NYON Condo Review: Peranakan-Inspired Boutique Condo

28 min read

Project:	NYON
District:	15
Address:	12 Amber Road
Tenure:	Freehold
No. of Units:	92
Site Area:	28,409 sqft
Developer:	Aurum Land
TOP:	Sep 2022

For the benefit of those less familiar with the East, the culturally rich neighbourhood of Katong was an area once filled with coconut plantations and dominated by seaside bungalows and pre-war shophouses for wealthy Peranakans and Eurasians. Today, the shophouses continue to stand strong with its immaculate motifs and colourful facades while many of the bungalows have given way to high rise condominiums. In fact, Aurum Land’s acquisition of several landed homes to build NYON has effectively brought the end to landed property plots left along Amber Road. 

Playing on its distinguished surroundings, NYON’s very name is inspired by the word “Nyonya”, a term which the Peranakan Chinese community commonly refer to themselves by. Beyond its name, Nyon is a Peranakan themed development with many strong design elements playing tribute to the history of the area. While certainly not the first Peranakan inspired development in the area (Straits Mansion at Marine Parade comes to mind), NYON has definitely done a better rendition in my opinion and I will touch more on its features later. 

Beyond its rich culture, NYON’s location at Amber Road is certainly one of the most convenient. Having lived in District 15 all my life, you could say that I am biased. But to me, there really aren’t many other areas in Singapore that can offer you that level of convenience and lifestyle. East Coast Park is just a 5 minutes (400m) walk away while Marina Bay Financial Centre and Changi Airport are a mere 10 minutes by car in opposite directions. With the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) set to be completed in 2023, Tanjong Katong MRT will be just 3 minutes away from NYON, bringing additional convenience to residents. 

In recent years, the Amber Road precinct has been heating up with new launches with the launch of Amber 45 in 2018 (recently TOP-ed) followed shortly by Amber Park, Coastline Residences and NYON, all of which were acquired via en bloc sales. 

Let’s find out if the other features of this freehold development will make this a worthy purchase to consider. 

NYON Condo Insider Tour

The Amber precinct is actually quite small, comprising just 2 parallel roads (Amber Road and Amber Gardens) of about 500 metres each with high-rise condominiums dotting the entire area.

NYON is a 92-unit development situated close to the end (or the start, depending on where you drive from) of Amber Road and just beside Amber Skye, a project which I recently reviewed a couple of months ago.

To give you some perspective, NYON is not the largest development here at Amber Road, which is dominated by landmark projects such as The Sea View (377,657 sq ft) and One Amber (249,212 sq ft) among others. Among the new launches, Amber Park is the largest at 213,675 sq ft, which is almost 9x the size of NYON. 

Consequently, NYON is not duelling to be the most facilities extensive condo around. Rather, as with many other Aurum Land developments, it focuses on a concept and strives to bring it to life in a tasteful and desirable manner. In this case, it’s all about the Peranakan theme for true Katong lovers. Facilities for NYON are divided across Level 1 and Level 14 and I’ll delve more into the former first.

Starting with the Guardhouse, you will notice that there are actually 2 lanes leading into the development, 1 for residents driving into the basement carpark and 1 for drop-offs. That’s quite impressive for a 92 unit development, especially since Amber Skye right beside has a larger land plot but only accommodated for a single lane. Parking is not expected to be an issue here since there is 1-to-1 allocation for residents. Plus, I would expect a number of units to be leased out to tenants who would prefer using the MRT (which is just steps away). 

The drop-off point is relatively plain and not the grandest by any measure. To be fair, I didn’t have a ton of expectations to begin with anyway given the limited land space. To NYON’s credit, this is also where the Peranakan influences begin and the drop off is expected to be cladded with some nyonya inspired mosaic tiles. 

The drop off will lead residents to what I think is possibly the most impressive part of NYON – the beautiful Courtyard space which is reminiscent of the old Peranakan homes in Katong complete with sculptural stairs and hanging planters. I always believe first impressions matter so this redeems the plain looking drop off point for me.

It’s hard to tell from the model sometimes, so here’s a rendered shot of what the courtyard space is slated to look like.

