Links to the past

LINK HOTEL
50 Tiong Bahru Road
By Tay Suan Chiang, DESIGN CORRESPONDENT, The Straits Times (29/07/07)

THE sound of birds singing at the famed Tiong Bahru bird corner may soon be heard once again.

Bird lovers clutching cages containing their chirpy feathered friends used to flock to the open-air corner at the former Block 53 in Tiong Bahru Road.

However, they stopped going there about four years ago when the block was slated for redevelopment. The area fell silent.

But, good news - the bird corner is to rise like a phoenix.

The housing block where the corner was located has been transformed into the 288-room, boutique Link Hotel, which opened two weeks ago.

And the hotel is encouraging the return of the bird enthusiasts to showcase the songs of their talented tweeters.

It may also hold an annual bird singing contest to recapture the former glory of the area, says a spokesman for the hotel.

The hotel is made up of two blocks which used to be flats under the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) - the predecessor of today's Housing Board.

Over the past two years, these have been converted into the boutique hotel. The cost of this extensive renovation was $45 million, according to earlier reports. However, when Life! checked this week, the hotel said the figure had changed, but did not disclose details.

Conservation challenges
IT IS not just the bird corner that is staying. Even the facade of the housing blocks has been kept.

Turning the two residential blocks into commercial buildings came with its challenges. One of which is age. Each block is more than 50 years old and the hotel had to deal with wear and tear of the older building materials.

The facade and structure of the two blocks also had to be conserved according to government regulations. This meant the original window louvres had to be retained.
Each piece was painstakingly taken down and treated for water seepage and parasites before being reinstalled.

'Retaining the facade and structure required extra effort during construction but we went ahead with it so the heritage of the building can be preserved,' says Mr George Chen, 38, the hotel's director and general manager.

The original balconies were retained, but guests no longer have access to them. Each room also comes with double-glazed windows to keep out noise.

Another challenge faced by the project's architects, local firm Liu & Wo, is that an MRT tunnel runs below the two blocks. That meant the weight of the two buildings had to be carefully regulated to not affect the tunnel.

Besides reconfiguring the hotel rooms from former three- and four-room flats, sections of the second, third and fourth floors were removed to create an atrium in the lobby. This allows in natural light, making the hotel look more spacious.

The interior of the rooms reflect Singapore's multicultural heritage - they are done up in Chinese, Indian, Malay and modern styles.

The hotel is the first project in Singapore for Macau-based Hang Huo Enterprise Group, which has businesses in property, construction, hotels and casinos.

The group won a tender put out by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to build the 62-year-lease property four years ago.

The hotel did not disclose the original tender bid when Life! asked this week. But judging by the buzz and number of visitors when Life! stopped by, the multi-million-dollar exercise has been worth it.

And with 288 rooms, Link Hotel is possibly Singapore's largest boutique hotel. There are 150 rooms in its Lotus block (named after a flower symbolic of Macau) and 138 rooms in the Orchid block (named after Singapore's national flower).

The two blocks are linked by a 38m-long air-conditioned bridge - a first for a hotel here.
Rooms in Lotus are open for bookings and cost from $260 to $600 a night. These cater more to business travellers.

The Orchid block is aimed at tourist groups - mainly Chinese - and will be ready in October.

LET THERE BE LIGHT: Parts of the second, third and fourth stories of the building were removed to create an atrium, but the original windows and louvres were retained. -- ST PHOTOS: DESMOND FOO

COMFORT FOOD: In the Malay-themed room, the headboard was designed to recreate the weave found on ketupat. Other rooms are done up in Chinese, Indian and modern styles. Guests can buy the custom-made lamps and other furnishings.

TROPICAL TOUCHES: The dark wood of the hotel lounge gives it a modern, tropical look.

A new lease of life

The Original Boon Tiong Flats (Front)

The Original Boon Tiong Flats (Back Facing)

Taken for granted and treated as USELESS, these building are now in the spotlight again! Though old, they can still be useful and can be called upon to help Singapore retain her economic competitiveness!

See the excerpts from the mainstream newspaper reports:

From the Straits Times :
THE Housing and Development Board (HDB) is taking steps to increase the supply of flats amid growing demand.....The HDB is also working on a pilot project to lease vacated flats under the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers) to the public in the short term......Next month, the HDB will call a tender for a managing agent to lease out 120 vacated Sers flats in Blocks 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 at Tiong Bahru Road.

