Tropicana
General information
StatusDemolished
Location9 Scotts Road, Singapore
Coordinates1°18′23″N 103°49′55″E / 1.3065°N 103.8320°E / 1.3065; 103.8320
Opened30 March 1968
Closed31 May 1989
OwnerVermont Realty
Technical details
Floor count4
Design and construction
Architecture firmKee Yeap & Associates
DeveloperShaw Sung Ching

Tropicana was a 4-storey mixed-use building at 9 Scotts Road in Singapore. It was developed by Shaw Sung Ching and opened in 1968. Tropicana was reportedly the country's first building to contain nightclubs, restaurants, and a theatre. In February 1989, the plot on which the building stood was purchased for S$70 million (equivalent to S$125.1 million in 2022). Tropicana officially ceased operation four months later; it was subsequently demolished and replaced by the 12-storey Pacific Plaza.

History

Development

The Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB) had envisaged building a nightclub-theatre complex since the mid-1960s. Together with architect Shaw Sung Ching, STPB began formulating plans to develop such a project in 1967.[1]

Shaw later purchased the 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2) 9 Scotts Road (which housed the apartment complex that he lived in) through his company, Vermont Realty, and designated it as the site of his new project.[2][3] Shaw settled on the name "Tropicana", which he thought evoked Singapore's tropical climate.[1]

Construction of the 4-storey Tropicana began in April 1967. The building was designed by Kee Yeap & Associates, while the interior was designed by Will Fernandez & Associates. An August 1967 report by The Straits Times estimated that Tropicana would cost S$1.5 million (equivalent to S$6 million in 2022) to build and another million dollars to furnish.[3]

Opening and later years

Tropicana opened on 30 March 1968.[4] It was reportedly the first entertainment complex in Singapore, if not all of Southeast Asia, to contain nightclubs, restaurants, and a theatre.[3] The theatre of Tropicana was located on the first floor and typically hosted cabaret performers such as Les Doriss' Girls Revue from Paris.[5] In 1971, American jazz musician Count Basie performed for one night at Tropicana; according to The Straits Times, the S$85 (equivalent to S$333.9 in 2022) tickets were "at the time the most costly for a performance in Singapore."[6] Tropicana also housed several establishments for eating and drinking, including Le Bistro Bar, Orchard Lantern, Rasa Sayang, and a VIP lounge.[7]

In February 1989, after some five months of negotiations with the Shaws,[8] the site was purchased by the Hong-Kong based subsidiary of London and Edinburgh Trust, LET Pacific, for S$70 million (equivalent to S$125.1 million in 2022).[7] Tropicana officially closed on 31 May 1989. It was demolished shortly after to make way for the 12-storey Pacific Plaza, which cost an additional S$65 million (equivalent to S$112.3 million in 2022) to construct and was completed in mid-1992.[9]

Tropicana, a musical produced by Tan Kheng Hua, chronicles the lives of several Tropicana employees in the 1960s. It premiered at Singapore's Capitol Theatre in April 2017.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 Tan, Ooi Boon (31 May 1989). "Curtain falls on Tropicana". The Straits Times. p. 27.
  2. ↑ "Goodbye, Mr Tropicana". Today. 23 April 2003. p. 4.
  3. 1 2 3 Mok, Sin Pin (2 August 1967). "First of its kind in S.E. Asia". The Straits Times. p. 12.
  4. ↑ "S'pore's night life comes of age". The Straits Times. 30 March 1968. p. 11.
  5. ↑ "New look for theatrerestaurant complex". The Straits Times. 3 December 1976. p. 28.
  6. ↑ "Tropicana/Pacific Plaza". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  7. 1 2 Chua, Chin Chye (24 February 1989). "It's curtains for Tropicana". The New Paper. p. 3.
  8. ↑ "Hongkong company LET to spend $65m to redevelop Tropicana". The Straits Times. p. 29.
  9. ↑ "$140m building for Tropicana site". The Straits Times. 14 November 1990. p. 44.
  10. ↑ Tan, Jamie (19 October 2016). "Go back to the 1960s with new musical inspired by famed nightclub Tropicana". Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
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