IT IS touted as one of the new breed of 'glamour' condominiums, snapped up by well-heeled investors for its prime location despite being leasehold property rather than freehold. Yet amid its metal and glass towers, Draycott 8 also has some old-world glamour that adds an additional 'wow' factor.
As you approach the condo via Draycott Park, just minutes off Orchard Road, a two-storey, black-and-white bungalow stands out in striking contrast to the condo's three modern apartment blocks.
The grand house sits atop a hill with a 50m-long swimming pool in front of it.
Built in the 1920s, the colonial bungalow was once occupied by British air marshals. Today, it is enjoying a new lease of life as the clubhouse for the 99-year leasehold condo.
Its last tenant was French-language school Alliance Francaise De Singapour, which occupied the bungalow from 1978 to 1995 before moving to its current premises in Sarkies Road.
Developer Wing Tai Holdings bought the land in 1997 and spent $5 million on just restoring the bungalow to its former glory.
As it was not gazetted for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) when Wing Tai bought it, the property developer was free to tear it down and build another new block on the site. Instead, it chose conservation over demolition.
Wing Tai deputy chairman Edmund Cheng says the decision to restore the bungalow is a win-win formula where residents jointly 'inherit' the clubhouse for their enjoyment and, in return, the luxurious clubhouse enhances the value of their apartments.
'Old buildings also depict a sweet chapter of the past, which differentiate them from other developments,' he says. With prices of the condo's two- and four-bedroom apartments at the high-end of the market at $1,700 to $2,200 per square foot, home owners are getting a clubhouse that more than matches their upmarket expectations, say property observers.
The restored, 17,000sq ft clubhouse is said to be the biggest in a condo here.
The 136-unit Draycott 8 - about 70 of which have been sold already, with the rest to be officially launched next month - is the latest condo to boast an old conservation building within its residential midst.
There are at least half a dozen residential developments that have combined the old with the new this way.
Once URA has gazetted a building for conservation, property developers must restore its facade. But they have free rein over the buildings' interiors.
Such is the case of CapitaLand Residential Singapore's Citylights condominium in Jellicoe Road. When completed in two years' time, it will have four modern towers and a row of 16 pre-war Art Deco shophouses that are being restored and converted into 10 townhouses.
Ms Patricia Chia, CEO of CapitaLand Residential Singapore, says: 'The townhouses and the modern blocks create a dialogue between the past and the future, adding to the rich and diverse nature of the living environment.' Another property firm making history with its use of history is ACT Holdings. It has developed two projects that have a mix of old conservation buildings and new condo blocks.
Managing director James Toh says: 'I find it a waste to tear down old buildings. It's more meaningful if old buildings can be adapted for today's residents.'
His first conservation project was Gambier Court in Kim Yam Road. Restoration was done on three Art Deco terrace houses that were built in the 1940s. The URA had earmarked them for conservation in 1991.
He spent $1 million restoring them and another $6.5 million building a 10-storey block behind them.
But Mr Toh's loving restoration brought him some nail-biting moments. When Gambier Court was launched in 1998, sales were slow as there was a property slump. The first sale was a penthouse unit - and not one of the terrace houses.
'I wondered if I made a wrong decision restoring the houses,' he recalls.
But he knew he was 'on the right track' when Gambier Court won a URA Architectural Heritage Award in 2000.
The annual award honours well-restored monuments and conservation buildings.
Currently, the three terrace houses are leased to expatriates.
One, British chemical engineer David Hoeler, has been living at Gambier Court for the past five years. He says he wanted a house as 'high-rise living is for birds, not people'.
He was attracted to the terrace house's airwell - a feature commonly found in period houses. 'It is a unique feature and I don't get this back home in Britain,' he adds.
Mr Toh's other conservation building within a condo is The Ventana in Pasir Panjang. It was a particularly poignant project as the condo's clubhouse was his childhood home.
His family decided to turn the 40,000sq ft site into a condo when other developments started popping up around it.
'It was no longer an exclusive area, so we made a painful decision to give it up.'
By conserving part of the bungalow, he still manages to preserve precious family memories.
Along Cairnhill Road is another colonial bungalow with a 20-storey building behind it that is currently under construction. No completion date has been set.
The two-storey white bungalow belonged to the late OCBC chairman Tan Chin Tuan, and is currently being restored. It is likely to remain as a bungalow for residential use, says a spokesman for Architects 61, which is handling the project.
When completed, the project, called the Tan Chin Tuan Mansion, will have 17 apartments. Some of them will be occupied by the Tan family and the rest put up for lease.
When fully restored, the bungalow will once again be a Cairnhill landmark.
The president of the Singapore Heritage Society, Dr Kevin Tan, applauds developers for conserving heritage buildings and integrating them into new developments. But he cautions that sensitivity must be used when developing projects which have a mix of old and new.
'The new development must be sensitive to the old architecture,' he says. For example, building a new condo block in 19th-century style would be silly, he explains. The two should complement each other. He cites Gambier Court, Spring Grove in Grange Road and Sandalwood in Joo Chiat as good examples.
Over at Draycott 8, meanwhile, its grande dame of a clubhouse is experiencing new halcyon days.
A concierge team is on hand to help residents plan parties at a special private dining room within the restored bungalow. Residents can either bring in their own caterers or get the concierge to arrange this.
The old building also boasts a massage room for residents and a small onsen or Japanese bath.
It even houses a wine cellar for each unit in the condo. These are accessible only by biometric identification, so there are no worries about neighbours drinking up your vintage wines.
taysc@sph.com.sg
