16 December 2005


Scotts: Impermenance

In any other country, this would be a major commercial building. However, in fast moving Singapore, this decade old building is slated to be demolished in a few years and a new commercial complex will replace it.

Swiftly, our mindscapes or the landscapes of our mind are being replaced by ever taller towering monoliths. Progress. Change. Impermenance.

"The things you do
Aren't good for my health
The moves you make
You make for yourself
The means you use
Aren't meant to confuse
Although they do
They're the one's that I would choose"
'Dangerous' Depeche Mode

9 comments:

BlackRX said...

I remember: the basement food court, Cost Plus, and the East India Company clothing store.

Merv Kwok said...

next stop, chinatown! many old buildings there haha

steve said...

Don't forget "the Landscape is Changing" from Depeche Mode's "Construction Time Again" cd. Speaking of, I've posted some pics from a recent show if you're interrested.

Hemsem said...

If i were to be immortal and travel the world, i might not recognise singapore if i return 50 years later from now...

Chuang Shyue Chou said...

Black RX, Costplus is long gone. For that matter, I haven't seen a single Costplus anywhere in Singapore for almost ten years!

Pertama was bought over by Harvey Norman's (from Australia). There are a million of them around town these days.

Chuang Shyue Chou said...

Merv, hahahaha! At the rate things change here, I won't be surprised. Colombo Court which has long been a fixture here is gone.

So is the Cathay building. There is now a massive glass building there. What else will go next?

Chuang Shyue Chou said...

Steve, I saw the black and white images you posted in two entries as soon as you posted them! Thanks!

Steve, the thing is that the landscape which I grew up with are but a distant memory. My primary school, my secondary school, and more. The bookstore which I used to frequent. It's amazing. I understand the need for progress.

For Depeche Mode, their current obsession with pain, religion and such has robbed them of the social conscience they used to exhibit in 'Construction Time Again' like you were mentioning. And that is a pity.

Chuang Shyue Chou said...

Ari, you know, you just need five years!

And our cityscape would be unrecognisable! Hahahaha.

BlackRX said...

Indeed. The first time I was away for an extended period of time, 1998 to 2001, I could barely recognize just the Thomson Road area. I will have been away for another five (2001 to 2006) by the time I next return, and I am bracing myself for an unrecognizable landscape.