There will also be a sheltered walkway all the way to the side gate. If it looks familiar, it’s because the thought put into the design of NYON is truly immaculate. With the use of mild steel and louvers, it is a modern take of an old five-foot walkway and I really appreciate how meticulous the attention to detail so far.

By now, you probably won’t be surprised about the theme of Clubhouse. You will find similar Peranakan inspired concepts such as the mosaic tiles to the lamps and pillars.

It is basically a small separate ‘house’ located at the side of the development and just beside 16@Amber and King’s Mansion.

For kids, there’s a Treehouse Playground on Level 1 and another Children’s Play Area on Level 14. Given the small land area of NYON, one shouldn’t be expecting too much of course and your kids would be better off heading to East Coast Park, which is just a 5 minutes walk away anyway. 

Again, I do appreciate that they’ve tried to come up with a different concept that would be more coherent with the overall design of the project rather than the usual colourful plastic looking ones.

Another part I really like about NYON would be the Mosaic Pool. Inspired by the nyonya kebaya, the 30m lap pool is surely one of the more unique pools you will find in new developments. Not as cool as the Constellation Pool at The Hyde, but nonetheless a distinctive one.

A 30m pool is definitely not the best in today’s market but it is a necessary constraint would-be buyers need to understand as NYON is a boutique project on a small plot of land. For comparison’s sake, let me show you projects next door. Amber Skye with 108 units, boasts of a 48m lap pool while 16@Amber with 40 units has a pool that is probably less than 20m. 

Either way with just 92 units, I can’t imagine the size of the pool really being much of an issue here.

On the plus side, the pool doesn’t directly face the residential blocks at King’s Mansion, so you do get a decent gap for some breathing space.

There will also be a number of lounging decks around the pool area and small cabana pool and jacuzzi beside the main pool as well.

The BBQ pit is also situated right next to the pool and is naturally the most ideal location. The kids can enjoy their swim while the adults catch up over a BBQ dinner. It’s also great that this space is sheltered as protection against the heat or even wet weather.

Next up is the Sky Terrace on Level 14. This is where you’ll find a myriad of facilities to take advantage of the higher views.

The Gymnasium looks to be decently sized, with the high ceilings definitely playing a major role in making the space feel bigger.

There is an Outdoor Fitness Area augmenting the Gym too so that might help to help to ease the demand during peak hours. What’s great about the facing of the Gym is that it gets pocket sea views and will definitely make that run on the treadmill slightly more therapeutic.

Also getting these pocket sea views are the aptly named Seaview Patio and Sitting Room, both of which will be great ways to unwind after a long day of work I’m sure. 

On the other end of Level 14 is where you will find the Sky Dining terrace. It looks to be equipped with cooking equipment and an impressive 18-seater long table. If this comes to pass, it would surely be an impressive area to host friends. With just 92 units for this development, I’m sure booking it (besides festive holidays) shouldn’t be much of an issue. 

Last but not least, let me just pen down my thoughts on the overall design of the NYON. To be completely honest, from the outside, I can’t say that it carries the most distinctive of facades.

It’s only when you peer closer, do you see the attention to detail throughout.

Like the Peranakan inspired tiles on the balcony.

Or the intricate detailing on the Courtyard.

Finally, it was pretty cool to see the little figurines dotted throughout the model. I know this has no bearings on the outcome of the project, but it certainly evoked that little bit of playfulness for me.

Now, let me show you the showflat units!

NYON Condo 3 Bedroom Review

There are several 3 Bedroom unit types at NYON, even within the same stack. For the show unit, it is Type C2, occupying most even floors of Stack 5. This 1,216 sqft unit here includes a 14 sqm void over the living room, with only the 15^th floor unit having no void space at 1,066 sqft (which has already been sold for $2.68m). Flooring provided will be marble in the common areas and timber strip in the bedrooms, which are pretty common materials used in condos these days. 

Coming into the 3 Bedroom unit, you will find a slightly longer foyer area here. There are already some storage cabinets built in and you have the option of building additional spaces here if you require or just a bench to get ready for work.

