Balestier Point (马里士他坊) is an 18-storey mixed-use development at 279 Balestier Road, completed in 1986. It was originally named Central Plaza Complex by its developers, Central Plaza Developments, and stands on the site of the former Ruby Theatre.

From cinema to landmark

Ruby Theatre, opened by Cathay Organisation in 1958, was the first cinema built in the Balestier area. Its site was sold in 1980 and later redeveloped into Balestier Point. The building is one of the landmarks described on the National Heritage Board's Balestier Heritage Trail, which notes that it faces the Sim Kwong Ho shophouses, built in 1926.

Design

Balestier Point was designed by Chan Fook Pong of Regional Development Consortium (now RDC Architects). He drew inspiration from Habitat 67, the apartment complex in Montreal designed by the Canadian architect Moshe Safdie. The building's stepped form, which the heritage board likens to a stack of Lego toy blocks, gives the upper-storey apartments privacy and what it calls a "garden in the air" effect.

At street level the design pays homage to the five-foot way: modular hollow cubes form a shaded walkway in front of the ground-level shops. Balestier Point won an Honourable Mention award from the Singapore Institute of Architects in 1987.

Management

The development is run by MCST 1420 (UEN S88MC1420K). According to BCA's register of management corporations, the management corporation was formed on 22 December 1988 and the development has 119 strata lots. The management office is at 279 Balestier Road #05-00, Singapore 329727.

The management office's contact details are on the main page of this listing.

Sources: National Heritage Board, Balestier Heritage Trail booklet (2020); Balestier Heritage Trail map brochure and its Chinese edition; BCA register of management corporations (data.gov.sg).