SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - When chairman, director and co-founder of MKPL Architects Siew Man Kok designed the One Holland Village mixed-use development five years ago, his inspiration for the mall was Holland Village itself, with its shophouses and street-oriented shopping and dining culture. “It’s only natural that the new development acts as an extension of Holland Village; that’s why it’s called One Holland Village,” says Siew.
Holland Village’s roots can be traced to Dutch architect Hugh Holland’s influence in the early 1900s. “Its European village charm lingers in its architecture and low-rise building structures, with its eclectic mix of boutiques, shops, hipster cafés, al fresco restaurants, and art galleries continuing to attract locals, expatriates, and tourists alike,” says Ethan Hsu, Knight Frank’s head of retail.
While the design of One Holland Village mall has the grain and scale of the existing Holland Village, it has none of its drawbacks, says MKPL’s Siew. For instance, the pedestrian walkways at the existing Holland Village are narrow and may be inconvenient for elderly folks and families with young children, he adds.
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Siew notes that these negative elements of the existing Holland Village have “all been eradicated” at the new One Holland Village development. “What you have is a pedestrian-friendly mall — for young families, the elderly, and those with pets,” he continues. “The entire development is designed with generous open spaces and greenery.”
The new village square
The communal area is designed as the new village square and is open 24/7. “Even when the mall is closed in the evenings, the lights in the public areas are still turned on, and people are still allowed to walk through the mall,” says Siew.
One Holland Village is set to rejuvenate Holland Village and Chip Bee Gardens. The retail space at One Holland Village has a total gross floor area of 145,314 sq ft. Another 21,528 sq ft has been dedicated to community space, including green spaces and play areas for children and pets. There are pet drinking fountains, a dedicated pet lift, leash hooks on Level 2, a “pet parking area”, and a pet poo-bag dispenser and waste bin.
Pets are allowed at some outdoor refreshment areas. Some dine-in F&B establishments, retail shops, and services permit leashed pets in their stores.
The mall is anchored by a Cold Storage supermarket, with a Guardian pharmacy and other amenities such as The Projector arthouse, Japanese restaurant and bar, Kinki, and Bedrock Bar & Grill steakhouse. The Artground, with 4,017 sq ft of space on the ground floor, is dedicated to providing families with children up to nine years old with the opportunity to explore the arts. Little Olive Tree pre-school occupies 15,604 sq ft of space at One Holland Village.
Among the key retail tenants at One Holland Village mall is the new Mini (formerly Mini Cooper) Pitstop — the first of its kind by Mini Cooper in Singapore. Located on the first floor of the mall, the store sells merchandise from the Mini Lifestyle collection and offers visitors an opportunity to test-drive the latest Mini models.
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While the mall soft-opened on Dec 8 last year, about half the tenants were still fitting out their units, with most opening only in February. The mall is part of the new $2 billion, integrated mixed-use development by a consortium led by Far East Organization and including Osaka-based Japanese homebuilder Sekisui House and Hong Kong-based property developer Sino Group.
‘Pedestrian-friendly environment’
For the development, the consortium commissioned art pieces by local and international talents such as contemporary Singaporean artist Jahan Loh, local collective Very Small Exhibition, and Berlin-based artist Tomislav Topic. Some of the commissioned art took the form of public benches from a design competition held in 2022.
“The idea is to make the communal areas more accessible to the public and for the enjoyment of the community at large,” says Siew. “People can always take a break, enjoy a drink and sit outdoors, which is landscaped.”
Unsurprisingly, the mall at One Holland Village was fully pre-leased before it opened last December. “The promotion of One Holland Village as a pedestrian-friendly environment also helps to encourage footfall circulation and increase shopper dwell time by providing a safe space for families and their pets to enjoy a day out together,” says Knight Frank’s Hsu. “This is rarely seen in Singapore due to our strict licensing requirements for commercial spaces to be designated pet-friendly premises.”
The other components of the mixed-use development — the fully-sold 296-unit One Holland Village Residences and the 255-unit Quincy House serviced residences — are expected to be completed in 4Q2024.
The mall serves the wider residential community in the neighbourhood, including the tenants of the office spaces at One Holland Village, the future occupiers of Quincy House, and residents of One Holland Village Residences.
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In the subzone of Holland Drive, and within a 1km range of One Holland Village, are 41 HDB blocks with 5,511 flats, based on EdgeProp Landlens data. Within the 1km radius of One Holland Village are 34 existing apartment and condo blocks with 3,201 units, according to Landlens.
However, this does not include the new condos completed last year, such as the 638-unit Leedon Green, the 319-unit Hyll on Holland, the 69-unit Van Holland, and the 85-unit Wilshire Residences. Altogether, the new condos completed in the vicinity over the past year amount to about 1,135 units (excluding One Holland Village Residences).
According to Knight Frank’s Hsu, the mall at One Holland Village adds value to the residential developments in the neighbourhood, and not just because of its pet-friendly features.