The owners of the various units in Golden Mile Complex have spoken.

724 owners of 550 units, or over 80 percent of the owners, according to The Straits Times have signed the agreement for Golden Mile Complex to go en bloc.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="760"] Source: cavinteo.blogspot.com[/caption]

This means that the building will be demolished to make way for whatever the land's new owners want to develop.

Curtain call for an 'architectural & cultural marvel'

Golden Mile's distinct architecture is part of the Brutalist architectural style -- a style that it shares with People's Park Complex and Shaw Tower, and was highly popular from the 1950s to 1970s.

Originating from the French term béton brut which translates into “rough concrete”, Brutalist architecture is defined by often having exposed concrete, a lack of fancy ornamentation, and an emphasis on mixed use (for example, having residential and shopping facilities in one building).

It was designed by Gan Eng Oon, William Lim and Tay Kheng Soon of DP Architects, formerly Design Partnership.

In 2017, YouTube channel Techno Gadgets made a short documentary video on Golden Mile, calling it an "architectural and cultural marvel".

Colourful history

Golden Mile Complex was first built in 1973 and has an estimated 400 shops, 220 offices and almost 70 residential units.

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The residential units were "luxurious flats and penthouses" that were meant to boast seafront views prior to land reclamation extending the shoreline further out.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="760"] Source: stateofbuildings.sg[/caption]

Over time however, it fell into disrepute and became known for attracting drug users, drunks and prostitutes. Poor maintenance also gave its toilets the dubious reputation of being the filthiest in the country.

In 2006, Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Ivan Png called Golden Mile a “vertical slum” and “national disgrace”.

At the same time, the building also came to be known as a kind of "Little Thailand", especially in the 1980s, as many of the Thai foreign construction workers liked to gather there.

Accordingly, it led to the emergence of Thai food and beverage outlets, and retail shops and also multiple Thai discos.

The building also had a reputation as a favoured hangout for some members of the LGBT community  during the 2000s.

However, a man did get arrested in 2010, in what was reported as a “glory hole sex act” by The New Paper.

An anonymous resident featured in Techno Gadgets' documentary noted however, that in recent years, there aren’t as many Thai foreign workers at Golden Mile compared to the past and more Singaporeans visit the place now than Thais.

Oh and John Lennon from the Beatles visited it in 1976 to go shopping.

Gone for good once there is a buyer

In any case, as consultant and unit owner Alan Lim, 72, who has been working at Golden Mile for decades stated to The Straits Times, "Older owners here want to retire and young speculators want the cash from the en-bloc sale."

Once the building is sold, "it will be the end of a landmark," adds ZACD Group executive director Nicholas Mak.

Unsurprisingly, the impending demolition has stirred a few projects focusing on heritage.

A series of talks and forums to raise awareness about the importance of these heritage landmarks is being rolled out.

There is En Bloc, or Buildings Must Die -- an upcoming series of programmes that frames conservation as part of a larger, complex conversation about heritage. It is organised by the Singapore Heritage Society and the Substation.

There is also "Before it All Goes: Architecture from Singapore's Early Independent Years" -- an exhibition and book launch by landscape and photographer Darren Soh which includes Golden Mile Complex among the eight sites featured.

Both programmes will be launched on Aug 21.

Top image from Golden Mile Complex