In the 1980s, new buildings were added to the civic district area located near the north bank of the Singapore River as part of the government’s urban renewal plans for the city centre. The most prominent structure to be erected during this period was the Raffles City (centre) office, shopping and hotel complex. Built on a site bounded by Bras Basah, Beach, Stamford and North Bridge Roads, Raffles City was officially opened in October 1986. The complex was designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei and comprised of the Raffles City Shopping Centre, the Raffles City Convention Centre, the 42-storey Raffles City Office Tower, the 28-storey twin-towers housing the Westin Plaza hotel, and the 73-storey tower (under construction) occupied by the Westin Stamford, which was then the tallest hotel in the world.
