Liang Court (

Simplified Chinese Simplification, Simplify, or Simplified may refer to: Mathematics Simplification is the process of replacing a mathematical expression by an equivalent one, that is simpler (usually shorter), for example * Simplification of algebraic expressions, ...

: 亮阁,

Traditional Chinese A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

: 亮閣, Pinyin: ''Liàng Gé'') was a

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...

located in the vicinity of

Clarke Quay Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore, located within the Singapore River Planning Area. The quay is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River and Boat Quay. Etymology ''Clarke Quay'' was named after Sir Andre ...

, on the

Singapore River The Singapore River is a river that flows parallel to Alexandra Road and feeds into the Marina Reservoir in the southern part of Singapore. The immediate upper watershed of the Singapore River is known as the Singapore River Planning Area, altho ...

. It was part of a mixed-use complex that includes the hotel Novotel Clarke Quay (formerly Hotel New Otani) and Somerset Liang Court Residences (formerly Liang Court Regency).

History

Developed by the Wuthelam Group in collaboration with

Daimaru is a Japanese department store chain, principally located in the Kansai region of Japan. The chain is operated by Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores, a subsidiary of J. Front Retailing. At one time Daimaru was an independent company, , hea ...

Inc, Liang Court opened in January 1984 as the first major shopping mall along River Valley Road. At that time of opening, it had Japanese department store and supermarket chain Daimaru, lifestyle bookstore

Kinokuniya is a Japanese bookstore chain operated by , founded in 1927, with its first store located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Its name translates to "Bookstore of Kii Province". The company has its headquarters in Meguro, Tokyo. One of the company's ...

, Chinese restaurant Tung Lok Signatures, karaoke chain Party World, consumer electronics chain SAFE Superstore and more than 60 specialty tenants mostly catering to

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

expatriates An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

. Above Liang Court were two 25-storey tower blocks occupied by Hotel New Otani Singapore and serviced apartment Liang Court Regency, which opened in November 1984. In 2000, Rainforest Cafe opened in the lower floors but was closed in 2004 due to declining patronage. In 2003, Daimaru closed down due to declining sales and restructuring. Its supermarket section was taken over by

Meidi-Ya is a Japanese upmarket grocery store A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocer ...

and department store section taken over by electronics chain Audio House and smaller shops. Hotel New Otani's management was taken over by

Accor Hotels Accor S.A. is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties. It is the largest hospitality company in Europe, and the sixth largest hospitality company worldwide. Accor op ...

in December 2004, and was subsequently renamed Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay. The mall changed hands twice, having been sold to Pidemco Land in 1999 and subsequently sold to the Asia Retail Management Fund in 2006. Under ARMF management, the mall underwent major refurbishment works in 2007, coupled with a repositioning of its image. The space once taken up by Daimaru was reconfigured into smaller shops, and Audio House was relocated to Level 4. The basement shops were replaced by Japanese restaurants and shops catering to Japanese expatriates. Refurbishment works were completed in 2010. Uniqlo opened at the mall's ground floor in November 2013. In August 2016, Audio House closed down its only mall-based store. Following declining business, the mall was sold to a joint venture between CapitaLand and City Developments Limited in March 2019. Kinokuniya closed its store in April 2019, following the end of its 32-year lease, with various shops and restaurants following suit by the end of that year. All shops were eventually closed in April 2020, along with the hotel and serviced apartments.

Redevelopment

In November 2019, CapitaLand and its subsidiary Ascott REIT, along with City Developments Limited announced that Liang Court will be redeveloped into a mixed-use, integrated development named CanningHill Piers, featuring two residential towers with 700 condo units, a 2-storey retail podium named CanningHill Square, a hotel managed by

Marriott International Marriott International, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational company that operates, franchises, and licenses lodging including hotel, residential, and timeshare properties. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. T ...

under the Moxy brand and a 192-unit Somerset serviced residence. CanningHill Square and CanningHill Piers are expected to be completed in phases from 2024, with the Moxy Hotel opening in 2025. An underground link to Fort Canning MRT Station will be built as part of this development. As of August 2021, Liang Court has been completely demolished.

References

{{Singapore malls Demolished buildings and structures in Singapore Buildings and structures demolished in 2021 1984 establishments in Singapore 2020 disestablishments in Singapore CapitaLand City Developments Limited Defunct shopping malls Shopping malls in Singapore Singapore River

History

Redevelopment

See also

References