From TODAY newspaper:

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) will lease 120 flats meant to be demolished under its en bloc scheme for public housing. HDB said the vacated flats in Tiong Bahru Road, part of the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers) scheme, will be rented out to the public on a short-term basis......Mr Eugene Lim, assistant vice-president at ERA Singapore said, "The first batch is in Tiong Bahru Road. The location is quite central and would appeal to those looking for locations near the city. The Sers flats are in serviceable condition. As a short-term solution, it will work."

The Original Boon Tiong Flats (Back Facing)

The Original Boon Tiong Flats (Back Facing)

The Original Boon Tiong Flats (Back Facing)

The Original Boon Tiong Flats (Back Facing)

The NEW Boon Tiong Flats.

(Most of the residents in those short blocks in front moved into these few brand new tall blocks after SERS)

Share my Grief.

Drop my kids off their kindergarten at Pearlbank this morning and was shocked to see that 80% of residents at Pearlbank has agreed to put their property up on sale.

I may not have lived in Pearlbank before but I still feel a deep sense of loss. Everyone who had lived in the Tiong Bahru Estate before could not have missed this Iconic building during their stay here.

This building was recently featured in URA's SINGAPORE 1:1 City, A Gallery of Architects and Urban Design. But I guess that has done nothing to help protect this building from destruction. It will probably remain in URA"s Gallery and we will have nothing REAL to show the future generations except for pictures from flickr or videos from youtube.

I'm not sure if it is too late to help these Pearlbank Anti En-Bloc folks now.

I sincerely hope their resistance will not be futile.

Same Same But Different

Blk 78 Yong Siak Street

Blk 78 Moh Guan Terrace

Blk 78 Guan Chuan Street

Block 78 in the Tiong Bahru Estate is the only building in the Tiong Bahru Estate with 3 different street names.

It is also the longest and tallest building amongst the conserved flats in the Tiong Bahru Estate.

In past, people refer to this estate as the "GOR LAU CHU" (Hokkien for 5 storey house).

In fact, after these buildings were completed, people often pop by this area to gawk at the "tall" buildings as it was the only place in Singapore where they could see flats! (Remember, this was in the 1930s).

Okay, back to my story on block 78. Being Singaporeans, most of us would assume that all blocks in Singapore has only one block number and one street name...which is always the case.

But the rules are different here at Tiong Bahru! How often I have to walk back and forth to look for some lost "sheep" who insisted that they are waiting at the right block for me.

Yeah! The block number is right but the spot is wrong. Many generations before us had been confused. And many generations after us will continue to be confused.

If you have nothing to do, just walk around Block 78. Chances are, you will meet some brand new pizza hut delivery boys making their rounds.....looking hopelessly lost. And during the Chinese New Year period, the hamper uncles will be walking around looking quite frustrated as they struggle to find the right address.

I wonder if Santa would be confused too........

Leave kids something to remember

The Electric New Paper :
By Leong Ching
23 July 2007

HOW quickly we forget. For years, I have been driving to work, passing by a giant on the left, and on Monday, he was gone.

I almost didn't notice it. A negative presence is like a ghost and we have no time for ghosts in our determinedly cheery island.

It was sad, too bad, but life goes on, with or without an 80-year-old Angsana tree.

We are stupid and cruel and ignorant, and after 20 years, when it is several degrees hotter, we will realise it, but it will be too late.

In the meantime, we have National Day Parades to watch and new property launches to view.

Our homes are all new, because the old ones have been torn down.

There is no room for old in this young country, because we are for peace and prosperity, don't you know?

I once shed a tear for the National Library. It was the place of many memories and a reminder of a time of innocence.

But now it's gone, like innocence lost. It was found to be - too small, too old, standing in the way of the new university. Today, it's a nice big tunnel. Much better. It's short, doesn't save us much time, but every second counts, don't you know? How many of you even remember the old National Library?

Can't remember right? You won't even notice it's gone. Chipping away at memories doesn't seem to matter.

It doesn't show up in any national statistic, it doesn't lead to Singapore slipping down any competitive index.

It is merely a negative presence in the hollow of our collective minds.

