Launched on 29 May 2004,[1] The Pinnacle@Duxton is the tallest public-housing project in Singapore and also one of the priciest. The project is situated at the 25,163-square-metre Duxton Plain on Cantonment Road, the site where the Housing and Development Board (HDB) constructed the first two Tanjong Pagar rental blocks in 1963.[2]
The Pinnacle@Duxton consists of seven 50-storey blocks comprising 1,848 flats. Among its unique features are 12 steel sky bridges that link all seven blocks on the 26th and 50th storeys, forming a continuous sky garden, as well as an 800-metre jogging track on the 26th floor.[3]
Then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew announced at the Tanjong Pagar GRC National Day observance ceremony on 4 August 2001 that Duxton Plain had been earmarked for estate renewal as part of an island-wide strategy to revitalise aged sections of the city centre. He added that the original two 10-storey rental blocks at Duxton Plain would be demolished, the area redeveloped at a cost of S$247 million and 50-storey blocks housing up to 1,800 flats be built. Targeted for completion in 2007, the finished flats would be allocated by a balloting system, with priority given to former Duxton Plain tenants, children of Tanjong Pagar residents, grassroots leaders of Tanjong Pagar GRC as well as first-time housing applicants.[4]
An international architectural design competition – the first for a public-housing project in Singapore – was launched on 8 August 2001 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority to select the best design for the inaugural 50-storey blocks.[5] The design brief called for the flats’ design to be affordable and easy to maintain, able to “preserve the memory of the Duxton Plain site” and “relate to the adjoining Duxton Plain Park”, which would feature a light sculpture and two plaques. The project also had to accommodate two trees planted by Lee in the 1980s when he was prime minister. Additional requirements included rooftop and mid-level gardens, better visibility of the Tanjong Pagar Community Centre from Cantonment Road, and a mix of four- and five-room flats.[6]
The design by Singapore firm ARC Studio Architecture + Urbanism was selected as the winner on 30 April 2002 from more than 200 entries. The design won over the local and international panel of judges with its optimal use of the 2.5-hectare (25,000 sq m) location as well as economically priced flats with flexible interiors to cater for room expansion and space conversion.[7]
In phase one of the launch on 29 May 2004, a total of 528 units in two blocks were offered for selection, with two flat types available: S1 (93–97 sq m) priced between S$289,200 and S$380,900 and S2 (105–108 sq m) ranging between S$345,100 and S$439,400.[8] The HDB then offered all the 1,848 flats for public application after an astounding 3,149 applications were received during the initial launch.[9]
The award-winning design; sky gardens; central locale; and convenient access to the Tanjong Pagar and Outram MRT stations, restaurants and supermarkets; as well as flexible layouts were factors that contributed to the Pinnacle’s immense appeal for prospective homeowners, in particular, young families and young urban professionals.[10]
By the close of the launch in July 2004, close to 5,000 applications – more than double the number of flats available – were received by the HDB, enabling it to call for contractor bids for the construction of the Pinnacle under the built-to-order scheme.[11]
References
1. Pinnacle@Duxton. (2014). About the Pinnacle@Duxton. Retrieved August 25, 2014, from The Pinnacle@Duxton website: http://www.pinnacleduxton.com.sg/about.php#unique
2. Leong, W. K. (2009, December 14). Going up together. Today, p. 1; Sim, A. (2001, August 18). Moving up to the 50th storey. The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
3. Today, 14 Dec 2009, p. 1.
4. Lim, L. (2001, August 5). Fifty-storey HDB blocks for Tanjong Pagar. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; The Straits Times, 18 Aug, 2001, p. 6.
5. Competition to build 50-storey flats. (2001, August 8). Today, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
6. Lim, L. (2001, August 8). Duxton Plain contest a first in public housing. The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; The Straits Times, 18 Aug, 2001, p. 6; Lim, L. (2002, May 1). This is the future of Singapore's public housing. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
7. The Straits Times, 1 May 2002, p. 1; Sim, A. (2002, May 11). Duxton flats get muted debate. The Straits Times, p. 9. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
8. Chia, T.-C. (2004, May 22). Pinnacle@Duxton showroom ready soon. The Business Times, p. 9; In short. (2004, June 5). The Straits Times, p. 10. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
9. Tan, K. (2004, June 19). Pinnacle@Duxton – one of a kind. Today, p. 18. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
10. Today, 19 Jun 2004, p. 18.
11. 80% booked, so HDB to call for Pinnacle tender. (2004, September 15). The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
The information in this article is valid as at 2014 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.