Originally opened as the World Trade Centre in 1978 before becoming HarbourFront Centre in 2003, the building was never just another shopping spot.
After it officially closed on Jul 27, many Singaporeans went online to share their favourite memories of a place that was part of their growing-up years.
For many Gen X-ers and millennials, HarbourFront Centre was tied to the old Sentosa days. Some remembered taking the Sentosa ferry there, while others spent time by the waterfront watching cruises and ferries go by.
Many shared stories of eating at Pastamania, KFC, and McDonald’s, with one person recalling their first-ever McDonald’s breakfast there after a stay at NTUC Resort Sentosa.
A Familiar Place Despite Goodbye
The building’s history also resurfaced during discussions. Although it was renamed HarbourFront Centre in 2003, the change was planned before then and was not related to the 9/11 attacks.
While HarbourFront Centre may be gone, parts of its legacy remain. The ferry terminal has only moved about 70m away, meaning trips to and from Sentosa will continue from the same area.
The Forgotten Floors That Felt Like ‘Backrooms’
While most people knew HarbourFront Centre for its shops and restaurants, its upper floors became a surprise topic online.
A Reddit user shared photos of the quieter areas of the building, showing mostly empty office spaces, clinics, and old exhibition halls. The photos gave many viewers a “backrooms” or liminal vibe, like stepping into a forgotten corner of Singapore.
Comments called the space “very liminal”, with some Gen Z users joking that it looked like a real-life version of the internet’s “backrooms”.
Others shared their own memories of those floors. One person recalled working at the Ministry of Health offices there during COVID-19, spending late nights in the building and now feeling bittersweet about its closure.
See the post here:
HarbourFront Centre, the upper floors
byu/Unfair-Bike insingapore
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