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THE NEIGHBOURHOOD · 27 OCT 2026

The story of Riverside Point, from riverside warehouses to today

Most people pass Riverside Point on the way to somewhere else. A dinner by the river, a walk to Clarke Quay, a short cut over the bridge. But the building on Merchant Road has a longer story than its quiet facade suggests, and so does the stretch of river it sits on.

A working river

For most of Singapore’s history, this part of the river was all business. Lighters and bumboats carried goods upstream from Boat Quay to the warehouses, or godowns, that lined the banks. Clarke Quay, across the water, takes its name from Sir Andrew Clarke, Singapore’s second Governor, who served in the 1870s.

Crossing the river here is Read Bridge, which opened in 1889 and replaced an older crossing known as Merchant’s Bridge. It’s named after William Henry Macleod Read, a prominent figure in colonial Singapore. Today it’s for pedestrians and cyclists, and in 2008 it was selected for conservation.

The big clean-up

By the late twentieth century, the busy river had become badly polluted. Between 1977 and 1987, the government carried out a major clean-up of the Singapore River and moved the cargo trade elsewhere. The godowns fell quiet, and the question became what this stretch of river should be next.

The answer was a mix of old and new. Across the water, the old warehouses were restored, and Clarke Quay reopened in 1993 as a conservation project. On our side of the river, something purpose-built was on the way.

Riverside Point arrives

Riverside Point opened in August 1996. It was developed by Far East Organization and designed by local firm Andrew Tan Architects as a four-storey “lifestyle centre”, inspired by Sydney’s Darling Harbour and The Rocks.

The architects wanted the building to keep some of the old-world character of the godowns that once stood along the quays. That’s why you’ll see the pointed, arched gateway you walk through, the metal framework and the natural stone finish. It was built to feel like part of the river, not just another mall beside it.

In its early years, the building had a cinema on the fourth floor, an amphitheatre on the ground floor, and restaurants along the water.

A few surprises along the way

Riverside Point has had a more varied life than most buildings its age. In 2003, the Singapore History Museum moved in temporarily while its Stamford Road home was renovated. And in 2012, Riverside Point was chosen as one of the Singapore landmarks recreated in LEGO for Legoland Malaysia’s Miniland.

Riverside Point today

Thirty years on, Riverside Point is a quieter, more grown-up neighbour to the bright lights of Clarke Quay across the river. It’s home to restaurants, offices and small businesses, with the river on one side and Merchant Road on the other.

We opened Puro Premium Cigars here in July 2024, on the second floor at #02-02. We chose it because it’s central and easy to reach, with Clarke Quay MRT just across the river and parking in the basement. But it’s also nice to be part of a building with a bit of history behind it.

Next time you cross Read Bridge, take a look at the arches. You’ll know the story now.

You’ll find us at 30 Merchant Road, #02-02 Riverside Point, Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 9pm.