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Mar 8, 2011

Amazing Red Dot Quiz (10) - Where is this tower structure in Singapore?


The other day I saw this photo of a tower in the archives. Even with the attached caption stating the street, I scratched my head over its location. The surrounding buildings were of no clue though I had my little suspicion about the tower. So I checked other photos and verified one of its neighbours, a notable landmark. I must have been unobservant every time I walk past that landmark.



What is most intriguing to me about this tower structure, a feature incongruous with the rest, is the absence of windows. All there is, from our view, is that grilled frame over the wall. Is this a human dwelling, a military fortress or a hideout for transformers?

Some examples of ancient tower (from here and here). Our modern tower is more elongated.


Just two questions for this quiz:
  1. Where is this tower in Singapore?
  2. What is this tower really?
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22 comments:

  1. KeithMarch 9, 2011 at 12:12 PM

    Umgh .... Got some old-type housing in middle-bottom of the picture .... ok wild guesses - Tiong Bahru or Kallang area ?

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  2. FLMarch 9, 2011 at 9:21 PM

    I guess it's somewhere around Upper Jurong Road. A workers' dormitory ?

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  3. IcemoonMarch 10, 2011 at 12:25 AM

    Nope. I don't think is workers' dormitory, the poor folks will suffocate :P

    The clue is in its neighbor, a "notable landmark".

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  4. AnonymousMarch 12, 2011 at 8:56 AM

    I think is near Funan Centre High Street?

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  5. IcemoonMarch 12, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    Funan Centre and High Street are not a "stone's throw away".

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  6. AnonymousMarch 12, 2011 at 3:07 PM

    Nope. High street is next to Funan. You can verify on google map.

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  7. IcemoonMarch 12, 2011 at 4:24 PM

    Oops, my sentence was incomplete. I should have added, "from this tower".

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  8. AnonymousMarch 13, 2011 at 11:49 AM

    Behind Stamford court

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  9. chengyuMarch 14, 2011 at 7:30 PM

    Road in foreground is Stamford Road, building to the right is MPH Building.

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  10. Lam Chun SeeMarch 14, 2011 at 9:56 PM

    At first I too thought that it was foreign workers' dormitories at Kaki Bukit or Upp Jurong Rd. But I checked Google Streetview and it doesn't seem to be one of these.

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  11. AndrewMarch 15, 2011 at 5:30 PM

    No idea where this is, it doesnt have windows. Could be in town or near town, judging by the cyclist and pedestrian, a main road?

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  12. AnonymousMarch 20, 2011 at 5:05 PM

    I think chengyu is correct. Base on that, the notable landmark could be the Vanguard building or former US Embassy..

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  13. AnonymousMarch 23, 2011 at 12:26 AM

    chengyu is right. it is behind stamford court. you won't get to see it on the main road directly. wonder what it is?

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  14. peterMarch 28, 2011 at 10:41 AM

    UnlessI missed somethings, I dont think it's anywhere near Stamford Court or Vanguard Building. The area is well-built by between Loke Yew Street, Stamdford Road and Coleman Street.

    What I can observe from the photo is that satellite dish which tells me that it's osme media type organization which needs such equipment. Theer's also a pre-war S.I.T. building in the background.

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  15. Lam Chun SeeMarch 28, 2011 at 9:41 PM

    Agree with Peter. Some more, the traffic is so light. And folks cycling. Has to be outside the city area.

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  16. IcemoonMarch 29, 2011 at 11:36 AM

    The photo is not recent (I found it in the archives).

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  17. peterMarch 29, 2011 at 8:42 PM

    Hmm you gave a clue Icemoon.

    The only recollection of a satellite dish was on top of the former U.S. Embassy cum US Information Services at the corner of Loke Yew Street and Coleman Street.

    That being the case, the No Entry signboard will be Hill Street and the open space was formerly a Victorian looking Bldg I cant recall its name but I think there was a Guan Ho Sdn Bhd motor cycle distributor (Suzuki brand) and Dr. Lee Siew Choh clinic there. Today that open space could be National Heritage Board premises. The bdlkg on the right was MPH?

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  18. peterMarch 29, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    I meant corner of Loke Yew Street and Armenian Street, next to the church.

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  19. peterMarch 30, 2011 at 2:26 PM

    The bdlg with the satellite dish was once the Malaysian Embassy, so this explains for the need for a dish - 30 Hill Street which is next to the Armenian Church.

    The empty land is now Stamford Center - back then there was this URA land tender for sale signboard as in the photo.

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  20. IcemoonMarch 30, 2011 at 2:54 PM

    How come from US Embassy become Malaysian Embassy?

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  21. peterMarch 30, 2011 at 6:18 PM

    It was amercian emabssy in the 70s until it it was sold to a private developer, together with the amercian ambssador'shouse at Grange Road (next to the former RI). I guess Ng Teng Fong company bought it. In the 1990s (perhaps this was when the archives photo was probably shot), Malaysian embassy rented space here. I used to see ppl queue here for passport and there were many photo studios around Loke Yew Street offering services like passport photo and form-filling services. There was a good Indian kopi tiam for nasi brnayi and at the corner a kopi tiam for fried kway teow with hum.

    am i correct?

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  22. IcemoonMarch 30, 2011 at 7:22 PM

    The answer is revealed in the latest post.

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