The main building that used to house former bottling factory, the National Aerated Water Co, is due to be partially conserved by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). This is in recognition of its heritage value, said the URA today.
After it was completed in 1954, the building went on to become a recognizable local landmark as a bottling factory that produced iconic soft drinks like Sinalco, Kickapoo Joy Juice, and Royal Crown Cola. According to The Straits Times, heritage enthusiasts have been asking for the building to be conserved since 2007.
The two-storey structure facing Serangoon Road is now owned by Selangor Dredging Berhad (SDB), who is supportive of the conservation efforts, which will include features such as the signage tower, a balcony with brick parapets, and a concrete sun shading ledge, Channel NewsAsia reported.
The conserved building will be integrated into a new residential development in a commercial area, next to a park connector near the Kallang River. URA said that there won’t be a fence separating it from the main road and the river, so that the public can still “get up close and personal with this heritage gem”, which is one of the last structures standing along the Kallang River stretch that bears memory of the area’s industrial past.
“This building is not only historically significant as a familiar landmark along the Kallang River, it also holds fond memories for Singaporeans for the popular soft drinks it produced from the 1950s to 1990s,” explained Lim Eng Hwee, the CEO of URA.
“The conservation of this heritage-rich building would not have been possible without the support from the owner and recognition of the building’s significance from the community.”
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