Introduction
Hi guys, I'm back again! This time, I'm reviewing Bloomsbury Residences. If you haven't heard of it, that's perfectly normal. This area is more known as a work hub, and not many people actually live here, but there's a good reason for that. You might be wondering who'd want to stay here, and if you can even make money investing in a place not directly next to an MRT. You're not alone in thinking that! For this project, I'll also discuss what to focus on when looking at the two, three, and four-bedroom units.
First up, let's talk about the locality. If you want to jump straight to the numbers, feel free to fast-forward to the "Two Bed, One Bath Analysis" section, where I'll explain what to look for if you're buying for investment.
Location Overview
As you can see from the map, this development is in the One-North area, specifically at 61, 63, and 65 Media Circle. It's a quick drive to the AYE (Ayer Rajah Expressway), and also easily accessible to Lornie Road via Farrer Road.
You'll find many nature touchpoints nearby, including Alexandra Forest, One-North Park, Science Park, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Getting to town by car takes just a few minutes, with easy access to Dempsey and Orchard Road via Queensway. For more local amenities, Bona Vista and Holland Village are close by, as are Queenstown and Clementi.
One-North has its own internal shuttle bus, which helps you navigate the many F&B outlets and supermarkets. Bloomsbury Residences will also have an exclusive shuttle bus service to the One-North MRT station for its residents.
The One-North area is also home to numerous international schools near Dover, such as INSEAD, UWC, ACS International, and Tanglin Trust School right next to Bloomsbury Residences. This multinational environment attracts many people for both study and work, with many residing here. So, whether it's for work, play, shopping, or leisure, everything is within reach, except for the airport.
This area falls under the Queenstown URA planning area. Several BTO (Build-To-Order) projects are already under construction here, including Queensway Canopy, Queen's Arc, and Sterling Horizon. In the Commonwealth area, you'll find Tanglin Halt Cascadia and Tanglin Halt Courtyard. Recently, blocks in Margaret Drive (like Sky Residence and Sky Oasis) and Dawson have also reached their MOP (Minimum Occupation Period). These areas are not far from the Queenstown and Commonwealth HDBs.
I was curious about walking to the Commonwealth area. Point A on the map is very close to Bloomsbury, and Google Earth satellite images show that you can potentially cross from the black and white houses (Wessex area) to the Commonwealth region. You'll also notice a line on the map—that's the Rail Corridor, stretching from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar. This corridor could connect a million residents within a 1 km radius and visitors from all walks of life.
In the Queenstown area, Bloomsbury is very close to the Queensway Node, with plans for a large, covered space beneath the Queensway flyover, where the Rail Corridor trail will run. From Bloomsbury, you can access the corridor to travel to Tanjong Pagar or even up to Hillview and Dairy Farm.
History and Design of One-North
Let's delve into the history and design of this place. If you find this part tedious, feel free to skip to the "Two Bed, One Bath Analysis" section for the numbers.The One-North and Bloomsbury areas still feature some colonial-era buildings. This strategic military base from the late 1940s retains many of its barracks in places like Rochester Park, Wessex Estate, and Nepal Hill. These areas are now designated as a heritage district to preserve these old buildings and maintain a low density.
Their retention is crucial for historical value. Old buildings possess unique characteristics and materials that are difficult to replicate. Singapore conserves many shophouses and black and white bungalows for this reason; once gone, they're hard to bring back. Preserving the original structures maintains their unique flavor, historical value, and even the subtle ambiance of their age.
Secondly, these low-density areas serve as a counterbalance to the high-rise, high-density future developments in One-North. Similar to Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar, where tall buildings stand alongside shorter shophouses, this creates a desired balance.
Why was One-North created? It wasn't just empty land. Singapore aims to attract global companies as a regional base, supporting them with financing, banking, legal frameworks, and IP protection. Aviation, shipping, and logistics physically move goods. Recognizing technology, biotech, and health science as future growth drivers, the fastest way to grow these industries was to invite global leaders to create local research houses. This would provide another growth driver alongside existing sectors. Housing them in a science park facilitates learning from them, making the Science Hub a centerpiece for R&D, much like Raffles Place is for finance.
What does a Science Hub require? They discovered a close relationship between academia and research, meaning schools and research houses. Creating synergies through interaction between academics and private institutions is vital, which is why the Science Hub was positioned next to a university.
Understanding the design decisions for One-North is crucial if you're considering investing here. It helps you make informed property decisions. Studies show that urban tech workers prefer an urban environment over suburban ones. They want new buildings and the ability to walk from work for coffee breaks. Many prefer to live close to their workplaces to fulfill this vision.
To achieve the best design ideas, world-class architectural firms were invited to tender proposals. This was done via a two-envelope approach, prioritizing design assessment over the lowest price, highlighting the premium placed on quality for One-North. The eventual winner was Zaha Hadid, known as the "queen of curves."
