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2001 Text
Introduction
Recently
found photos of the original show flat for Pearlbank are a real treat. We
were so taken by the retro exuberance of the design, we just had to give
you a peek. Some units are in pristine 70's condition. We will be seeking
these owners out and hope to add more groovy images soon.
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Building: Materials & Equipment Southeast Asia 01 | 03 |
1976
Typical three-bedroom
unit
One of the show flats on
the 30th floor designed by Mrs. Chee of Interni Design & Contract Pte
Ltd was so impressive that a prospective tenant bought the flat together
with all the furnishings.
It is an example of a
typical three-bedroom unit. The front door entrance leads into the dining
area, although the latter does not immediately confront the visitor.
The dining area is
separated by a half screen from the kitchen which has a full-height
storeroom, instead of the usual sloping store under the staircase.
From the 'raised' dining
areas, a flight of stairs leads to the living area, which is a half-floor
split below. This, as stated earlier, is on the outer rim of the tower and
thus has a panoramic view of Chinatown, the busy Singapore waterfront and
its skyscrapers, and the distant islands off the Republic.
There is no 'real' balcony
as such but one can stand at a small railing (revealed by sliding
aluminium and glass door) to the extreme of the room.
The show flat by Interni is
carpeted throughout in golden brown scheme. The focal point is the false
ceiling from which are suspended clusters of stemmed lights on alternate
square panels. One side of the living area is given a brick-wall effect
and divided into vertical panels by parallel strips of wooden lining.
Despite all the trimmings
described above, the 'conversation piece' is still the 'see-through'
splits of the three different levels. In this case, the dining area on the
first level; the living on the second; and five steps below the bar area
(which is directly under the dining area).
"So
Brady, lah" website
The bar is separated from
the living area by three carpeted columns, two of which can double as
shelves for knick-knacks or bottles.
In the show flat, the bar
counter as well as one side of the wall has mirror tiles to give it a
touch of glamour. However, this space can alternatively be used to
accommodate a piano or turned into a play corner with dart board and
carrom tables.
From the bar, one can take
another three steps down to a secondary bedroom with bathroom attached and
a washing cum drying airwell next to it. From here the back door leads to
fire escape staircase and to the lift lobby.
Interni Design has showed
how this room which is the smallest of the three can be made more
interesting by dividing it into three levels. It is more suitable for
growing children so that the noise can be diverted from the living area.
The secondary bedroom is on
the same level as the living area and its attached bathroom has a door
leading to the living area so that guests can also make use of it.
The master bedroom is
further away next to the secondary bedroom mentioned above. Both are
located on the outer rim and thus enjoy privacy and panoramic views.
Finishes
The temporary occupational
licence was to be granted for the lower half of the tower at the time of
writing. Meantime Brady's (S) Pte Ltd was putting the finishing touches to
the specially designed ceilings of the penthouses. In the middle is a flat
ceiling measuring 1.8m by 4.3m from which a step formation is moulded to
follow the profile of the 'slant' on both sides. The step formation ends
exactly at the window glazing.
To give an idea of the
proportion of this fibrous plaster ceiling, the height from the floor to
the ceiling is 3.2m (10.5 ft) and the height from the flat part of the
ceiling to the end of the step formation is 2.28m (7.5 ft).
Externally, Pearlbank is
finished in Shanghai plaster and the inner rim walls in Sandex matt (by
William Jacks & Co (S) Sdn Bhd), accentuated by the brown two-story
high staircases.
The corridors are finished
in suspended ceilings which cover up service conduits and pipings.
Internal finishes include parquet flooring, emulsion painted walls,
up-to-ceiling tiling for bathrooms. Windows are provided with 0.61m (2 ft)
ledges to prevent looking straight down, from a building reaching about
the same altitude above sea-level as Singapore's highest peak, the 176.7m
(581 ft) Bukit Timah Hill.
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