They say the only things certain in life are death, taxes, and a fresh mall opening every other week in Singapore. We exaggerate, but this half of 2025 has already welcomed a couple of new shopping haunts like Geneo and Punggol Coast Mall, and this writer shudders at the thought of being sent down and braving the crowds to cover even more of them.
But in the pursuit of the next shiny new air-conditioned respite, we often overlook the beauty of the malls that came before too. Enter strata malls. These buildings of yesteryear are basically really old shopping malls that retain that nostalgic charm of the 80s and 90s, from their rustic decor down to their dated, yet unique layout. If you’d like a gander yourself, here are 8 strata malls in Singapore that you can visit today for a blast to the past.
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Queensway Shopping Centre is a famous example of a strata mall.
Image credit: Queensway Shopping Centre via Facebook
In simple terms, strata malls are shopping complexes in Singapore that are not wholly owned by a single firm. Instead, the units within a strata mall are individually owned by tenants. They are a thing of the past, because based on how these sorts of malls operate, it’s difficult for the tenants to come together to make collective decisions for the mall, such as maintenance and renovations.
Image credit: William Lu via Google Maps
Strata malls have also lost out to newer and flashier malls as a result of their simple designs and practical layouts, as they were initially meant to maximise profits. Visit one today and you’ll notice how sterile they feel. Think uninspired rows of shops, the proliferation of “for rent” signs put up over vacant units, and the deafening silence emanating from the lack of footfall.
Lucky Plaza, a strata mall along Orchard Road, still sees massive crowds once the weekends hit, just like any other mall in town.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
However, that’s not to say strata malls are not worth visiting in today’s context. Although most are way past their glory days, some of these malls have an eclectic mix of tenants that you can’t find anywhere else. They also exude an old world charm that you might find enticing, perhaps serving as a nice break from the consistent bustle that surrounds their modern counterparts.
Katong Shopping Centre has been around since the 1970s, which places it pretty highly on the list of oldest shopping malls in Singapore. In fact, it’s touted to be the first mall on the island that had AC – imagine that, a time when ducking into malls for a couple minutes of air-conditioned bliss wasn’t a thing yet.
Back in the 2000s, students from around the area would go there to get notes photocopied at one of the many printing shops; and even play a round of bowling at the centre that used to sit on the top floor.
Image credit: @happybellybuddy via Instagram
Katong Mei Wei Boneless Chicken Rice is probably one of the main reasons you’d have heard of Katong Shopping Centre; it’s famous across the country for their delicious plates of chicken rice and free add-ons like free-flow achar. For some reason, the mall also has an impressive array of domestic helper agencies, so if your home needs some sprucing up, you now know where to look.
If you chance across the mall from the outside, a particular store’s striking yellow sign might catch your attention. Yes, your eyes aren’t deceiving you; there’s a Ghostbuster store here. According to their website, their extensive list of otherworldly services include fengshui and auspicious marriage dates consultations. Sorry to burst your bubble, but they’re not the ones to call for any spooky occurrences happening in your household.
Image credit: Remembering Singapore
We won’t fault you for not knowing of the existence of Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre; after all, everyone flocks to the all-encompassing NEX if they have to stop by a mall in Serangoon. It’s a mall that was completed in the 1980s, and its weathered facade is a strong testament to its longevity.
Step into Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre’s premises, and you’ll notice another visual confirmation of the mall’s antiquity. Check out the sets of staircases in the main atrium leading up to the upper levels; these “manual escalators” were all the rage, before electronic ones took over.
In today’s day and age, the mall is also notorious for being a ghost town even during peak hours, but some stores are still going strong till this date. The Computex Computer Services computer shop has been selling video games for 20 odd years now, and the Red Panther Barber Stylist salon is still widely popular for providing affordable trims.
Image credit: Beauty World Plaza
Another mall which sports the old-school staircase layouts is Beauty World Centre. Not to be confused with Beauty World Plaza, a smaller strata mall that sits right next door, Beauty World Centre was built to temporarily house store owners from the nearby Beauty World Market in the mid-1970s.
Image credit: Remembering Singapore
That’s because the market’s tangled mess of electricity cables proved to be the catalyst for many fires, so the government had to relocate store owners someplace else for the time being while they redeveloped the area. Fast forward to 1984, Beauty World Centre was built, and many of the affected vendors eventually chose to set up shop there permanently instead.
Today, the mall looks like it was ripped straight from the 80s, retaining its rustic brown tiled flooring, a soaring skylight, and oddly-placed staircase landings in the middle of the mall. Despite looking like it belongs in the wrong era, Beauty World Centre still sees its fair share of footfall, with spots like their rooftop food court, McDonald’s joint, busy tuition centres, and numerous massage parlours drawing in the crowds.
No prizes for guessing what goods visitors to the Textile Centre primarily swung by the mall for back in its heydays. Located on the fringes of the CBD on Jalan Sultan, if you ever needed high quality materials for your DIY projects involving fabrics, Textile Centre was the place to go. From sewing materials, to buttons, to zippers, the shops here had it all, for a decent price too.
A movie ticket for Plaza Cinema at Textile Centre from years past.
Image credit: Simone Lam via Facebook
Other reasons to visit the mall back in the day include knocking back drinks and chatting the night away at pubs, as well as catching movies at Plaza Cinema for just a dollar. Unfortunately, a large number of the textile shops that called Textile Centre home shuttered over the years, which has left the mall devoid of most life.