The kitchen is just to your right as you walk in and it’s an enclosed one as expected. It comes with Bosch appliances including the cooker hood, oven, freestanding fridge and separate washer and dryer.

A gripe of mine would be that all units at NYON, including the larger ones such as this, do not have an open flame stove, and this unit will come with a 3 zone induction hob instead. Another nitpick would be their choice of Bosch appliances, which I deem as slightly more mass market compared to the price point NYON is currently asking for. There is also a kitchen sink provided by Carysil and mixer by Gessi. Some of the 3 Bedroom units will also come with a Vintec wine chiller. 

You do also get a Tomal water dispenser tap here (as similarly seen at The Hyde). It isn’t something you see at all in other developments so I do recognise that meticulousness here.

The good thing about this kitchen is that it comes with plenty of top and bottom cabinets, which makes storing stuff away easy.

On a less positive note, the kitchen is on the small side, and even with the cutaway windows some people might find it a little tight.

That said, however, that size constraint is really because they have included a proper yard space, along with a helpers room and WC.

It also comes with windows, which ensure good ventilation for either your helper who might be using the room or to ensure that your extra items stored here don’t get musty.

Yards and utility rooms have unfortunately become victims of the high property prices in Singapore so it’s always a welcome addition to those who can afford the additional space. 

In short, while you do lose out on kitchen space, having a yard is also important to some utility wise – so in a sense you do get the best of both worlds here.

If anything, the dining area is probably one that poses the most question marks for me. They have gone with bench seating as with most other show flats to maximise the seating capacity. Your choice of furniture matters as it will really determine whether or not this space can sit 4 or 6 people.

The main issue is really because of the allowance you have to give for the walkway from the main entrance as well as to the rest of the bedrooms. Alternatively, you could get creative and move your living to the platform, thereby having a much bigger area for a dining space (if you have guests over a lot).

Now, let me show you what is probably the biggest highlight of this 3 Bedroom unit.

Well, as the adage goes, you get what you pay for and you’ll see this on display with the 6 metre high ceiling here. Personally, I really love the double volume ceilings and at 6 metres, it is definitely one of the highest I’ve seen. For some perspective, most double volume ceilings that you’ll see on the market are generally between 4 – 5 metres.

Non double volume ceiling units come with 3.25 metres instead, which is already higher than the average 2.8 metres in the market.

Double volume ceilings create abundant possibilities and if you visited the showflat previously, this set up of a furniture deck in the living room might look new to you since it’s only been installed just a couple of weeks ago.

So while you are nearly always going to be paying for the air space, at the very least the one here at NYON is actually very usable. Of course, you can choose to do without the deck to free up space for a TV console and a coffee table. However, the furniture deck also serves a purpose and they have done up a cosy little study here. With work from home set to continue for many companies, this may be a helpful space to segregate your work from play. Personally, I would probably set this space up as a cosy corner to unwind with a beanbag, a book and some music in the background.

Or as mentioned earlier, it could be an alternative living room (albeit a cramped but cozy space).

Note for the next first 6 buyers, the developers will be providing this furniture deck for free! 

As you can tell, the living room is not the most spacious around. Lengthwise is pretty decent and should accommodate a 4-seater pretty comfortably. However, width wise, things don’t look as ideal. Especially with a furniture deck in place, the space looks narrow with little room for a coffee table. 

However, that high ceiling definitely comes in handy here as it doesn’t actually feel as stifled as it would do with a normal ceiling height. Because of the amount of light let in, it does contribute greatly to that open airy feel.

From here, you might be wondering with the placement of the stairs, how would one even place a TV set?

Well, they have included an option for you to place your TV, although that does take away that sleek feel of the previous staircase.

The balcony space is rectangular and is definitely not a large one to begin with. What this means is more usable space in the unit itself, which I believe is actually more ideal for most buyers. The length of the balcony actually adjoins the living room, Bedroom 3 as well as the Master Bedroom, allowing users of all 3 areas to seamlessly connect to the outdoors. If you would like, you could still possibly fit in a couple of bar stools along the balcony to enjoy the views while having coffee.