I want to acknowledge the thought process of designers and architects. Beyond just aesthetics, they consider how nature and humans interact. Singapore's One-North Master Plan is a prime example. Fun fact: the new Science Centre, relocating to Chinese Garden MRT, is also being planned by Zaha Hadid's company. I'm looking forward to it, as my parents live nearby, and the current Science Centre could be significantly improved compared to global standards.
The winning tender's goal for One-North was to increase street-level interaction, fostering idea exchange. This idea is implemented even in small design elements, like reducing curb heights along streets to make it easier for pedestrians to cross, encouraging walking.
One-North is planned into eight zones, with the One-North Linear Park cutting across them. In Singapore's hot climate, people usually don't walk long distances through parks. So, the linear design makes the park more accessible, with shelters and trees, making it much more usable.
The eight precincts of One-North are:
Biopolis: Singapore's first R&D hub for biomedical sciences. Fusionopolis: Comprises infocomms, laboratory science, and engineering, essentially a fusion of diverse skill sets. MediaCorp (MediaPol): Where Bloomsbury Residences is located, home to digital media, broadcasting, and traditional media outlets like Disney, Viacom, and Pearson, along with Media Campus. JTC Launchpad: Nicknamed "Silicon Valley," it started in 2011 at Block 71 and is a hub for startups. Timbre+ is a popular gathering spot for unwinding and networking after work. Nepal Hills: Features black and white colonial bungalows, focusing on leadership and talent development, with companies like Unilever's training school and ESSEC Business School. Wessex Estate (W6 and RE6): Right in front of Bloomsbury Residences, RE6 has 58 black and white colonial houses housing residential F&B and offices.
The Star Vista: Near the Bona Vista MRT, opened in 2012, offering retail. Ayer Rajah area: Earmarked as a cluster for emerging technologies. For getting around One-North, there's an on-demand shuttle service where you can plan your trip ahead. Many buses transport you around One-North to places like The Star Vista, Ghim Moh Market, and Holland Drive Market. As mentioned, Bloomsbury will also have its own shuttle bus to One-North MRT.
Location Overview (Continued)
This part of Singapore is rich with schools, industries, and business nodes. Looking eastwards from this cluster, you'll find not many houses. Even in nearby Pasir Panjang, there are mostly low-rise condos, meaning fewer residents. Near Dempsey, with its landed houses, the density is even lower. So, the residential population to the east is small compared to the vast industries, business nodes, hospitals, and schools.
Westwards, you'll find the densest part surrounding One-North and NUS, but there are still many low-density areas like West Coast Park. Towards the north, in the Clementi area, it's the densest part close to NUS One-North, yet the housing here is still relatively limited. North of the NUS One-North area, even Singapore Polytechnic is here, and most housing is low-density. As you go further north, you reach Holland Village and Bukit Timah. This is why I believe the government has opened up old Holland and Holland Plain areas for more housing; there simply isn't enough housing near these industries. This means people working here often have to commute quite far.
Comparing this density to other areas like Toa Payoh Bidadari (currently empty, but planned for new houses) or Punggol (very packed), the West Coast/NUS/One-North area genuinely feels underserved in terms of housing.
Returning to the master plan, you can see extensive economic activity expanding around One-North, yet housing density remains low. This is why I believe the government announced more housing for the One-North area itself. The Bloomsbury site and surrounding areas have been re-zoned for mixed commercial and residential use. While there are already F&B and supermarkets, more shops and vibrancy are planned. This will bring increased convenience for residents.
It's common in Singapore for land zoned for certain uses to remain untouched for an unknown period. This isn't unique to One-North; it happens across the island. So, while an area might be zoned residential, we don't know when construction will begin. It's best to stick to plans that are already confirmed and in place.
Developers of Bloomsbury Residences
Bloomsbury Residences is being developed by Qingjian Realty and Forsea Holdings. Qingjian has a long history in Singapore, recently celebrating its 25th anniversary. Forsea Holdings is a Fortune 500 builder.
Qingjian began as a sub-contractor, becoming a main contractor before venturing into development. Their first project was the DBSS (Design, Build and Sell Scheme) Natura Loft at Bishan. From 2011 to 2014, they developed many Northeast EC (Executive Condominium) projects. Since 2018, they've built condos like Jadescape and Forett at Bukit Timah.
Forett recently received its TOP (Temporary Occupation Permit). While I've been to Forett and Jadescape, I forgot to take pictures. However, Google Maps contributions show that Forett is beautifully built with excellent landscaping, a signature of Qingjian's quality. Jadescape also appears to be a very good representation of their product and the developer's standards, far better than just artist impressions. If you have pictures of other condos from other developers, please send them my way for future reviews!
Jadescape made headlines when a 23rd-floor penthouse sold for $10.15 million in the resale market, representing an annualized gain of about 15%. This six-bedroom penthouse sale might make you wonder who would pay that much for a condo, but it happened for a reason I might explain in another video. Bloomsbury also has two stacks of such six-bedroom penthouse units. Another Jadescape unit, a five-bedroom on the 10th floor, sold for $4.42 million in the resale market.
