Take a private tour of Sheng Siong supermarket tycoon Lim Hock Leng’s US$50 million Singapore home
- Lim and his family live on a two-building, nine-bedroom property that sprawls over 33,700 sq ft in the centre of the island nation.
- From historical buildings to modern finishes and an infusion of Chinese philosophy, the house is spacious and symbolic in equal measure
The multigenerational setting is a Chinese tradition, Lim said, and the house’s design was inspired by those he saw in China where private spaces surrounded a central courtyard. However, the peaceful setting, with abundant greenery set far back from noisy main roads, proved too much for his mother. Just three days after moving in, she moved back to her old neighbourhood because she wanted to be able to walk out for tea and coffee.
Here are the five most significant features of the property Lim spent S$67 million (US$50 million) in total to build and restore, which was completed in 2018.
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Inside Sheng Siong supermarket billionaire Lim Hock Leng’s home in Singapore
COLONIAL BUNGALOW
When Lim bought the plot of land for S$35 million in 2015, there was only a colonial building on the grounds. Home to British officers and their families before World War II, the two-storey bungalow with 2,376 sq ft of living space was listed as historically significant. Its conservation status meant Ta.Le Architects and Type0 Architecture had to keep key elements of its roof, facade, doors and windows and other significant design features.
The team peeled away a layer of pink paint to reveal the building’s original bricks, and kept all the window grilles and frames. The three-bedroom house was renovated with Lim’s mother in mind, but since she moved out, Lim’s eldest daughter has taken over.
THE 300-YEAR-OLD OLIVE TREE
This tree took 30 days to reach Singapore from Italy; it arrived with fruit, but will never bear any again due to the island nation’s climate.
Lim said the tree was especially symbolic to him. It has three trunks, with a space right in the middle of them; to Lim, this represented the partnership between him and his two brothers, with whom he co-founded Sheng Siong in 1985. Like the tree, Lim said, he and his brothers worked together for the common good of the business, but the crevice between them also allowed for room to give way to each other when there were disagreements. Noting that olive branches were a symbol of peace, Lim said the tree was also sited between the new house and the old as a “peace offering” of sorts.
PIG FEATURE WALL
This centrepiece cannot be ignored. Upon walking through the front door, visitors are greeted by a mosaic feature wall of a pig, made up of nearly 4,500 timber blocks in eight shades. It represents the Lim family’s humble roots, of which Lim said he was very proud. The artwork is based on a photograph Lim’s father took of the first pig he reared.
With great mirth, Lim tells the story of how his handyman father had bought a sick, imported pig for S$30, strapped it to his bicycle and brought it home, then fed it bottles of traditional Chinese medicine Three Legs Cooling Water. The pig recovered the next day, so his father bought more sick pigs and treated them with the medicine. It was this entry into pig farming that led Lim’s brother to open a stall at a provision shop to sell their excess pork. Later, when the provision shop owner ran into financial difficulties, the Lim family bought it over for S$30,000 – and the first Sheng Siong shop was born.
CHINESE PHILOSOPHIES
The house was designed to incorporate the Chinese philosophies which Lim holds dear. One, which he calls chu tou, means giving headway or leeway. Lim said it was a business philosophy that underlined how partners must be in a mutually beneficial relationship, explaining that you had to leave room for others and not take full advantage of all benefits.
This philosophy has been physically manifested in the house in two ways. First, the glass railings on the roof gardens are not built right at the edge, but 1.4 metres in. Second, the green wall in the courtyard and the marble slab in his bathroom protrude through the ceiling. Lim said this meant that in the house, one could chu tou while lying down and standing up.
Lim also wanted his house to represent the elements of fire, water, earth, metal and wood. There is a green wall, for example, with water flowing through it, and copper plates that are backlit to represent the fire element.
ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES
Lim said that at the end of 2019, just before the pandemic struck, he hosted a party with over 400 guests. Yes, the house is that big. Property regulations mandate that Good Class Bungalows, such as those owned by Lim, can only take up 40 per cent of the site’s land – leaving a lot of garden space for him to host parties.
The house also has a large second floor, where the living and dining rooms are situated, while the basement has a suite of entertainment facilities including a 30-metre saltwater pool, children’s pool, squash court, film theatre, sauna, karaoke room, games room, gym, bar, and jacuzzi.