And as shown in the showflat model, the tiles provided here are also Peranakan inspired and show the thought put into the designing of the project. 

Let’s move on to Bedroom 3, the first common bedroom. You will find that at 10 sqm, it is just about average in today’s market – so you will be able to fit in a Queen sized bed quite comfortably. However, if you require a dresser or a small study, it would probably be more advisable to go with a Single instead.

As always, the higher than average ceiling height does help a ton in making the space feel bigger.

The 2 panel wardrobe provided will also come with NYON’s motif, which helps to create some sort of identity among residents. If you aren’t a fan of it however, you might have to find substitute solutions as it is featured in the bathrooms as well.

What’s also unique in this room is the extension of the room into the balcony, which is great for ventilation and views. 

Bedroom 2 also stands at 10sqm, similar to most other bedrooms in this development. You will be able fit in a Queen sized bed quite comfortably too.

The wardrobe provided also comes with the unique NYON motif and you will also get floor to ceiling windows in this room (although not fully width wise), allowing lots of natural light to emanate this space.

This bedroom may not get balcony access like the rest, but it does have one trick up its sleeve: you can consider it to be an ensuite because of the jack and jill layout of the bathroom.

So because of the jack-and-jill concept, you can enter and exit from Bedroom 2 and the common hallway. It comes with a wall hung water closet by Laufen, tap and shower mixers by Gessi.

Do note that there are no windows here so you will have to rely on mechanical ventilation and be wary of mould forming.

Like the wardrobes, the drawers below the bathroom sinks come with the signature NYON motif.

Finally, moving on the Master Bedroom, which combined with the Master Bathroom comes in at 17 sqm. It’s comfortably sized and will fit a King-sized bed if required. Otherwise, a Queen sized bed would give you more room to place a dresser or a couple of side tables.

Similar to the other rooms, you will find a small NYON motif on the wardrobe provided. While the wardrobe here is the regular 2-panel variety, you do get a smaller one as well on the right.

The room has floor to ceiling windows to let in plenty of sunlight and a small door which leads you to the balcony. That’s as good as it gets for buyers who don’t wish to have the additional cost of paying for an additional balcony in the bedroom.

The Master Bathroom is also of an average size and comes with the usual bells and whistles similar to the Common Bathroom. The only difference is the presence of a rain shower, which has become quite the norm for Master Bathrooms at least. 

You do also have a window in the Master Bathroom, which is always very welcome for natural ventilation.

This may be a small thing, but I do also like the inclusion of a little magazine holder on the right of the WC – great for those who still enjoys the feeling of print.

NYON Condo 1 Bedroom Review

The show unit at NYON is the only 1 Bedroom layout in the development and comprises 2 out of 6 stacks at NYON and both interestingly have the more ‘premium’ pocket sea views. At 484 sq ft, it is considered to be a compact size in today’s market. Flooring provided will be marble in the common areas and timber strip in the bedroom. 

There is a small foyer once you step into the unit, which I do view as quite wasted space in general. Of course, you could place a small console or built-in cabinetry of your own to increase the amount of storage space.

Beyond that, my first thoughts upon stepping into the unit was that the walkway felt quite narrow compared to similar other 1 Bedrooms on the market.

But that’s actually for good reason – you will find more countertop and storage spaces in this kitchen than most other competing 1 Bedroom units around. The developers have made use of both sides of the open kitchen to create spaces, making this one of the more functional 1 Bedroom kitchens around. 

So while working back to back may be a bit tight here, I do suppose those who tend to use the kitchen a lot would prefer a layout like this – you can even enclose it if you wished!

Here, you will find appliances by Bosch such as the 2-zone induction hob, cooker hood, oven, built-in fridge as well as a Gessi kitchen mixer. Having a concealed fridge makes the entire area look sleeker although things will get trickier when the fridge breaks down one day.

Like the 3 Bedroom unit – if I had to nitpick, it would be the choice of brand for the appliances – nothing against Bosch but personally, it’s more of a mass market brand and perhaps it would have been more impressive if they went with Bosch’s upscale subsidiary Gaggenau instead. 