Curiously, the mall is not completely dead just yet. Despite not many choosing to walk through its doors today, there are occasional flea markets organised by DC Events being held along the mall’s mostly empty corridors, attracting quite the crowd to peruse vintage and preloved goods on sale.
Image credit: KiM BooN LeE via Google Maps
Opened in 1974, Parklane Shopping Mall is situated not too far from the city centre, but it doesn’t seem too popular amongst those looking to do some retail therapy in town. Other than the fact that its footfall is probably stifled by the megamall that is Plaza Singapura, the public’s overall perception of the mall isn’t exactly positive.
Many Google Reviews complain about their carpark’s exorbitant rates and no grace period, while news outlets’ coverage on the mall’s shady massage parlours and spas don’t paint it in a good light in any way.
Image credit: Gareth Phua via Facebook
Don’t worry, this entry still has a happy ending. The mall houses a pair of well-maintained bubble lifts that some specifically swing by for. They even flaunt an extravagant coat of gold, and it’s not uncommon to see wide-eyed kids excitedly peering out from within the lifts.
The Clique Gaming internet cafe in the mall’s basement was also a hotspot for students who wanted to unwind with a good gaming sesh with their friends. The internet cafe is still going strong too, and is probably working overtime alongside the popular McDonald’s outlet here to keep Parklane Shopping Mall afloat.
Image credit: Robert Sim via Wikipedia
Just ask any tech junkie where’s the best place to snag deals on IT-related products, and they’ll unanimously crown Sim Lim Square as the undisputed winner. It’s been around since the late 1980s, and has since been the one-stop shop for computer parts, mobile phones and other techy gizmos.
Feel free to negotiate prices with the store owners in Sim Lim Square; you just might get a better deal if you play your cards right.
Image credit: @gabriellius_le via Instagram
Although the lower prices here might tempt you to splurge on parts when building your own gaming PC, you’d want to do your due diligence to check out the stores’ reviews before purchasing from them. That’s because there have been cases of unsuspecting customers getting scammed from some of the shops here. Some of the more trustworthy ones according to Sim Lim Square regulars include Fuwell, Bizgram Asia, and Dynacore.
Image credit: @djxiaosin via Instagram
Camera enthusiasts can also head here to check out new models and equipment, or get their broken ones fixed as Sim Lim Square has no shortage of camera shops too. When you’re feeling peckish, make a stop at 3 Meals a Day to chow down on their famous salted egg chicken rice.
If you hadn’t noticed, some strata malls were or have become specialised hubs to shop for certain types of products. Textile Centre was the de-facto place for fabrics, Sim Lim Square had all the latest tech on sale, and then you’ve got Peninsula Plaza, AKA “Little Myanmar”.
Located just a 5-minute walk from City Hall MRT station, it comprises 6 levels of retail stores and restaurants, and you’ll notice how the mall got its nickname once you take a look at the store directory. Among the tenant mix is an array of Burmese specialty shops and eateries where customers can get a taste of Myanmar right here in sunny Singapore, literally.
Image credit: Eatbook
During the early 1990s, Peninsula Plaza became a popular hangout spot for the local Myanmar community, and so it was coined “Little Myanmar”. Back to what you can expect to find at the mall, cure your hunger pangs with authentic Burmese cuisine at joints like Inle Myanmar Restaurant to dig into dishes like Mohinga and Myanmar milk tea.
Otherwise, pay a visit to minimarts such as Mingalar Mart to fill up your pantries at home or work with snacks imported from Myanmar. There are also a few thrift stores peppered around the mall; some to hit up for new threads include Cherry Thrift Store and Ashitagaaru.
The Arcade’s exterior in the late 1970s.
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore
Continuing the trend of centrally located malls on this list, The Arcade is another historic mall on the list and is situated right at the doorstep of Raffles Place MRT station. Fun fact: it’s built on the site of the very first mall in Singapore, Alkaff Arcade, which was completed in 1909.
Other than the throngs of busy corporate folks who filter through the mall to grab lunch, it’s also densely packed with tourists. No, they’re not here to snap pics of the building’s facade – they’re more interested in the multitude of money changers within the mall. The Arcade’s home to many well-known money changers in Singapore, as they compete with each other to offer the most attractive rates around.
Image credit: CK C via Google Maps
But even if you’re not planning to do some currency conversion, a visit to The Arcade can also yield IG-worth pics too. The lofty arches and intricately-designed guardrails in the mall’s interior give off an unmistakable European vibe, while its upper levels play host to numerous fashion shops for updated OOTDs.
With some of these strata malls being located in prime locations, it’s no surprise that there have been en bloc sale attempts made by their owners to rake in the big bucks. The owners of Sim Lim Square had tried selling it off for a whopping $1.25 billion in 2022, while those in charge of Katong Shopping Centre have slapped a modest $260 million price tag on the building earlier this year.
As such, you might want to plan a trip to these age-old malls before they get bought over and revamped, stripping them of their retro appeal to make way for new-fangled shopping destinations.
For more mall-related reads:
Cover image adapted from: Gareth Phua via Facebook, Norman Lim via Google Maps, Jnzl’s Photos via Flickr
Play Merry-Poly too.
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This is your call to get up earlier for work.
As if we need another reason to visit the mall.
Look forward to free model-building workshops.
Earn some extra money on the side.