The death knell of the en bloc purchase

Was that a little too dramatic? I was honestly surprised by the success of the en bloc process of Habitat 1- the development quite recently received a major facelift and now has an enivably sleek, modern pool area, a soignee entrance, huge swivel doors of glass with oak handles connecting the reception area to the pool and an incredibly happy guard sitting behind the lit onyx reception area(he has a streamlined, flat screen computer monitor via which he monitors the goings- on in the building). To me- the renovations were done a lot more tastefully and speaks more of haute condo living than most brand new developments that somehow evince a crass, copied interpretation of the fashionably contemporary 'modern' aesthetic.

And when I conducted my architectural tour as part of the Singapore Design Festival last year, we definitely made a stop for Habitat 1, where I remembered telling those who attended that, sadly, Habitat 2 has gone en bloc. Didn't think that it was quite logical for a condo with newly renovated grounds to go en bloc.

So another building with 'architectural pedigree', albeit a diluted one, is going to make way for a new development on downtown Orchard Rd and the architect for the building, Moshe Safdie, has been roped in as one of the architects for the IR project. Am not sure what I'll be having on the architectural tour next year- conservation housing is so 'done' and well-chronicled. Black and white houses?-we have coffee table books dedicated towards them. Possibly, in the midst of cashing in on the en bloc craze, Singapore's forgetting its modern architectural gems?

Should you be interested in taking the self-guided tour(a version of what we did for the Design Fest last year)- refer to this self tour guide.