What I really like too is they’ve even added in the water dispenser to the 1 Bedroom units – which goes against the grain of what most of developments will do. While you could say that no special treatment has been given to the bigger ones, I prefer to look at it as added benefits for the smaller units.

Impressively as well, the dining is pleasingly quite spacious. Instead of barely fitting a dining table for 2 in some developments, you would be pleased to know that the dining area here would fit 4 quite comfortably.

What is also rather nifty as well is the 3.25m ceiling height for every unit – this probably beats every development in the market hands down. The high ceiling gives the perception of space – all at no additional cost!

In the living area, distance between the sofa set and the TV is also decent, although it’s surely nothing to shout about compared to larger units. 

They’ve even managed to squeeze a tiny bar counter here. While it is an ID treatment after all, it does show that spaces can still be eked out quite creatively.

As with the trend in new developments these days, there’s always a balcony in the unit. In the case for NYON’s 1 Bedroom unit, you will find that it’s actually much smaller compared to probably every other development out there – just check out how huge balconies are at One Holland Village. So if you’re someone who loves more indoor usable space especially for a 1 Bedroom unit, NYON will be a good fit.

Despite its smaller size, innovative designing would probably allow you to set up a couple of bar stools for you to enjoy the pocket sea views in the distance. Oh and if you haven’t noticed, the tiles provided here are also Peranakan inspired.

The balcony also stretches to the Master Bedroom, which is rather uncommon in most 1 Bedroom units that you’ll see on the market. The biggest advantage of this is of course the opportunity to seamlessly enjoy the views from the balcony the moment you get out of bed.

Windows in the Master Bedroom for 1 Bedroom units are typically half length since that’s usually where the aircon ledge is placed. What the developers have done here instead is to flush the aircon ledge right to the corner behind the structural walls instead, allowing you floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and a seamless access to the balcony – a smart move.

The Master Bedroom itself stands at 10sqm, which is just about average and would therefore be able to fit in a Queen sized bed comfortably. As usual, the unit comes with a 2 panel sliding wardrobe that is embossed uniquely with NYON’s motif.

In the Master Bathroom, the size is also average at 5 sqm. You will find a wall-hung water closet and wash basin by Laufen and rain shower by Gessi. These are pretty much standard features these days and expected especially for developments at this price point. 

It’s worth noting here that there isn’t a window so there wouldn’t be any natural ventilation.

As is usually the case, the bathroom here features two entrances/exits. So you can access the bathroom from both the bedroom as well as the living area.

NYON Location Review

With the upcoming Tanjong Katong MRT just a couple of minutes walk away, additional convenience to coming to NYON, which is already blessed with fantastic connectivity.  

NYON is part of the wider Katong / Mountbatten area, a neighbourhood traditionally associated with seafront bungalows for the wealthy Eurasians, Peranakans and Indo-Chinese back in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Most have since been demolished although if you are interested, there’s a beautiful pre-war art deco bungalow on Chapel Road for sale at $19m. 

This area remains highly popular amongst buyers – a 2019 PropertyGuru survey found that 1 in 3 buyers expressed a desire to purchase a property in District 15.

District 15 actually stretches from Siglap (we covered the ‘ancient’ Mandarin Gardens here) all the way to Dunman Road and Tanjong Rhu, comprising of a total of 6 MRT stations along the future Thomson-East Coast Line. It is predominantly a private estate, with the exception of the ~8,000 HDB flats at Marine Parade built in the early 1970s on reclaimed land and a couple more blocks at Haig Road. 

In terms of condominium developments, the 3 most prestigious areas in District 15 are namely Tanjong Rhu, Meyer and Amber. Of the 3, Tanjong Rhu and Meyer Road are closer to the city and have the most number of full sea view facing units but projects at Tanjong Rhu are a mix of 99-year leasehold and Freehold.

While NYON is further from the city, it’s only a mere 10 minutes drive from Marina Bay Financial Centre and is actually closest to an ECP exit. Getting to Bugis Junction or Suntec City will also take you no more than 10 minutes during off-peak hours. 