Recently, there appears to be a greater urgency for the older generation to tell their stories - before they are forgotten.

RECORDS FOR POSTERITY

The older MPs are writing books, former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee, who ought to have written his own memoirs, had a biography released.

Why do they bother? Because they think, as I do, that it is important to have a history.

Here is what former MP Chiang Hai Ding said about writing his memoirs and encouraging other MPs to do the same.

'Our nation is just over 40 years old, or two generations. How did it come about? What did it take to make it up to here? What future awaits us?

'How many younger Singaporeans, of 50 years and below, know these historical facts?'

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who has written his own memoirs, said that the stories by different MPs will 'give a multi-dimensional view of past events and provide richness and texture to the story... When writing memoirs, you are talking to posterity.'

It is an urge which springs from something primordial in us, in any collection of people who have shared experiences. Somehow, having gone through something together - dengue outbreaks, Sars, financial crises, race riots - we become closer.

But it is one thing to tell a story. It is another to listen to it. You can't get people to listen to a story if they feel it bears no relation to their lives.

We can't feel part of the same country if it is like a dune of shifting sand, change from one day to the next, with no sense of permanence, no sense of history. We ought to be more judicious in what we are doing in the name of progress.

I like to tell my kids about the places I ate in when I grew up (Odeon beef noodles), the places I studied in (the kindergarten off Oxley Road where I lived), my favourite place for ice-cream (Cold Storage Creamery, opposite the present Centrepoint).

Most times, the stories hang in thin air - I can't take them to look at any of the places because they were nearly always gone.

One day, I might wake up and see there isn't really anything for me to remember.

Where are the Privates and where are the HDBs?

There are 2 categories of flats in the Tiong Bahru Estate and these flats are
split up into 2 sections within the Tiong Bahru Estate.

On one side are the HDB regulated flats while on the other side are the privatised properties.

HDB SIT flat (Post War)

The HDB Post War flats are rather angular and the shapes are very standardised. Some people always refer to it as the ones with the round balconies. Actually, they are not balconies but the staircases for the residents to climb up to their unit. It is also what makes the building unique and charming.

These flats were built from the 1948 - 1951 period. It was built by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT). Some people refer these flats as the LIM YEW HOCK flats but I do not think they are built during his reign as Chief Minister of Singapore as he only took office in 1956. So to call these the LIM YEW HOCK's flats is actually inaccurate. I usually call them the SIT flats but that still does not clear up the confusion as the PRE-WAR section are also built by SIT.

An easier way is to identify them by the block number. Blk 17 to Blk 50 are flats which requires the buyer to comply with the HDB's eligibility scheme.

Originally, these flats were rented out and later, resident were "encouraged" to buy them in 1973, when HDB took over the responsibility of running the estate.

Blk 55 to Blk 82 are the Pre-War Conserved flats which were privatised in 1965 to 1967 under the Government's pilot Home Ownership Scheme. The conservation status was only awarded in 2003.

PRE WAR CONSERVED FLATS

These flats were built in 1936 and most of them survived the bombing of World War II. Blk 78 Guan Chuan Street even has a bomb shelter beneath them.

The walls of these buildings are really tough. If you even need to hack away these "historical" wall, your contractor can get rather creative with his choice of words while hacking them.

Although these buildings look almost the same from the outside, the buildings actually contain apartments of various sizes. Even the building height is rather varied. Some buildings are a mixed 2 to 3 storey high while some are as tall as 5 storey. The "super senior" taxi drivers will always refer this place as the "GOR LAU CHU" (5 storey flats). (Do not attempt to utter this to the modern day taxi drivers...unless you have a lot of time or is dying to start a conversation.)

The Singapore Government started selling these flats to the residents from 1965 to 1967 under a Government's pilot Home Ownership Scheme. Which explains the reason why the 99 lease starts from 1965 to 1967 and not from 1936.

Something is going to happen here!?

I had a very strange encounter with a buyer yesterday. Something that she mumbled to me got me pondering if what she had said does makes any sense at all.

The words uttered to me was, "I'm gonna buy this place because I know the Government is going to do something about this place!" (From her facial expression, you could tell that it must be something good.)

Yah! Right! I thought to myself. If it is true, why tell me BEFORE buying the place? Why not tell me AFTER you secure the unit.

