Block 53 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh, also known as the VIP Block, is a HDB block in Toa Payoh, Singapore. The building is the only block in Toa Payoh with a Y-shaped design.[1]
History
editConstructed somewhere before 1968, Block 53, located along Lorong 5 Toa Payoh, is the only block in the town of Toa Payoh with the unique Y-shape design.[2] The building is 19-stories tall, and has a rooftop gallery which is inaccessible to the public.[1][3] The building has been the site of at least four deaths due to falling between 1971 and 1978, two of which occurred within the same week.[4][5][6][7]
The building was visited by Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Singapore, when she was visiting Toa Payoh in 1972.[8][9][10] The building was also visited by General Bulsak Wanamas, the former under-secretary of defense of Thailand, during his visit to Singapore in 1973.[11] The building has also been visited by John Gorton, Princess Anne, Prince Philip, Benjamin Sheares, and Sirimavo Bandaranaike.[3] The building is included in the Toa Payoh Heritage Trail by the National Heritage Board.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Block 53, The VIP Block". Roots. National Heritage Board. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Block 53 at Lorong 5 Toa Payoh, between 1968 and 1970". BookSG. National Library Board. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Toa Payoh Heritage Trail" (PDF). NHB. National Heritage Board. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "THREE DEATH FALLS: POLICE APPEAL". The Straits Times. Singapore. 14 December 1977. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Body Found at Flats". The Straits Times. Singapore. 16 December 1977. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Teenager found dead at Toa Payoh". The Straits Times. Singapore. 13 April 1971. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Schoolgirl falls to death after an exam". The Straits Times. Singapore. 19 October 1972. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "QUEEN ELIZABETH II VISITS TOA PAYOH HOUSING ESTATE". National Archives of Singapore. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ Ong, Tanya (6 November 2017). "British royalty do random stuff each time they visit S'pore". Mothership.sg. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ Chan, Alphonso; Hashim, Jaleha (1 August 1996). "A Toa Payoh flat where the Queen came a-calling". The Straits Times. Singapore.
- ^ "Thai general's high-rise view of Singapore". The Straits Times. Singapore. 20 January 1973. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
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