Content creator Fazli Rahmat uploaded an urban exploration video to his social media accounts on 19 Oct, sharing more about the ICB Shopping Centre.
ICB Shopping Centre, located along Yio Chu Kang Road, is a mixed-use development which is now around four decades old.
The building was last set for an en bloc sale at S$65 million to S$70 million in 2017.
However, the mall still stands today, which Fazli showcases to viewers in its present state.
ICB only has two floors of commercial shops, and as Fazli describes, “feels nothing like the malls we [are] used to today”.
The few businesses running out of the building include a cafe, a foot reflexology spa, a hair salon, a trading card shop, tuition centres, and a psychiatric clinic.
Source: adapted from iamfazlirahmat Instagram
There are even residential units located on the upper floors of the building as well, which are occupied.
Source: iamfazlirahmat Instagram
Despite the relatively spartan offerings at ICB, the fact that it is still operating is what Fazli believes makes the place interesting.
He appreciates that such older, somewhat neglected spaces such as ICB “continue to live their own quiet lives and serve their own little communities”.
This is especially poignant to him in Singapore’s ever-changing landscape.
Fazli, 31, a marketing specialist by profession, tells MS News that he has been producing content documenting “lesser-known, forgotten and often overlooked places around Singapore” since 2020.
He says that he has been trying to look at these places through a new lens by learning about their stories and the everyday lives connected to these locations.
In doing so, Fazli hopes to “discover a different side of Singapore beyond the places we’re already familiar with”.
Fazli shared with MS News that ICB Shopping Centre happens to be a familiar location to him.
It was a landmark he would frequently pass by in his childhood, having been raised in Hougang.
He feels that modern buildings have become such ubiquitous sights that buildings like ICB, which have remained frozen in time, have become overlooked.
His video was motivated by wanting to find out “what was inside, who still visited it, and how a small shopping centre like this continued to exist alongside Singapore’s changing retail landscape”.
During his visit, he particularly noted the cafe at the entrance.
“There seemed to be a steady flow of people going in and out, and it looked like quite a popular spot for regular visitors,” he said.
When asked for his opinion on what keeps places such as ICB Shopping Centre alive, Fazli said it is the people and the everyday routines which continue to give a place purpose. He added:
A building might look dated from the outside, but that doesn’t mean it has lost its relevance.
He gives the examples of those who have been visiting the same hair salon for years, parents sending their children to tuition classes, and regular customers who return to the same café because it’s familiar.
Fazli values the unique character of these places, shaped by the individuals who continue to use them daily.
To him, it is this sort of purpose that keeps a place alive.
Fazli also expressed his wish for locals to be more curious about their surroundings.
He feels that Singaporeans often complain that the country is boring, with few unique things to look at or do.
Fazli invites these people to give Singapore more credit and look deeper within the ordinary.
Nondescript buildings, old neighbourhoods, or isolated corners which have just been quietly existing around us for decades can be more interesting than attractions, he says.
“Visit these places, support a local business if something catches [your] interest, and perhaps even strike up a conversation with someone who has been there for years,” Fazli encourages.
Also read: The surprising history of an old bungalow along McNair Road, once owned by a police officer
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Featured image adapted from Fazli Rahmat on Instagram and CBRE.
