If you have read the papers recently, you would have seen some people protesting against old buildings being demolished in Singapore, in the name of modernisation.
I am totally against that idea as well. I love seeing the Golden Mile complex on my way to town. It reminds me of fact that there is at least some of Singapore's history left. It is also the ONLY building in Singapore with such an infrastructure. These may not be the glamorous looking buildings obviously, but they speak volumes of our past. And how far we have come from there.
It's not just about preserving our past, but also reliving the past. Tanjong Pagar is one the areas which is likely to go through major development. As it is, old coffeeshops are gone and new 'chill out' places like Starbucks and Mr Beans have sprung out at every corner there. However, it brings back so many memories for me, each time I go there. And I can't bear to see those blocks being broken down into mere bricks.
If people are worried that these buildings may not be appealing enough to attract tourists, I think they are wrong. When I went to Switzerland, what really fascinated me was the capital city which was Bern. I'm sure a lot has been done to give the city a modern touch. However, the architecture of the buildings fascinated me. Those buildings had been preserved with their unique architectural designs. And for a person like me who had been in Singapore almost her entire life, I felt like I was in a totally different world altogether.
So why can't Singapore's buildings be preserved? If they want to change it, perhaps some painting works can be done, or better lift services? But, I strongly object to the idea of the entire building being torn down.