NYON’s attractiveness lies in its proximity to amenities which both Meyer and Tanjong Rhu cannot boast of and these are some reasons why I’m saying so. 

Amenities

Groceries

Grocery Shops	Distance From Condo (& Est. Walk Time)
Fairprice – Parkway Parade	2km, 5-min drive
Cold Storage – Parkway Parade	2km, 5-min drive
Fairprice – Marine Parade Central	2.5km, 6-min drive

Shopping Malls

Shopping Mall Cluster	Distance From Condo (& Est. Walk Time)
Parkway Parade	1.1km, 15-min walk
112 Katong Mall	1.2km, 15-min walk
Katong Shopping Centre	700m, 10-min walk
Kinex	1.9km, 25-min walk
Kallang Wave Mall	4.1km, 9-min drive
SingPost Centre	2.9km 9-min drive

The most popular mall in the vicinity is undoubtedly Parkway Parade, which is a 5 minute drive away. There you will find grocers such as Cold Storage and NTUC to meet your daily needs. Interestingly, there are 3 NTUCs within a 500m radius, with the other 2 at Marine Parade Central and Katong V Mall respectively. 

You will not be short of retail banking options in the Parkway vicinity too. My mum likes to praise how you can literally find every deposit-taking bank at Parkway Parade or very close by. In the shopping mall itself, you will find UOB (including Wealth and Privilege Banking), DBS (including Treasures), OCBC Premier Banking, HSBC and Citibank. In the vicinity, you will also find OCBC, Maybank, Standard Chartered and surprise surprise, State Bank of India and Bank of China. 

For children’s enrichment, fret not because Marine Parade is an enrichment cluster and full of tuition centres – trust me, I spent most of my weekends attending them here since I was 5. 

The nearest mall to NYON is actually Katong Shopping Centre, which was actually Singapore’s first air-conditioned mall when it opened in 1973, but is now more famous for maid agencies and the now-shut Teo Heng KTV. 

Schools

Educational Tier	Names of Institutes
Primary (within 3km-drive)	Tanjong Katong Primary School (1km), CHIJ (Katong) Primary, Haig Girls’ School, Kong Hwa School, Tao Nan School, Canadian International School

For parents with school-going children, you’ll be delighted to know of several montessories and kindergartens in the vicinity. The Canadian International School and Tanjong Katong Primary School are both within 1km of NYON. 

For District 15 residents, the primary school to gun for is usually Tao Nan School (a proud alumnus here) but Amber Skye unfortunately falls within the 1-2km radius, as with CHIJ (Katong), Haig Girls School and Kong Hwa School. 

For pre-university, you will be glad to know that both Victoria School and Victoria Junior College are 3 minutes away by car while Dunman High School (once again, a proud alumnus here) is a 5 minute drive away. 

Public Transport 

Bus Station	Buses Serviced	Distance From Condo (& Est. Walking Time)
‘Opp Tg Katong Rd Sth P/G’	36, 48	160m, 2-min walk
‘One Amber’	10, 10e, 12, 14, 14A, 14e, 32, 36, 36A, 36B, 40, 48, 196, 196A	450m, 5-min walk

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Katong (Thomson-East Coast Line – 2023) – 2 mins walk, 150m 

Because it is still about 3 years before the Tanjong Katong MRT is ready, the only mode of public transport for the CBD crowd (which is really the main group of residents in this area) will be via bus. The closest bus stop which has 36 and 48 will bring you onto the ECP and take you to Suntec City, City Hall, Dhoby Ghaut and Newton among others. 

For the Downtown crowd, you will have to contend with walking slightly further to the bus stop outside the One Amber condo where many bus services will take you to Raffles Place and Shenton Way, where MBFC and Asia Square will just be a short walk away. 

In the future, it will take you 7 stops (est. 14 mins) on the TEL to get to Shenton Way station, where you will find Grade A offices such as Marina One and UIC Building and 4 stops (est. 8 mins) to get to Gardens by the Bay, where you will be able to check out the original Supertrees, not the lacklustre one found here. 

