Singapore's First Air-Conditioned Mall: The Story of Katong Shopping Centre
Long before Orchard Road's mega-malls and marina-side retail palaces, there was a six-storey building on Mountbatten Road that changed how Singapore shopped. When Katong Shopping Centre opened in 1973, it made history as Singapore's first air-conditioned shopping centre — and for East Coast families of that era, it was the place to be.
The glamour years
In the 1970s and 80s, air-conditioning wasn't a given — it was an event. Katong Shopping Centre drew crowds from across the island for its cool air, its department store, its tailors, textile shops, and bookstores. Ask anyone who grew up in Katong in that era and you'll hear affectionate memories of weekends spent wandering its floors.
A different kind of mall
As newer malls rose across Singapore, Katong Shopping Centre evolved into something rarer: a strata-titled time capsule. Today it's known for its cluster of employment agencies, its old-school tailors and print shops — and, for those in the know, a basement food scene worth crossing the island for, from legendary chicken rice to cult-favourite banana pie.
There's a growing appreciation in Singapore for places like this — malls with history, character and community, where rents still allow small independent businesses to exist. Katong Shopping Centre is one of the best of them.
Our small part in the story
We opened The Bridge by ET at B1-K128 because we love buildings like this and believe in the community inside them. Our kiosk is a social initiative by serendipET: we brew, you sip, we give — 100% of our nett profits go to social causes.
Next time you're in Katong — perhaps exploring the Joo Chiat heritage shophouses or heading to East Coast Park — step into a piece of 1973 and come find us in the basement. Read our story →