RESIDENTS of a new condominium to be built in Katong will have something special in their backyard - two grand old houses that were the weekend seaside retreat of tycoon Tan Kim Seng's family.
The condo, called Grand Duchess At St Patrick's, will be on land that surrounds the Tans' old residences along St Patrick's Road, which was once beachfront in the days before land reclamation.
The sprawling property - at 127,223 sq ft, it is believed to be one of Singapore's biggest residences in terms of land area - used to belong to the descendents of Mr Tan, a Straits Chinese merchant and philanthropist. Well-known Kim Seng Road is named after him.
Three generations of the Tan family lived there, until they sold it to developer United Industrial Corporation (UIC) in a tender exercise last year for $65.5 million. UIC is launching its condo project next weekend.
The houses have been gazetted for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
One is a single-storey bungalow built in 1914, boasting a blend of Straits Chinese and British colonial architecture.
It will become the condo's Majestic Clubhouse, which UIC says will be the biggest clubhouse in the eastern part of the island, housing a spa, gym, theatre lounge, games room and reading room and facing a large swimming pool.
The other is a 1925 Victorian-style, two-storey house with a distinctive pitched roof. It will be turned into two exclusive apartments of 3,300 sq ft each, priced at $3 million apiece.
UIC's group general manager Vito Koh says conservation didn't come into the picture until it submitted its building plans to the URA early this year.
It had checked with the authorities earlier but was told the houses were not marked for preservation.
URA spokesman Colin Lauw says: 'These two buildings are rare jewels and a great legacy to retain. Together with the conserved St Patrick's School, they serve as important landmarks that enhance the streetscape of the area.'
Once UIC learnt the houses were to be conserved, it:
Changed the original condo's design to blend in with the two houses.
Set aside 'millions' of dollars towards preserving the houses; and
Delayed the project's launch by six months because planning of the condo's five blocks of apartments required extra care in the conserving of the two houses.
All in, the 121-unit freehold condominium will consist of two eight-storey and three five-storey blocks with two- to four-bedroom units, and duplex and single-storey penthouses, ranging from 1,044 to 3,875 sq ft.
The launch price is about $690 psf and the project will be completed by the end of 2009.
The conserved houses feature original patterned floor tiles, wrought-iron grilles on the veranda and intricate ceiling designs.
Says Mr Koh: 'At the end of the day, it has turned out well and we have capitalised on the situation.'
Grand Duchess is not the first residential property to marry the old with the new. Draycott 8 near Orchard Road, Gambier Court in Kim Yam Road, Tan Chin Tuan Mansion in Cairnhill Road and Five Legends in Katong - built on the estate of the late Dr Chan Ah Kow's former family home - all feature bungalows and terrace houses built in the early 1900s.
dawntan@sph.com.sg