Private Transport 

Key Destinations	Distance From Condo (& Est. Peak Hour [0830] Drive Time)
CBD (Raffles Place)	11.0km, 15-min drive
Orchard Road	12.4km, 19-min drive
Suntec City	8.5km, 10-min drive
Changi Airport	11.5km, 10-min drive
Tuas Port (By 2040)	48.2km, 50-min drive
Paya Lebar Quarters/Airbase (By 2030)	7.3km, 22-min drive
Mediapolis (and surroundings)	19.1km, 20-min drive
Mapletree Business City	17.8km, 19-min drive
Tuas Checkpoint	38.0m, 35-min drive
Woodlands Checkpoint	31.8km, 31-min drive
Jurong Cluster (JCube)	26.1km, 28-min drive
Woodlands Cluster (Causeway Point)	30.9km, 31-min drive
HarbourFront Cluster (Vivo City)	14.4km, 15-min drive
Punggol Cluster (Waterway Point)	24.1km, 27-min drive

Immediate Road Exits: 2 exits – 1 leading directly to ECP (Changi) and the other will take you along Amber Road, where you can make 2 left turns to Amber Gardens to reach ECP (City). Otherwise, you will also be able to get to Tanjong Katong and Marine Parade from here. 

Summary:

Because ECP is almost right beside NYON, the drive times from the development to most locations are actually pretty impressive – especially to the areas near the Downtown Core. Even if you don’t have a car, the upcoming MRT and the already extensive bus network will take you to most places in Singapore with ease. 

The Developer Team

Developer

Aurum Land is the property development arm of construction behemoth Woh Hup, one of Singapore’s largest construction companies. Under Woh Hup’s belt are landmarks which few companies can match – from MacDonald House to Gardens by the Bay and Jewel Changi Airport and being the main builder of this project, you can be assured of The Hyde’s quality. 

As for Aurum Land, they are known for their aesthetically pleasing boutique developments such as 1919 at Mount Sophia, The Orient at Pasir Panjang and The Asana near Botanic Gardens. They are led by Michelle Yong, who is known to be meticulous and forward looking, having also started Core Collective, a fitness and wellness hub and Found8, a co-working space. 

Architect

Of course, NYON’s concept will not be what it is without the good work that Park + Associates Architects have done. Established in 1999 by Lim Koon Park, the firm started with designing landed homes, which it still does today. Beyond landed homes, Park + Associates have successfully ventured into a solid portfolio of clients – ranging from the 1919 and Three 11 condos which they worked with Aurum Land on to Ritz Carlton and Marriott Petaling Jaya and Nanyang Girls High School.

Construction

Probably one of the bigger fallbacks for NYON is the fact that they are backed by Woh Hup – the number 1 rated currently under BCA.

Year	Name (projects done in the year)	Average CONQUAS score	Percentile Rank	Minimum CONQUAS score	Maximum CONQUAS score	2019 Private Housing Average
2013 – 2019	Woh Hup (Pte) Ltd	96.2	95%	94.1	99.3	91.5
2019	Woh Hup (Pte) Ltd (1)	96.2	92%	96.2	96.2
2018	Woh Hup (Pte) Ltd (4)	98.0	96%	97.3	99.3
2017	Woh Hup (Pte) Ltd (2)	95.9	93%	95.6	96.3
2016	Woh Hup (Pte) Ltd (5)	95.6	96%	94.1	97.7
2015	Woh Hup (Pte) Ltd (3)	96.6	98%	96.3	97.1
2014	Woh Hup (Pte) Ltd (3)	95.3	93%	95.0	95.5
2013	Woh Hup (Pte) Ltd (2)	95.8	98%	95.6	96.0

Stack Analyis

Development Site Plan

Facilities in NYON

Courtyard	Club House	Cabanas
Mosaic Pool	Jacuzzi	Kids’ Pool
BBQ Pits	Sun Lounge Deck	Toilet & Changing Room
Shower	Lawn	Playground

Facilities are spread across Levels 1 and 14 and the strong Peranakan elements have been tastefully incorporated throughout, from the Courtyard to the Mosaic Pool and the Clubhouse. 

