Location 5- The Centrepoint

THE CENTREPOINT

Research:

Address of Location:

176 Orchard Road

Singapore238843

History of Location:

The Centrepoint is a shopping mall in Singapore which opened in 1983 as Centrepoint Shopping Centre (or just Centrepoint) until its renaming in 2006 as The Centrepoint. The mall has anchor tenants which include Robinsons, Marks & Spencer, The Dairy Farm Group (7-Eleven,Cold Storage, Guardian Pharmacy, Photo Finish) and clothing retailers Gap and Esprit. The Centrepoint is managed by Frasers Centrepoint Limited which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fraser & Neave. It has six storeys and two basements, which on the first basement to the fifth floor are retail and food and beverage outlets, the sixth floor a carpark and offices / education centre. There are two carparks in the building, one at basement two and another on levels 4, 5 and 6. The Centrepoint has apartments at the back of the building.

Transformation through time and space:

1858 - Originally known as Spicer and Robinson, it was founded in 1858 by Philip Robinson, an immigrant from Australia and James Gaborian Spicer, a former keeper of Singapore Jail. It started as a family warehouse at Commercial Square, now known as Raffles Place, and was renamed Robinson and Company at the end of 1859 when Spicer left the business and a new partner, George Rappa, was brought in.

1881 - By 1881, it was a dominant store among the European community in Singapore.

1891 – 1920 - It moved several times before re-locating back to Raffles Place in 1891 and became a limited company in 1920. It was twice hit by bombs during World War II and was closed during the Japanese Occupation.

1945 - When the British returned to Singapore in 1945, the Robinson's building served as the headquarters of Naafi and Ensa, the Allied services entertainment organisation.

1946 – 1957 - It resumed trade in 1946, and took over John Little in 1955. In 1957, it had a facelift that earned it the name "handsomest shop in the Far East".

1972 - Its landmark building at Raffles Place was destroyed by an infamous fire in 1972, killing nine people and destroying S$21million worth of property.

1983 – Present- It relocated to Specialists' Centre in Orchard Road as a result, and thereafter have been the anchor tenant in Centrepoint since 1983.

Why the location was used:

Centrepoint was used as a shopping centre due to its high human traffic and strategic location which is along Orchard Road- town area of Singapore.

PEEs:

The Centrepoint

High Density Landuse

This picture shows the interior of a shopping centre. Many people visit it to shop for their daily need and as a form of entertainment. In addition, there are also several workers working in the shops there. This implies that Centrepoint is a high density building due to its high-rise structure in order to allow a large number of people to be in there at a time.

THE CENTREPOINT

MIXED LANDUSE

This picture shows TCC, one of the eatery outlets in CentrePoint. TCC is a coffee house, similar to international coffee chain, Starbucks. This implies that not only does the shopping mall houses retail shops, it also has eateries that enable shoppers to have their meals i.e. entertainment and leisure services.

This picture shows a taxi stand in front of Centrepoint. The taxi stand is provided for the convenience of shoppers to take taxi as transportation to the mall. This implies that not only does the building houses retail shops, provides entertainment and leisure services but also transportation services.

This picture shows a POSB outlet i.e. Post Office Savings Bank. People can enjoy financial services in ease and convenience while shopping in the mall. This implies that Centrepoint does not only provide for retail, entertainment, leisure and transportation but also financial services.

This picture shows Robinsons. It is a retail store offering quality merchandise to Singapore shoppers. This implies that Centrepoint has multiple usages. It does not only provide for entertainment, leisure and transportation but mainly retail services. 

THE CENTREPOINT

INTERACTION BETWEEN DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES/GENERATIONS

This picture highlights the interaction between different generations. It shows an old lady walking beside a young lady, talking to each other with shopping bags in their hands. This implies that they are most probably out shopping together.  

This picture highlights the interaction between different generations. There is a group of people both teenagers and adults outside the shopping centre. They seem to be discussing about something. This implies that they are most likely meeting up for a gathering outside the shopping centre.

This picture highlights the interaction between different generations. The middle age lady is carrying a little boy. They are most probably mother and son. This implies their close relationship and they are most probably out to shop. 

Compare & Contrast:

The Centrepoint was similar in the past and now in terms of its main purpose of use. In the past, the Centrepoint was mainly used to house Robinsons Department Store and other small shops for shopping and commercial purposes. Similarly, it is also mainly used for these purposes with Robinsons, Marks & Spencer, The Dairy Farm Group and clothing retailers- Gap and Espirit as its anchor tenants. This implies that Centrepoint is being used for commercial and shopping purposes which are successful and thus its use has not changed throughout the years.