Exploring at Far East Plaza Singapore скачать в хорошем качестве

Exploring at Far East Plaza Singapore

Far East Plaza (FarEast Plaza) on Scotts Road / Orchard, Singapore — its history, its heyday, and how things have changed over time: 1. Overview Location: 14 Scotts Road, Singapore 228213 — right in the Orchard Road shopping belt. Opening date: 1982 Developer: Far East Organization, founded by Ng Teng Fong. Mixed-use structure: In addition to retail, it includes Far East Plaza Residences — serviced apartments in the tower above the mall. 2. Historical Highlights 2.1 Launch and early success Far East Plaza was considered cutting-edge when it was built; it quickly became a hive of youth culture in Singapore throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It featured the first computerized musical fountain on mainland Singapore — a big novelty at the time. The mall made headlines before opening when all 114 shop units were snapped up in just two hours in 1981. It initially housed a Metro department store as the anchor tenant (opened 1983), signifying a more upscale retail direction. 2.2 “Far East Kids” and youth culture Far East Plaza became well known for the so-called “Far East Kids” — young people who gathered there, often experimenting with fashion, hairstyles, and subcultural styles. It was a place where teens and youth would hang out, window shop, meet friends, and enjoy fashion, even before social media culture took off. Breakdance demonstrations, fashion events, and other pop-culture happenings were once common enough that, in one instance in 1984, the crowd drew more than 3,000 people — and police had to be called. 2.3 Challenges and decline Although Metro was a major tenant, its Far East Plaza outlet closed in 2002 when the lease expired. Over time, rent increases, shifting youth culture, and the rise of blogshops and new malls (e.g. Cathay Cineleisure, The Heeren, Scape/YOUTH) led to declining footfall. By the mid-2010s, business in some parts of the mall had dropped significantly, and some shop owners blamed a lack of major renovations. The basement (Level 1) was renovated in 2002 (costing ~S$8 million) and relaunched with ~90 new shops, but subsequent attempts to revive it — including inviting blogshops — have had limited success. 2.4 Present situation Far East Plaza is now somewhat of a nostalgic icon — many of its original fashion boutiques and youth-centric retailers are long gone, and vacancies are visible in parts of the mall. Its current tenant mix leans heavily towards tattoo parlors, barbershops, beauty salons, massage and reflexology outlets, and small retail units, especially on the upper floors. Despite that, the Far East Plaza Residences continue to operate as serviced apartments — with options for longer stays. 3. Why Far East Plaza Matters Far East Plaza is often cited as one of the earliest and most emblematic "youth malls" in Singapore — a place where fashion, subculture and local retail culture intersected in a way that wasn’t focused on big brand names, but on creativity, exchange, and socialising. It provides a case study in how retail spaces evolve, and how malls have to adapt (or fail to) in the face of changing consumer habits, competition, and urban redevelopment. It’s also often mentioned in Singapore’s Orchard Road heritage narrative, marking a shift away from older shophouse retail culture toward high-density, vertically stacked shopping and residential developments. 4. Visiting Today If you're planning to drop by, here are a few things to keep in mind: Shopping: It’s not the place for big retail brands or luxury shopping. Instead, Far East Plaza is better known for quirky fashion, custom accessories, casual clothing boutiques, souvenirs, and unique, offbeat finds. Services: There are plenty of beauty, hair, nail, tattoo, and massage shops — these days that’s one of its biggest draws. #fareastplaza #youthculture #shoppingmall #orchardroadsingapore #scottsroad #fareastkids #farestplazaresidences #fareastorganization #history #tengfong #socialmediaculture #shops