In March, the beloved Music Book Room in Bras Basah Complex closed for good, another apparent casualty of the decline in physical books.
Taking its place is another Toast Box — a mainstay of most malls in Singapore.
However, those who miss the iconic bookstore may be glad to know that Toast Box has retained many of its features like its signage.
The result is an unconventional Toast Box that gives off the same old-school vibe of the Music Book Room.
When MS News visited the café, which opened last Thursday (15 June), the first obvious thing we noticed is that the green-and-blue signage of the Music Book Room was mostly intact.
Instead of taking down the old signage, Toast Box merely placed their own recognisable name on top of it.
This is possibly the first time in Singapore that a business taking over a unit has left their predecessor’s signage intact.
The only changes they made were creative design twists.
For example, while the original Music Book Room advertised services like photocopying and book binding, Toast Box — following the same bullet point presentation – listed out beverages they served like Nanyang kopi and iced milo.
And instead of a Fuji Xerox logo, the other side proclaims that the coffee and bread are now prepared in the unit.
In comparison, this was what the signage looked like before.
Source: Google Maps
In keeping with its previous incarnation as a music bookstore, the Toast Box outlet has a music-inspired theme as evidenced by the decorations sitting in the window.
For starters, a piano is displayed to one side, complete with a bust of Beethoven and a retro radio on top of it.
On the other side, an antique gramophone sits proudly, evoking memories of the days when vinyl was played on these big-horned devices rather than turntables.
On a shelf next to another Beethoven bust is a photo of the Music Book Room as it looked in days of yore — a wistful sight to those who remember it.
Toast Box has also retained the music stave decal on the glass panels — another nice touch indeed.
Upon entering the outlet, it’s apparent that it doesn’t copy the typical Toast Box whitish colour scheme and modern fittings.
Instead of the marble tables of ordinary outlets, their tables and stools are made of unpolished brown wood, reminiscent of nostalgic coffee shops.
The Music Book Room’s flooring and ceiling have also been retained.
But what completes the old-school vibe is the rustic wooden counter with panelling straight from the 1980s.
While the menu of Toast Box’s new outlet is the same, the eatery has preserved part of the legacy of an institution that stood for 43 years.
Considering how fast the pace of change is in Singapore, it’s reassuring that some still strive to remember and commemorate what came before.
The Music Book Room may be gone for good, but hopefully, those who loved it can take some comfort from that.
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Featured image from MS News.
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