The Last Scent

A couple of years later, before 2010, in another of my night tour to the gates of Hillview Mansion. I met a middle-aged couple, who when spotted my API T-shirt, told me something startling. She said that the Hillview Mansion was actually a Memorial House.

I did not know what to make of this new information, and did not include in this Report then.

But 2 years later, confirmation of this “Memorial House’ came, when I recieved an email from 1 urban Explorer, who actually visited the Hillview Mansion, back in 1984. 

She wrote: “My friend lived away further and I had from time to time pick him up or send him home (I had a car, he didn’t) if we were playing downtown Orchard Road. Time period is 1983-1986.

He showed me the house one day when we exploring the area. It was midday. We went up the hill, I can’t remember the gates but I don’t think it had those weird pointy things on them then. The house was of a new construction, not a renovation.

It was stunning. On the main floor you could make out the typical living and dining areas, kitchen and even maid’s quarters. On the second floor was a space which looked like a very large (huge) bedroom with attached bathroom (also large). Tiling , electrical and even some woodwork evident but nothing completed. There was another bedroom or study but I could not be sure of what it was intended for. Like I said, it is all new, never been used. Quality of work was high, all solid. Piping had been run but not many fixtures were in place. Concrete work seemed a little rough in some areas but could have been in a prefinished state (sealed but not smoothed out).  I don’t remember garages or a pool in retrospect, which I thought strange as those are usually trappings of extravagant housing. I was in awe of the place. I remember walking out on to one of the balconies and the view was beautiful.

I asked around and recv’d similar replies as to the effect the house is being built on an artificial hill with soil from the C&C factory sites. The house  however was never to be completed. It was to be worked on continuously or there would be catastrophe for the owner (hinted C&C chairman).

The house itself was supposed to modeled after a little turtle on top of a larger turtle (head to tail) facing opposite directions. I was wondering what the sharp angles was on the house and was told it was the head. There was supposed to be a pagoda (not full size) built by the front entrance.  The blue roof tile was seriously awesome.

I left the country soon after a few more trips to the house. It did look like there was some work being done very slowly and/or maybe someone was stealing materiel. I was always very respective of the house and never defaced or tried to break anything. I always wanted to see it nearer completion or completed.

Do not know if you read anything new in my email but that was my spin on it.”

Conclusion

Officially the land which stood the Hillview Mansion’s was certified in 1980. The 1st owner was Popular Estates P L (1970). The 2nd owner (1987) was Peaktop Property. If the C&C Chairman had built the Hillview Mansion in the 1970s, it was not found in any official records. It appears in all aspects, an illegal building built on private land. 

Costruction works was left half done since 1984.

Why the new Owner now (as of Sep 2012) have not done anything about the land, perhaps the right plans for what the land in which Hillview Mansion stood has not dawned on him yet.

V.P. is owned by Far East Organisation. (story here) Owned by the richest man in Singapore, who died not too long ago.

Charles Note: This story was first written in 2003. I have revised it in Sep 2012.