Pearl Bank Apartments near Chinatown has been vacated.

Its last occupants left on Tuesday, April 30, 2019.

It's over

Singaporean photographer Darren Soh posted a photo of the emptied out horseshoe-shaped building at 11.37pm on the last day -- at the tail-end of April.

The photo has been shared more than 4,500 times.

Cleared out

Residents of the 38-storey building had until 5pm that day to clear out, leave their apartments, and surrender their keys to management.

The 43-year-old building was shut down literally as all units went pitch black -- save for one lit unit on the 28th floor.

Soh wrote in his post that the light came from the public toilet that supposedly operated on motion sensor.

But he reconsidered the idea as the building had to be empty by then.

The building has been around since 1976.

Photos over the years

Over the years, Soh has come back to shoot the building as it was clear its time was running out.

An album with 51 photos taken over the last five years can be viewed on Soh's Facebook album.

It included many perspective-altering photos:

Responses to photos

Commenters responded to the photos by requesting Soh for details about his camera and lenses equipment, as well as wallow in the nostalgia of the images.

According to Soh, the building will no longer be accessible to public after it has closed.

The interior is officially off-limits to the public.

The new developer, CapitaLand, is taking over and redeveloping the building.

The exact plans for the building have not been revealed, but there is a possibility only a token preservation of the building might be carried out.

Concept of Pearl Bank Apartments

Pearl Bank Apartments was the tallest residential building in 1976 when it first opened.

Its design was cutting edge at that time and remained so for decades.

But over time, the residences lost its lustre as many parts began to suffer from wear and tear.

It remained attractive for tenants seeking a central location to live in though.

Nostalgia was one of the main driving factors that saw some calling for the building's preservation.