Bloomsbury Residences is a 358-unit development jointly developed by a consortium comprising Qingjian Realty, Forsea Holdings, ZACD Group and Jianan Capital. Located on Media Circle in Mediapolis, a precinct in one-north, Bloomsbury Residences is the first private residential project to break ground in that area.
The development will be open for public preview on Saturday, March 29, and a sales launch is expected a fortnight later, on April 12.
“With Bloomsbury Residences, we saw a unique opportunity to be the first residential project in the Mediapolis precinct,” says Ouyang Jing, general manager of Qingjian Realty. “We’ve taken time to study the area’s potential, anticipate future infrastructure growth and, most importantly, to shape a development that complements modern buyers’ aspirations.”
Typical unit types range from two to four bedrooms, with sizes from 570 sq ft to 1,421 sq ft. Variations include premium, premium-plus-study and premium-plus-flexi. There are eight exclusive penthouses with a mix of four- to six-bedroom units of 1,345 sq ft to 2,131 sq ft.
Indicative prices start from about $1.366 million ($2,396 psf) for a 570 sq ft two-bedder and $2.166 million ($2,396 psf) for a 904 sq ft three-bedroom-plus-study unit. Meanwhile, a 1,173 sq ft four-bedroom-plus-study starts from $2.866 million ($2,443 psf).
The 1,098 sq ft three-bedroom premium +flexi showflat. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/ The Edge Singapore)
The starting prices of Bloomsbury Residences at $2,396 psf for a two- and three-bedder and $2,443 psf for a four-bedder are “rather attractive” for a project in the Rest of Central Region (RCR), notes Ismail Gafoor, CEO of PropNex.
He points to other recent new project launches in the RCR, such as the 846-unit Emerald of Katong, the 552-unit Nava Grove, the 366-unit Union Square Residences, and the 777-unit The Orie. “These projects have all transacted at higher average psf prices when they hit the market,” says Gafoor (See Table 1).
Meanwhile, the average unit price psf of non-landed new private homes in the RCR in 1Q2025 was $2,721 psf, based on URA Realis. “From this perspective, Bloomsbury Residences’ pricing could look compelling to buyers, particularly if they are keen on a project in the city fringe,” he adds.
Blending of old and new
Bloomsbury Residences is next to the conservation black-and-white bungalows in Wessex Estate and many of the modern business park buildings around Mediapolis. Ouyang says the site’s dichotomy was one of the compelling reasons it was appealing to Qingjian and its partners.
According to Wang Xin, director of Forsea Holdings, Bloomsbury Residences “embodies the vision of an integrated living concept set against a unique blend of history and innovation”.
Wang adds: “As part of the land tender requirements for our site, the government laid down certain height restrictions on new blocks along Portsdown Road to encourage designs that were sensitive to the low-rise conservation houses in Wessex Estate.”
Designed by ADDP Architects, with landscape design by Ecoplan Asia, the project comprises two 21- and 23-storey residential towers, as well as a 14-storey block.
Bloomsbury Residences is a 358-unit development jointly developed by a consortium comprising Qingjian Realty, Forsea Holdings, ZACD Group and Jianan Capital. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/ The Edge Singapore)
The project’s architectural design draws inspiration from the colonial black-and-white bungalows in Wessex Estate. “Bloomsbury Residences enjoys a unique location overlooking Wessex Estate, known for its conserved colonial houses set amid lush greenery,” says Markus Cheng, senior associate partner at ADDP Architects. “This nostalgic and verdant setting inspired the design of the landscaped deck on the first level.”
Due to the site’s sloping elevation along Portsdown Road and Media Circle, the landscaped deck is raised by an average of 5m above street level. The sloping terrain also means the three residential towers are elevated 10m to 13m above Portsdown Road and Media Circle, which border the site. Cheng adds that this elevation frees up the entire ground level for greenery and communal spaces.
The façade of the three residential towers is “a modern interpretation of colonial architecture,” Cheng continues. Architectural details — from the framing to the mouldings — reflect heritage elements in a more abstract and simplified form to create a sleek, contemporary look.
Variety of units, amenities
At Bloomsbury Residences, two-bedroom units ranging from 570 sq ft to 689 sq ft make up 190 units (about 53%) of the total units in the project. Three-bedroom units ranging from 904 sq ft to 1,098 sq ft account for 92 units (26%), and four-bedroom units ranging from 1,173 sq ft to 1,421 sq ft make up 68 units (19%).
The developer has also provided high-end kitchen appliances, such as Miele for the hood and hob, with a Smeg refrigerator and quartz countertops in the kitchen. Gas cookers are provided in the kitchens of the three- and four-bedroom units, while induction units are provided in the two-bedders. The four-bedders also have two refrigerators. All the bathrooms will be fitted with top-end Hansgrohe’s AXOR and Geberit sanitaryware and fixtures.
Bloomsbury Residences will also feature a retail component with about 4,300 sq ft of retail space. The shops, which will be called Bloomsbury Shoppes, will be on the ground floor and have separate access from the residential blocks.
