Golden Mile Complex, or GMC for short, is beloved for many things. There’s its striking Brutalist architecture and, of course, its unbeatable Thai grub. What’s most heart‑warming about this gazetted building, though, is perhaps how its community of migrants, nightlife tenants and long‑time residents has grown to include the likes of independent designers, architects, tattoo artists and musicians drawn to its affordable rents, laid‑back and convivial atmosphere, and rich nostalgia. (Cue the dive bars, jamming studios and live event spaces that have popped up in recent years, turning the mall into a haven for the art crowd.)
An intentionally obscured image of GMC’s exterior. Says Sim: “Memories hardly stay sharp and for most, this is what I imagine their mental image of the building to look like a year from now.”
Photographer and party organiser Chris Sim, or more popularly known as Zalindrome, knows these aspects of GMC intimately. In the two years that Sim had been a tenant there, renting a 1,000 sq ft unit on level seven to work out of, he also became one of its most intimate unofficial documentors. His personal album captures the many fun, sometimes romantic and occasionally hazy moments of the time he and his friends had spent there.
Adds Sim: “I like how Golden Mile Complex has always seemed to exist in dichotomy with Singapore at large: a rundown building that has colloquial associations with vice activities thriving in a country known for rigid order and efficiency. Of course, there’s a lot more to this landmark that we – the creative community – all love. And because I’ve always liked having a level of intimacy in my work, my images of Golden Mile Complex have largely only featured people that I know and interact with.”
