What happened to the former New 7th Storey Hotel?

When Derek Tait visited Singapore in 1990, he would not known what had happened to the former New 7th Storey Hotel as it appear today.

In his 22 February, 2010 blog on "Singapore in December, 1990", Derek said:

"I'd love to go again some day. I bet it's all changed and even many of the places in this small film will now be gone".

Photo Credit: Derek Tait

Take a rewind to yesteryears at the youngsters swinging away their disco dance at the 7th New Storey Hotel in 1990. How different are our Singaporean party-animals at Zuok, St.James Power Station entertainment complex or anywhere else for young people today?

Whatever fashion-lifestyle, dance music or dance-style ten decades ago, the joy and fun for teenagers are the same, doesn't matter in a new or old dance floor; new building or old ones.

This is an update from Derek at his memorabilia leaflet of the hotel, courtesy of Derek.

Since it would be a long story to tell Derek about the "New 7th Storey Hotel", I decided to take my personal trip today to the location in Singapore. His travelling to this place was last here 9 years ago.

The landscape cannot remain unchanged, even for the interests of curiosity for tourists exclusively for their benefit. The development of the Beach Road and Rochor Road would provide the MRT network for the fast and convenient transportation in Singapore for everyone soon.


See what I said, how different conditioned things become in a realm of time and space.

On an impulse on 07/07/07, I remembered my "Walk Down Memory Lane" phlog at "The Day of the Century". Unfortunately, the Phlog website is now closed.

The most poignant and sentimental are people who feel sad of an 'obituary', but whether people, places or events, nothing could last forever. These are temporals which even feelings are momentarily of feelings, thoughts and ideology. Nothing remains stagnant, every society in every country improves to progress for every people for the future.

Updated on 5 March, 2010 following from Chinatownboy's comments in the singaporeheritage@yahoogroup on 5 July, 2008:

Hi Victor,

The 7th Storey Hotel has an online Guest Book section at its website has been closed.

This is part of the collective memory of the hotel guests which some heritage group could host online after the hotel is demolished. Although the hotel in brick and mortar would soon be gone, its memories as a traditional boarding place for many visitors to Singapore for over 5 decades, could be stored digitally in cyberspace as a heritage archive for building and monuments.

On 07/07/07 when I wanted to blog about this special date of the century, I took a picture of the 7th Storey Hotel and posted it at a previous Phlog link.

I really like CK's novel suggestions of holding a 'funeral wake' on the last day of its life....and your imaginative ideas of professional mourners (like those from Sago Lane ; ) signing of condolence book and what else...a funeral procession around the hotel before the sledgehammer strike the building and it would be gone forever.

There is still time to prepare for the 'sending off' event for the hotel, unlike the Sichuan earthquake which wipe off humans, homes and monuments unannounced....

A year later, after all last rites with propriety and formalities for the land-owner (of New 7th Storey Hotel) and the State Land (LTA) amenable accordingly. Else the Land Transport Authority (LTA) could not proceed with the major construction for Bugis Station extension route.

The "reincarnation" of the transformed land could be "reborn" as MRT by end-2011 when completed. A "simplified analogy" between human life and land...





The non-stop active construction site stretching from Beach Road to Rochor Road "Delivery a People-Centred Land Transport System" at Bugis Station soon.

So a building will pass on! Every building and place have to be "remaking", and if those religion who believe in "reincarnation" it referred to "being reborn". Just using as an analogy for human and things. I beg your pardon. This is not being flippant or blasphemy regardless of whatever belief or ideology.

In several of the photos taken to review the construction sites at the former location of the "New 7th Storey Hotel" may be totally changed and transformed.

This is not a wasted land to remain stagnant though. The physical changes should be urban renewable resources for development to benefit and maximum lives usefulness for a longer period. In some ways, the land of some cemeteries are replaced by housing or industrial estates.

Over a matter of several years or even months, whatever that is transformed would be replaced by new places, new transportation routes for communication, fast paced convenience and speed travelling to live, play and work.

Elderly friends like me may lament about things familiar, common, already prefer our comfort zones, to have the same things forever. On the contrary, the youngsters would prefer to create new thingy, as often changes as possible, more excitement, more "cool". Perhaps during our days as youngsters, speaking about the latest fashion lifestyle, modern stuff, happenings..."don't want to be bored". So changes, is the phenomenon for every generation in every country is ever-changing, ever-developing, ever-moving in the advance of modern technology.

Once upon a time, our parents in the 1960s was also changing the lifestyle in the days of our grandparents in the 1920s or 1930s. The collectible items and antiques have become and nice to have for memories, but not for practical reasons of the majority people... as the slogan: "same, same, but different"!

Just my blog to express from a personal views. To each his own opinions with due respect to all.

Let me ask my Martian friends what they think...lets not argue until the cows come home! What does Martian cows look like to us ; )