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 (right 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 occupied by the Westin Stamford, which was then the tallest hotel in the world.In the distance is the Central Business District (CBD) situated on the south bank of the Singapore River. The CDB also underwent redevelopment in the 1980s and the most notable building to be erected during this period was the 63-storey Overseas Union Bank (OUB) Centre (left background, under construction). Built at a cost of $500 million to house the bank’s headquarters, the 280-metre-high structure was then the tallest building in Asia and the eleventh highest in the world when it was completed in November 1986.