My skepticism kicks in. I was already quite cheese off with the fact that this buyer tried to by pass me by going to my seller directly. Luckily my clients are people with a HEART and they contacted me about this unexpected buyer who pop up at their door. I had to drop everything I was doing and rush down to the unit to guide this buyer through the flat.

It was halfway through the viewing that this buyer uttered those words. Being one who is excessively curious (the unglam word is KAY POH ), I kept probing to find out what she meant. I guess she is probably the best tease in Tiong Bahru. I just cannot squeeze out any information from her. It is like she has taken the oath of secrecy and the information she had are the STATE's official secrets. Breath a word and you die!

So no cheque, no offers, no attempt to negotiate or whatsoever, and no answers to my questions, she left.

In the evening, I received an email from a fellow agent who has a unit for sale in Tiong Bahru. In his email, it contain something....."hearsay that the garmen is naming Tiong Bahru the Heritage Town"

Wham! Is this what it is all about? Could this be the piece of information that lady was struggling with? Maybe yes, maybe not.

I googled HERITAGE TOWN and all possible combination of the words but I found nothing conclusive. I was probably googling for more than 1 hour. By then I was too tired and furthermore, I had to lend a listening ear to my friend who is kinda frustrated with office politics. So I logged off and forgot about the whole thing and my attention shifted to my friend's woes.

Fast forward to this evening. While talking to a friend's friend, potential buyer and Tiong Bahru 'sample" resident turned Tiong Bahru Permanent Resident, I popped the question on what he thinks about the possibility of Tiong Bahru becoming a Heritage Town.

Without hesitation, he said it is possible. One sentence from him kinda lit up the light bulb in my head. "The entire Tiong Bahru Estate was built by the British!" "It is one of a kind in Singapore and despite it being built so long ago, it remains relevant and practical to the current generation." (He said something to that effect lah,).

As he is quite well travelled, he said he has not come across something like this in the region. Even Hong Kong, being a British colony for the longest time, does not have an entire town preserved or conserved.(Facts need to be verified).

Wow! That never crossed my mind. The entire Tiong Bahru estate was really built by the British Administration! Even the Post War SIT flats were built by them! Now there are even more reasons to extend the conservation status to the HDB POST WAR 50's SIT Flats.

I always felt the 2 sections compliments each other like Siamese twins. Tearing down the HDB section is unthinkable to me. If that happens, that will really make Tiong Bahru lose her charm and character.

So the next time you walk around Tiong Bahru, I really hope that you can begin to see, feel and appreciate the beauty and historical value of this place.

And Oh.....never never never never tell me you are buying this place because you hearsay from someone who works for HDB, URA, TOWN COUNCIL, RESIDENT'S COMMITTEE, people in high places or MPs etc etc etc, that the HDB side of Tiong Bahru will go for SERS (Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme). I know some of you can articulate those sentences with a deep seated convictions.

But if you really cannot help it and really do blurt out those questions to me, I really hope you are DEAD WRONG.

There can be many faceless buildings in Singapore BUT there is only ONE Tiong Bahru.

Leave it alone!

Heritage awareness rising among Singaporeans: study

This story was printed from channelnewsasia.com
Date : 18 July 2007 1820 hrs (SST)

SINGAPORE : Singaporeans are becoming more aware of their heritage.

Many also feel that heritage plays a positive role in their lives and are supporting efforts to preserve it, according to the latest survey by the National Heritage Board.

The level of heritage awareness among Singaporeans has increased by 20% compared to five years ago when the first survey was carried out.

Since then, there has been a significant rise in the frequency of visits to heritage districts like Chinatown and Little India, as well as a rise in people agreeing it is important government continually invest in places like the National Museum to preserve Singapore heritage.

95 percent of respondents also support the preservation of all aspects of Singapore's heritage now and in the future.

And this is something that the government too believes in.

"The heritage of people, of a society was not cast in stone or cast in iron, and unchangeable. Heritage involves with time. That is why each and every one of us can contribute to our national heritage," said the Information, Communications and the Arts Minister, Dr Lee Boon Yang.

Almost 9 out of 10 respondents say a better understanding of the country's history and heritage increases their sense of rootedness.

The findings were released at the launch of this year's HeritageFest at Suntec City.

The Festival Hub features belongings like childhood memories contributed by Singaporeans.

