Singapore is well-known for its gleaming, futuristic architecture and sleek mega malls. But overlooking the colourful heritage shophouses of Chinatown is a nostalgic 50-year-old mall that completely shatters this squeaky clean city image. Feel as if you’ve stepped inside a dystopian cyberpunk movie set at People’s Park Complex—a massive, gritty, and highly-photographed shopping mall towering over Chinatown MRT. As Southeast Asia’s first strata mall of its kind, it was built to be a radical 1970s Instant City. But now it faces a multi-million dollar demolition sale or rejuvenation. So, Singapore’s oldest mall could soon be wiped from the skyline forever. Read on to find out more about the first strata mall in Singapore.
How does this 1970s mall look like a cyberpunk movie set?
Long known as Singapore’s most iconic yellow mall, People’s Park Complex, is a legendary spot that attracts photographers and urban explorers alike. The gritty yellow and green building was built to become a revolutionary Instant City stacking a bustling shopping podium, offices, and a 25-storey residential tower together in the 1970s. Although, it was completely repainted red and white last year. Certainly, visitors will feel as if they’ve stepped into the Blade Runner film.
Interestingly, it was the first shopping centre in Southeast Asia to feature a large internal atrium. Plus, the wide corridors were designed to act as ”streets in the sky” meant to replicate the busy, social nature of the traditional Chinatown street markets.
One standout hidden gem at the mall is the Level 6 rooftop carpark which is one of the most instagrammable places in Singapore. It boasts a cyberpunk aesthetic where the decaying Brutalist facade meets the modern Singapore skyline and contrasts directly with the terracotta roofs of heritage shophouses in Chinatown.
Today, People’s Park Complex offers a multi-storey atrium boasting an authentic local vibe. Discover a mix of traditional Chinese medicine halls, bustling massage and reflexology spas, old-school travel agencies and retro jewelry stores. Meanwhile, the lower levels are home to experienced hawker stalls serving timeless noodle recipes and other delicious popular dishes at an affordable cost.
Additionally, the magnificent old mall serves as the beating heart of Chinatown festivities during Lunar New Year celebrations yearly.
Although the owners are actively trying to sell the entire 1970s brutalist complex to a developer in a multi-million dollar en bloc collective sale, which could result in it being completely demolished or drastically redeveloped. As of 2026, the URA has assessed the building for high heritage value so this might mean a shift towards rejuvenating the famous building instead of a full demolition. Only time will tell.
