntary liquidation. The store reopened the next year as C.K. Tang.

Tangs and Dynasty Hotel

In 1975, Tang decided to pull down the old building and to construct a 33-storey hotel and a shopping complex in its place. The new building retained the store's signature green-tiled Chinese roof. The Dynasty Hotel (later sold to Marriott and renamed to Marriott Hotel in 1995) and the new shopping complex opened in June 1982. The new store, with its name now shortened to Tangs, was well-received by shoppers.

Timeline:

1932: CK Tang founded Tangs

1958: House of Tang was constructed at 310 orchard road

1960-1961: House of Tangs closed briefly and reopened as C.K. Tangs

1975: C.K. Tangs was pulled down and reconstructed as a hotel and shopping complex now commonly known as Dynasty hotel and Tangs respectively.

 www.dev.timeoutsingapore.com

http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1170_2009-03-11.html

Ngee Ann City Research

Ngee Ann City is presently known as “Taka” to locals, after its more well-known anchor tenant, Takashimaya. Therefore, some people may have heard of Takashimaya but have no idea what in the world is Ngee Ann City.

History

Ngee Ann City is built on burial ground, part of a parcel of land which used to be Tai Shan Ting which was managed and owned by the Ngee Ann Kongsi in the 1950s. Ngee Ann Kongsi is an organisation that protects the interests of the Teo Chews in Singapore. Ngee Ann City’s building design is inspired by the Great Wall of China, however there are rumours that Ngee Ann City was built to resemble a tombstone to appease the “spirits of the dead” since it was built on burial ground.

Development of Ngee Ann City

The piece of land Ngee Ann City is built on a pice of land which was much sought-after in the past. It was sought after by Far East Organisation and even Hilton International Hotel. Ngee  Ann City was one of the many projects to revamp orchard road which once used to be a plantation of nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchards from the 1800s. The construction of the complex cost S$520 million and took four years to complete. It was officially opened by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 21^st September 1993.

Building Design

Ngee Ann City’s building design is inspired by the Great Wall of China, however there are rumours that Ngee Ann City was built to resemble a tombstone to appease the “spirits of the dead” since it was built on burial ground. The two towers of Ngee Ann City were intended to represent Chinese door Gods to

Represent strength, generousity and unity. The building is also now connected to underpasses of other buildings and malls in the area to provide convenience to shoppers.

 Orchard Road Timeline

1830s – Known for its Nutmeg, pepper and fruit plantations.

1840s- Houses started to appear around Orchard Road

End of the 1840s- Graveyards started to appear.

1860s- Many private houses were at Orchard Road.

1900s- Commercial development of Orchard Road started when the first Cold Storage was established there.

1950s- Tangs was opened.

1970s- The first multi-story mall was opened following more and more development projects.

2005- Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that there would be even more development at Orchard Road to create more fun in the district and to keep up with the vibrant cities in the region.

2009- Government spent S$40 million to upgrade infrastructure at Orchard Road.

Credits:

http://www.orchardroad.sg/about/past.php

http://www.ngeeann.com.sg/webtop/

The Cathay Research

-          Originally opened in 1939 as Cathay Building.

-          In 2000, it closed for redevelopment and reopened as The Cathay in March 2006.

-         Located at the foot of Mount Sophia

-         Once the tallest building in Singapore.

-         Used to house the popular Cathay Cinema as well as the famous Cathay Hotel and Cathay Restaurant.

-          The cinema was opened in 1939 while the main tower was completed in 1941.

-          16-storey building

-           Was the tallest building in Singapore until the Asia Insurance Building was completed in 1954.

History of land:

-          Land once stood a Victorian-style building which the family of prominent businessman Teo Hoo Lye lived.

-          Louis Molteni's bakery and confectionary occupied the ground floor.

-          This building stood for more than 40 years before it was demolished in 1934. The property was purchased by the family of the late Loke Yew in 1937 and the land cleared for the construction of Cathay Building.

Timeline:

1934: Victorian style building was demolished

1937: purchased by family of Loke Yew, land cleared for construction of Cathay Building

1939: Cathay Building opened (however only the cinema was fully completed)

1941: main tower completed

2000: Cathay Building closed for redevelopment

2006: reopened as The Cathay in March

MacDonald House Research

-          Located a short distance from the Istana

-          Located at Orchard Road in the Museum Planning Area, within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district

-          Before it was vacated in the early 2000s, the building housed HSBC on the first few floors of the building.

-          Last remaining office building in facing brick in the central area.

-          Completed in 1949 and designed by Reginal Eyre of the architectural firm Palmer and Turner.

-          One of the first high-rise buildings in Orchard Road.

-          First large office building of the post-war era.

-          Was officially opened on 2 July 1949 by Malcolm MacDonald, British Commissioner-General for Southeast Asia from 1948 to 1955.

-          The bomb explosion occurred during the period of Indonesian Confrontation on 20 January 1963, eight days after Singapore's incorporation into the new Federation of Malaysia.

Timeline:

Before early 2000s: building housed HSBC

1949: MacDonald House was completed

        : Officially opened on 2 July by Malcolm MacDonald

1963: bomb explosion occurred

Shaw House Research

1958 – Lido Cinema was built as a 10-storey building

·        Officially opened by Lin Yew Hock on 22 November

1980s – Old Lido Cinema torn down, and turn into a 21-storey building

·        Shaw Organisation’s latest project to date