Key takeaway
The site of Beauty World Centre in Bukit Timah has shifted from open-air markets and gambling dens during and after the Japanese occupation to a planned shopping and residential complex completed in 1984 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority for displaced stallholders. Its transformation shows how a once-hazardous market zone grew into a structured mall that continues to serve the surrounding community.
On 144 Upper Bukit Timah Road sits Beauty World Centre, a building that carries a layered story of change, community, and renewal. It began as a gambling and entertainment park during the Japanese occupation, transformed into a bustling and chaotic market after 1947, and was eventually replaced by a planned retail-residential development shaped for the growing neighbourhood. This article traces the evolution from risk-filled amusement grounds to a structured mall environment, showing how the site’s shifting functions continue to influence the character and memory of Beauty World today.
The early days of the Beauty World Centre: from amusement park to market hub
Before it became a mall, the area now known as Beauty World hosted Da Dong Ya Amusement Park (大东亚) during the Japanese occupation around 1944. The park operated with gambling stalls, wayang performances, and coffee shops, creating a lively but unruly atmosphere. After the war, its proprietor, Mr Giam Kok Eng, converted the grounds into the open-air “Beauty World Market” in July 1947, keeping a nod to its amusement-park past through the name. This market era marks the beginning of the site’s postwar evolution.
Hazards and growth
The market expanded rapidly and had more than 160 stalls by the 1970s. Yet its growth came with risks. Several fires, the most serious in April 1975 and August 1977, exposed how unsafe the conditions had become and prompted swift government action. Authorities acquired the land in 1975 and began planning the relocation of stallholders soon after. This shift mirrors Singapore’s wider retail evolution during the period, echoing the move toward safer, planned environments seen in early atrium-style shopping developments.
The resettlement and construction of the new Beauty World Centre
By January 1984, the new Beauty World Centre was completed as a residential‑cum‑retail development at the opposite side of Upper Bukit Timah Road, costing S$45 million at the time. It was built to redevelop the old market area and accommodate tenants displaced by the fire‑prone market. The developer was the URA, stepping beyond its usual role of planning into direct development. This development also reflects themes similar to Singapore’s early regional shopping center experiments in urban planning and retail design.
Key building details
The building at 144 Upper Bukit Timah Road, postal code 588177, lies in Singapore’s Planning Area of Bukit Timah (District 21). It sits on a 99‑year leasehold tenure from 18 September 1979. The development occupies roughly 12,912 m² of land area and has a gross floor area of 38,735 m². It contains around 80 residential units. While height (in metres) and architect details are less clearly documented, the residential tower is reported at about 26 storeys.
Site’s Transformation Over the Decades
The site’s history shows a clear transformation. It shifted from a short-lived amusement park to Beauty World Market in 1947, then steadily evolved over the next decades into Beauty World Centre, the mixed shopping and residential complex completed in 1984. This progression, moving from amusement park to open market to purpose-built mall, still shapes the building’s character today. Its origins, the changes in ownership, and the way the structure kept adapting all create a story that feels deeply human and firmly rooted in the life of the community.
- Amusement park phase (circa 1944–1945): operated with gambling, coffee shops, and entertainment.
- Market phase from July 1947: Beauty World Market opened with stalls of produce, textiles, hardware, and more.
- Acquisition and fire hazards led to redevelopment: land acquired in 1975, major fires in 1975 & 1977.
- Construction of Beauty World Centre: completed January 1984 for displaced tenants, with shops and a hawker centre.
- Strata‑title change and current use: sold to shop owners in 1998, building still in operation.
Quick facts about Beauty World Centre to keep in mind
- The name “Beauty World” was carried over from the amusement‑park era to the market era in 1947.
- Beauty World MRT station (code DT5) opened in December 2015, naming itself after the historic site.
- Beauty World Centre contains a rooftop hawker‑style food centre, unique among malls.
- Strata ownership means many small shop‑owners own their units, which affects renovation and redevelopment.
- The site is in District 21 (Bukit Timah/Clementi Park).
| Building | Key facts | Nearest MRT | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beauty World Centre | Completed in 1984, S$45 m cost, 99‑yr leasehold from 1979, approx 80 units, land area 12,912 m², GFA 38,735 m². | Beauty World MRT (DT5) | Official records |
A look at the site’s wider legacy
The story of Beauty World Centre is not just about one building. It reflects an urban‑renewal model where old open markets, with safety and hygiene concerns, are replaced by planned developments. For residents, the building remains a retail landmark. For historians, it’s a case of adapting a former entertainment/gambling zone into a neighborhood mall. The title’s question is answered by showing how the gambling park of the 1940s morphed over decades to become the structured shopping center in operation today.
Rooftop hawker centre: a living link to the past
The rooftop hawker center at Beauty World Centre remains one of the few open-air food courts in a strata-titled mall. It serves as a reminder of the old market days, when stalls were clustered under temporary roofs. Today, it hosts a mix of long-standing food vendors and newer tenants, offering everything from traditional Singaporean snacks to modern café-style dishes. For visitors, it is a tangible connection to the community life that the site has fostered since 1947.
Community events and local culture
Beauty World Centre is more than a shopping location; it has hosted community events such as small fairs, school art exhibitions, and cultural performances. This community engagement reinforces the title’s promise by showing how a site that began as an entertainment hub continues to serve the local population. Residents often reminisce about weekly gatherings or weekend visits to the rooftop, bridging generations through shared experiences.
Transport evolution and accessibility
Accessibility to the center improved significantly with the opening of Beauty World MRT station (DT5) in December 2015. Before the MRT, patrons relied on buses and private transport along Upper Bukit Timah Road. The improved connectivity brought a wider customer base, boosting foot traffic for retailers and vendors. It demonstrates how the shopping mall evolved not only in structure but also in regional importance, fulfilling the “shopping mall since 1947” narrative through infrastructure adaptation.
What visitors and locals can still observe today?
If you walk into the mall today, you will find signs of its past: the rooftop hawker center with open air, old signage, and shuttered long‑running businesses that date back decades. Some shop owners have been there since the 1984 opening. The change in consumer habits and the building’s aging condition also speak to ongoing challenges for such strata‑titled malls. In this way, the building remains the living continuation of the title’s “shopping mall since 1947” theme. For more on the history of Beauty World, official records provide detailed insights.
Looking ahead at Beauty World Centre and beyond
The building continues serving the district but faces the same pressures many older strata malls do: evolving retail habits, competition from newer developments, and the need for reinvestment. For the title question, this means that while the transformation from a gambling park to a shopping mall is complete, maintaining that mall status will require adapting. The site’s story is not over. As redevelopment is mooted nearby, Beauty World Centre stands as both a relic and an active participant in the neighborhood’s future.
