Takashimaya Research

Takashimaya :

In the 1950s, Ngee Ann City sits used to be a burial ground that was owned and maintained by Ngee Ann Kongsi. It was a part of the land known as Tai Shan Ting, which was between Orchard Road, Paterson Road and Grange Road. The burial site was removed to make way for Ngee Ann Building, which was then demolished to make way for Ngee Ann City.

In 1967, redevelopment of the Ngee Ann Building was first considered. Ngee Ann Development and the Orchard Square Development Corporation planned the building of Ngee Ann City in the late 1980s. The architect, Raymond Woo, who designed the complex, drew inspiration from the Great Wall of China. It was to reflect the dignity, solidity and strength of the Ngee Ann Kongsi. The designing and overseeing the project took 5 years.

In the late 1980s, Ngee Ann City was conceptualised as the focal point on Orchard Road shopping belt by the leaders of the Kongsi jointly with Orchard Square Development Corporation (OSDC).

Now, it is a tourist attraction and offers seven levels of shopping. It also carries many famous brands such as Gucci, and many other Japanese products . The available spaces at the semi-circular Civic Plaza are now used for events.

Why was that area used as a shopping area?

Orchard Road was designed to be a shopping district. Due to beliefs and superstitions, people might not shop at Orchard Road if the burial ground remained and this would just make the whole idea of making it a shopping district a failure. Thus, like all shopping districts will have many shopping malls, this burial ground was removed and transformed into a shopping mall to be situated at Orchard Road, a shopping district.