These sales indicate two things: first, the developer is reputable. For resale buyers to pay $4 to $10 million for a resale product shows confidence in the development's quality. Second, based on the pictures, the quality of the buildings and finishings seems very high. There's a strong chance Bloomsbury will offer similar quality.
Project Details
Bloomsbury Residences has three blocks of 23, 21, and 14 stories, totaling 358 units. I'm a bit disappointed that there are only 143 car parks, which might be part of One-North's plan to encourage a car-light environment, perhaps emphasizing cycling.
Bloomsbury doesn't offer one-bedroom units; units start from two-bedroom, one-bath. The unit mix is quite balanced, with roughly half two-bedrooms and half three-bedrooms and larger. There are also eight penthouses, all single-level, unlike the double-story penthouses often seen in older condos.
Views of Bloomsbury Units
Here are some perspectives from Bloomsbury Residences. The southern views offer glimpses of the southern seashore and Kent Ridge Park. However, note that the left side is zoned for future housing with ground-floor commercial units, while the right side is zoned for business. A "white site" area also exists with a low plot ratio of about 0.8.
The northern views provide ample greenery and open sky, along with tall buildings. For the northern view, since the black and white houses are already there, I don't think the unit's floor height (high or low) matters as much. I can even show you my own second-floor house, which has an unblocked view, potentially offering a similar vibe to the north-facing units at Bloomsbury overlooking the Wessex Estate.
(Video showing a view from a second-floor apartment, displaying low-rise buildings and sky with no major blockages, suggesting a decent view for low-floor units in Bloomsbury facing similar low-rise areas.)
As you can see from my second-floor view, it's quite decent with low-rises and open sky. To me, low floors can be appealing as they offer a different kind of vibe and view.
The third view is towards the east and the facilities, facing the Alexandra side. This offers a more greenery view. We can also see the big hill construction progress here. I'm unsure what will be built there in the future, but for now, there's a good setback and distance clearance to the next building, and it's not west-facing.
Condo Facade and Artist Impressions
This is the building's facade and how the area looks from the north. Northern views face this direction, southern views are behind, and eastern views are here. Remember, there will be shops on the first floor, with condo units starting from the second floor upwards.
If you've been to condos like Stirling Residences or Parc Clematis, or even West Coast ones like Twin VEW and
Whistler Grand, you'll likely feel very breezy on the facilities level. A key reason for this is the absence of ground-floor units, which leaves ample space for wind to flow through. Wind will flow at the bottom of the blocks from all sides, and the front isn't heavily blocked. I expect Bloomsbury Residences to be very windy around the pool area once it receives its TOP.
Design Concept of Bloomsbury Residences
The design concept for Bloomsbury Residences is uniquely situated between the colonial history of Wessex Estate and the forward-looking One-North district. It seamlessly unites these contrasting worlds, drawing inspiration from its namesake, London's renowned intellectual and literary district.
According to Qingjian's Managing Director, Mr. Tu, Media Circle is unique with its black and white colonial houses and headquarters of companies like Grab and MediaCorp, plus schools like INSEAD Business School and Tanglin Trust School. This multinational environment reminded him of his time studying at UCL (University College London), whose campus is in Bloomsbury, near landmarks like the British Library, Senate House Library, British Museum, parks, and a weekly farmers market. It seems he had the idea of naming the project Bloomsbury after winning the Media Circle GLS (Government Land Sales) site.
Indeed, drawing inspiration from English and colonial architecture seen in the Wessex Estate, combined with the name itself, and adding a modern luxury twist, you can see how the clubhouse looks similar to the black and white houses with its lines and columns, but it incorporates more glass. The view from the Bloomsbury lobby towards the pool and veranda features high ceilings, creating a generous and welcoming space, much like a grand hotel lobby. Even the presence of trees inside makes you feel small, conveying a sense of scale and grandeur.
The pool area, I believe, is inspired by a holiday resort concept, with clean lines, deck chairs, water, and trees, creating a very welcoming atmosphere. As I mentioned earlier, since there are no ground-floor units and these areas are elevated enough for trees below, this space will enjoy excellent ventilation and feel very breezy, making it extremely comfortable.
Recall the One-North master plan's goal of increasing street-level interaction? Level 1 will have shops open to the public, similar to many other projects in One-North. Residents will have access to the other areas starting from Level 2.
For the interior design, they've drawn inspiration from a spa resort, using neutral tones like beige, cream, and dark brown. The living and dining room flooring features travertine-look-alike patterns, while wet areas like the kitchen, yard, and balcony use slip-resistant tiles in matching colors. For this location, quality fittings are important, and thankfully, Bloomsbury uses reputable brands like Axor and Geberit for bathrooms, and Miele and Smeg for the kitchen.