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53 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh

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Block 53 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh, also known as the VIP Block, is a HDB block in Toa Payoh, Singapore. The building is the only block in Toa Payoh with a Y-shaped design.

History

Constructed somewhere before 1968, Block 53, located along Lorong 5 Toa Payoh, is the only block in the town of Toa Payoh with the unique Y-shape design. The building is 19-stories tall, and has a rooftop gallery which is inaccessible to the public. The building has been the site of at least four deaths due to falling between 1971 and 1978, two of which occurred within the same week.

The building was visited by Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Singapore, when she was visiting Toa Payoh in 1972. The building was also visited by General Bulsak Wanamas, the former under-secretary of defense of Thailand, during his visit to Singapore in 1973. The building has also been visited by John Gorton, Princess Anne, Prince Philip, Benjamin Sheares, and Sirimavo Bandaranaike. The building is included in the Toa Payoh Heritage Trail by the National Heritage Board.

References

  1. ^ "Block 53, The VIP Block". Roots. National Heritage Board. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  2. "Block 53 at Lorong 5 Toa Payoh, between 1968 and 1970". BookSG. National Library Board. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Toa Payoh Heritage Trail" (PDF). NHB. National Heritage Board. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  4. "THREE DEATH FALLS: POLICE APPEAL". The Straits Times. Singapore. 14 December 1977. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  5. "Body Found at Flats". The Straits Times. Singapore. 16 December 1977. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  6. "Teenager found dead at Toa Payoh". The Straits Times. Singapore. 13 April 1971. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  7. "Schoolgirl falls to death after an exam". The Straits Times. Singapore. 19 October 1972. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  8. "QUEEN ELIZABETH II VISITS TOA PAYOH HOUSING ESTATE". National Archives of Singapore. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  9. Ong, Tanya (6 November 2017). "British royalty do random stuff each time they visit S'pore". Mothership.sg. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  10. Chan, Alphonso; Hashim, Jaleha (1 August 1996). "A Toa Payoh flat where the Queen came a-calling". The Straits Times. Singapore.
  11. "Thai general's high-rise view of Singapore". The Straits Times. Singapore. 20 January 1973. Retrieved 7 April 2022.


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