Each of the items, like Loh Lik Peng's memories of the barber shop, tells a different story.

They are not just reflections of their own lives, but make up pieces of the puzzle of Singapore's history too.

The festival, which covers a range of activities, runs until the end of the month. - CNA /ls

Copyright © 2006 MCN International Pte Ltd

Linked!

With the linking of the the 2 buildings by way of an overhead bridge, the LINK HOTEL at Tiong Bahru could finally be officially opened.

The hotel gets her name while Tiong Bahru lost a view.

Tiong Bahru - BEFORE the hotel was linked

Tiong Bahru - AFTER the hotel was linked

Which view do you prefer? My preference or disdain should be blatantly obvious.

Exposed!

Take a look at the blue paint.

This is not the works of some bored teenage vandals. It actually betrays somebody shoddy paint job.

There was probably something on the wall all these years and when HDB re-painted this place orange, the painter just painted around that object.

When I was little, I remember the round stairways were painted blue. It was a rather dull and depressing type of blue.

Fortunately, HDB got the colour right as I feel that Orange does make the estate look vibrant and cheery.

I hope the next colour change......if there is any.....would not be too "ORBIT".

Satellite Picture of Tiong Bahru

I got this picture from the email and thought I share it with everyone.

The picture is NOT a current picture of the Tiong Bahru Estate as you can see still Bo Bo Tan Gardens, Kim Tian Plaza and the Kings, Queens and Princess Apartments in picures. Even the OLD Tiong Bahru market is still captured in the picture. Can you spot it?

Kings, Queens and Princess Apartments has been replaced with TWIN REGENCY.

Kim Tian Plaza will be replaced with REGENCY SUITE while Bo Bo Tan Gardens will be replaced with THE REGENCY @ TIONG BAHRU.

Fortunately the Pre-War flats in Tiong Bahru has been conserved. I really hope the Government will also conserve the post war SIT flat as well. It would be a sad thing to see them go......in the name of progress.

Tiong Bahru Pre War Conserved Flats

Tiong Bahru Pre War Ground Floor

Home & Decor Magazine (June 2007 Edition)

Media professional FenFei's new home is chock-full of personality. The pre-war abode in Tiong Bahru estate has bits of history mixed in with film and travel memorabilia, not to mention a neighbourhood visitor in the form of an insistent cat.

"I used to live in a similar type of home before I got married, and I like how the pre-war houses have this raw and minimal type of design," Fenfei narrates. The bare, industrial feel is also a good canvas for her colourful furnishings, which include art film posters, retro furniture and quirky accessories.

Fenfei and her husband moved in just a few months ago, after a three-month renovation by interior designer Kelvin Giam of Intent. "We were shopping for a designer because my previous designer had become too expensive," Fenfei laughs. The search ended with a copy of Home & Decor and one appointment. "Kelvin's project was featured in one issue. We liked his work, so we gave him a call. We decided to work with him as we established an instant connection in our first meeting."

Paying homage to the 1930s housing estate, Kelvin's interior renovation incorporated a clear visual differentiation between the old and the new. The original, load-bearing walls were given a smooth finish, while the new walls have rough surfaces. The coarsely finished walls with their curved windows and arched doorways are reminiscent of adobe homes in the Spanish Mission style of architecture, but a glossy white coating keeps it looking industrial. Textured floors demarcate some spaces like the kitchen, dining and living area from the hallway to the bedrooms, so there are fewer walls and hence more light and ventilation to go around. Interior windows were cut into the walls too, making the cavernous house brighter despite the brick, cement screed and bare concrete finishes. The finishing and lighting fixtures are mostly from Fenfei's previous house and her existing collection. "I asked Kelvin to keep it spare because we were bringing in lot of our of things."

Feifei says there is a lot of room for growth in the 1,100 sqft residence - a spare bedroom should the in-laws choose to move in and a study area that can be turned into another bedroom "when we decide to have children" are already in place. With the fun vintage pieces and the subway station look, it's easy to imagine children having a blast growing up in and running around this house. Of course, the stark white walls would be a convenient and tempting canvas for a child's crayon doodles, but they would simply add even more character to Fenfei's home.

Interior Design Services by Kelvin Giam of Intent

(HP : 9022-0690)










To own a home in the Tiong Bahru Estate, please contact Alvin Yeo at alvinyeo@pacific.net.sg or Call (+65) 9100-0001

The Electric New Paper

SERVE, SET, SPIKE!