The two-bedroom + study showflat. The public preview starts on March 29. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/ The Edge Singapore)
The retail space will also include other public access spaces, such as a plaza and playgrounds. “Providing spaces to encourage the community of residents in this area is one of our goals for this development,” says Ouyang of Qingjian.
According to Ouyang, Bloomsbury Residences’ amenities include a tennis court (the first residential development in one-north to have one), three different swimming pools, and clubhouses.
Bloomsbury Residences will also introduce a variety of robots to enhance maintenance efficiency throughout the development. These include parcel delivery robots, a tennis caddy robot at the tennis court, and several cleaning robots to clean the common areas.
“To our knowledge, Bloomsbury Residences is the first residential project to introduce such innovations, and we feel this complements the lifestyle within the Mediapolis innovation hub,” says Ouyang.
Residential supply at one-north
Marcus Chu, CEO of ERA Singapore, says over 50,000 people work within one-north, the 200ha hub that brings together clusters in biomedical sciences, research and development (R&D), information and communications technology (ICT) and media. ICT companies with headquarters at one-north include Google’s Asia-Pacific headquarters, Grab, Razer and Huawei Technologies.
“The location remains underserved in terms of housing,” adds Chu. “The scarcity of quality housing presents a unique opportunity for buyers and investors to tap into strong demand in this high-growth area.”
Since the debut of the 405-unit One-North Residences in March 2007, only five apartment projects have been launched within one-north, with a total of 1,321 units, estimates Mark Yip, CEO of Huttons Asia.
Recent launches at one-north were the 275-unit Blossoms by the Park in April 2023 and The Hill @ One-North in April 2024. Both projects are at Slim Barracks Rise (See Table 2). While they are also situated within the 200ha one-north R&D hub, “The 358-unit Bloomsbury Residences is differentiated in that it is located in a brand-new housing precinct, and it will be the first project to hit the market in Media Circle, offering prospective buyers a first-mover advantage,” says Gafoor of PropNex.
Bloomsbury Residences will be the sixth new apartment project launch in one-north. It is located within Mediapolis, which supports the ICT and media ecosystems. “As the industry continues to expand, it will attract a highly skilled workforce supported by both local and foreign talent,” says ERA’s Chu. “This creates a demand for quality homes near their workplaces, paving the way for sustained rental demand in the long term.”
Need for vibrant mixed-use precinct
Recognising the demand for housing and the need to create a vibrant mixed-use district, URA amended its master plan for one-north in May 2024. Several land parcels in Media Circle and Portsdown Road for residential developments with retail components were earmarked for launch in the government land sales (GLS) programme.
Besides the site of the upcoming Bloomsbury Residences, URA also launched two other neighbouring sites — Media Circle (Parcel A) and Media Circle (Parcel B) — for sale under the 2H2024 GLS programme. The tender for Parcel A closed on March 4, while the tender for Parcel B will close on April 29.
Qingjian, together with its joint venture partner Forsea Holdings and minority investor Hoovasun Holding, emerged as the winner for Media Circle (Parcel A). Their bid was $315 million ($1,037 psf per plot ratio). The site is expected to be developed into a high-rise twin-tower project with about 325 apartments and commercial spaces on the ground level.
Future residents will have commercial offerings within easy reach, notes PropNex’s Gafoor. For instance, the 4,300 sq ft retail space at Bloomsbury Shoppes and the upcoming commercial podium on the first level of the neighbouring plot at Media Circle (Parcel A).
While Bloomsbury Residences may not be located very close to an MRT station, this is offset by the development’s other strong location attributes, notes Gafoor. For instance, it is situated near business hubs such as Mediapolis and Science Park and is also not far from Alexandra Technopark and Mapletree Business City.
“We think the proximity to schools such as the Tanglin Trust School, the National University of Singapore, and Fairfield Methodist School (Primary and Secondary) could also attract families to Bloomsbury Residences,” he adds.
Diverse group of buyers
Gafoor expects Bloomsbury Residences to appeal to a diverse group of buyers — both end-users and investors. It may be attractive to those who wish to live closer to their workplace in the area, such as in one-north or the Science Park, the NUS or NUH (National University Hospital), for instance. Meanwhile, investors may view the proximity to these employment areas, various schools and NUH as potentially driving the rentability of future homes in Media Circle, he reckons.
According to Huttons’ Yip, only one other white site in Fusionopolis and three other residential development sites with commercial on the first storey at Media Circle have yet to be launched. “Hence, residential supply in one-north remains limited,” he says.
As Mediapolis deepens its presence as a critical infocomm and media hub, ERA’s Chu anticipates “a steady influx of professionals with high-value careers seeking quality housing options”. “This evolving landscape, coupled with increasing housing demand, allows the area to capture rental growth and capital appreciation over the long term,” he observes.
As such, Chu expects to see more interest from investors looking to capitalise on the growth at one-north, as well as owner-occupiers working in the vicinity.