In our series on sporting people who play games other than soccer, we feature a group whose top sport is volleyball

TAKE a walk through the quiet Tiong Bahru neighbourhood and you cannot help but marvel at the charm of the rows of pre-war houses, built in art deco style.

By Lim Say Heng
04 July 2007

Everything seems peaceful and calm in the quaint surroundings on a quiet Sunday evening, until you turn the corner.

Suddenly, you hear a shrill yell and a loud thud.

That is when you know that you have reached the home of the Tiong Bahru Community Centre volleyball team, which has been based there for the past seven years.

'The team was formed by Mike Koh, who used to coach volleyball at my former school Queenstown Secondary School,' said Li Jingxian, 24, one of the regulars at the Sunday sessions.

'He also sits on the committee at the community centre. That is why he took the team here to gain more exposure by playing against older players.'

Although Li was not on the volleyball team when he was a student of Queenstown then, he joined the team on Sundays for friendly games when he reached Secondary Four.

'I joined volleyball when I was in primary school, but I was more interested in soccer in secondary school, especially the English Premier League,' Li said.

REIGNITED

'But my love for volleyball was reignited in Secondary Four when my school hosted a tournament. Since then, I have been playing here almost every Sunday.'

The team used to take part in inter-constituency competitions until about two years ago, when some of the players left the team.

Nowadays, the team meets for friendly sparring sessions.

Li said: 'Two years ago, Mike left the team because he had other commitments.

'Since then, we have had a difficult time getting enough players to join us for our Sunday games.'
As part of the team's recruitment drive, Li enlisted the help of Zheng Qili, another old boy from Queenstown Secondary School, to spread the word about the team on various online mediums such as Friendster.

They even started a team blog to get more players to join them.

That worked wonders as more people became aware of the team.

'A friend introduced me to this place a few years ago,' said 18-year-old Ng Minfen, a student.

'We used to play together, but she has stopped some time ago because of her work commitments.

'I like to play here because the area is so quiet, although once in a while the neighbours would complain about the noise level at night,' she added.

Alan Wong is another volleyball enthusiast who makes it a point to come down every Sunday.

'I usually play volleyball with my friends on Wednesday evenings at another community centre,' said the 33-year-old delivery man, who was introduced to the team by Ng.

'On Sunday afternoons, I would play beach volleyball at Sentosa before coming here in the evening for another round of court volleyball.'

The players' ages range between 18 and 35.

SCORECARDS

They would start their sessions at about 5.30pm and finish half an hour before the community centre's 10pm closing time.

To keep scores, the players used cardboards to make their own scorecards.

The players mingle freely with each other while they play the game.

'Usually, we will try to rotate the players around so that everyone gets to know each other,' Li said.

'Otherwise, it would be very boring for us to play in the same team all the time.'

Boredom is never an issue for these volleyball warriors when The New Paper visited them a few weeks ago.

If they were not playing on the court, they were literally having a ball of a time hitting the ball around and laughing at each other.

The easy camaraderie among the team members also shone through as they packed up after their game.

Some helped to keep the nets and poles back into the stores while others cleared the rubbish along the court.

And when all was done, the merry gang took a short walk through the historic neighbourhood to the nearby hawker centre for a hearty dinner together.

'We always welcome those who love to play volleyball to join us,' said Li.

'Not only do they get to play volleyball, they also get to enjoy all the famous dishes at the Tiong Bahru Market after that!'

Interested parties can contact Li Jingxian at 96649959, or visit their blog at www.volleyforglory.blogspot.com.
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Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 198402868E. All rights reserved.
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This View Won't Last

Come next week, this view will be GONE forever!

There will be a BRIDGE that will connect the former block 53 to block 54 of Tiong Bahru Road, effectively LINKING the two blocks. (Blk 53 will be known as the Lotus Block, this is the block with the famous bird singing corner, the place where I used to play marbles with my childhood friends)

This SOON TO BE PUT IN PLACE bridge is significant to the hotel. I think someone in the planning committee probably christian the boutique hotel LINK HOTEL during their brainstorming session.

If you've got some time to spare, check out the hotel's website as it looks more interesting than the name suggests.