NYON doesn’t try to be what it is not – a full facilities condo. What it tries to be is a condo with basic facilities included and I think it has done it well, especially for buyers who love to have friends over to wine and dining. There are a number of dining spaces and the Sky Dining seems to have an 18 seater included as well. 

For those who enjoy sports, you would have to contend with the 30m lap pool and relatively small gym. That’s decent considering that the developers only had 28,000+ sqft to work with, which is smaller than some bungalows around. 

Unit Mix

Unit Type	Size	No. of Units	Maintenance
1BR	484 sqft	28	$375
2BR	721-915 sqft	36	$450
3BR	1,055-1,615 sqft	28	$525

NYON’s unit mix is simple with quite an equal split between 1, 2 and 3 Bedroom units. Sizes for the 1 and 2 Bedroom units are average while 3 Bedroom units are slightly larger than the average in the market.

Amber Road is quite popular with families so it’s unsurprising that the developers have gone with slightly larger unit types here, with many of the 3 Bedroom units boasting of double volume ceilings. Interestingly, you will notice that NYON’s immediate neighbour, Amber Skye, a condo I reviewed in September, also boasts of many double volume ceiling units. Must be something about East Coast buyers… 

Maintenance wise, it is higher than mass market developments for sure, but seeing its boutique slightly more premium status I think it is somewhat reasonable considering there are only 92 units in the development.

Best Stacks

The project is generally North-South facing although some parts of Stacks 5 and 6 will face the West. Having a North-South facing is always ideal in sunny Singapore, where buyers tend to avoid the dreadful afternoon sun.

Stacks with the best views would be those with pocket sea views and Stacks 4 and 5 are the best for those – sea views should be good from 5th/6th floor onwards. Although Stacks 2 and 3 are in the same direction, you will notice that there is actually another condo in front of it – 16@Amber, which is currently at 11 storeys high. Thankfully, the position of 16@Amber is angled perpendicular to NYON, which means that it does not really block Stack 3 and 2.

As for Stacks 1 and 6, you will be facing the facilities of King’s Mansion and Amber Park. Not great views I’m sure, especially since King’s Mansion is now a very dated looking development. 

Afternoon west sun analysis

Stacks here have a north-east facing direction. Stacks 01 and 06 has the most afternoon sun for about half the year from April to September.

Stack 05 receives afternoon sun almost all year round in the common bedroom 2 as it faces the south-west direction.

To mitigate this, the developer would install Aluminum perforated screens in front of the windows for both sunshading and privacy.

In addition, the next door building Amber Skye may be close enough to block the afternoon sun altogether.

The living area of stacks 02-05 gets indirect afternoon sun only during the periods of November – February.

Stacks with the least afternoon sun

Given its south-west direction, stacks 02-04 have the least amount of afternoon sun. These stacks can also enjoy the morning sunrise between October to around March.

Price Review

If you are considering NYON, you will undoubtedly compare it against the new launches in the vicinity. So here is how it stacks up!

Development	Average Psf	TOP
NYON	$2,320	2022
Amber Park	$2,469	2024
Coastline Residences	$2,469	2022
Amber 45	$2,229	2020
Amber Skye	$2,113	2017
The Esta	$1,744	2008
One Amber	$1,644	2010
Amber Point	$1,657	1991
King’s Mansion	$1,372	1982

Chosen here are 4 neighbouring new projects in the Amber precinct as well as NYON’s 2 more prominent neighbours in The Esta (400 units) and One Amber (562 units) which I believe are good benchmarks for the Amber neighbourhood. 

As for Amber Point and King’s Mansion, they were iconic developments back when they were built in 1991 and 1982 respectively. Their lower psfs hence account for their vintage and much larger units on offer. King’s Mansion is also the more tired looking of the 2 (looks more like HDB point blocks unfortunately). 

NYON’s average psf is the lowest among the condos which have yet to be completed, namely Coastline Residences and Amber Park while being slightly higher than the recently completed Amber 45, which is in a more congested and less ideal location in my opinion. NYON’s lower psf is expected as it neither has the sea views (Coastline Residences) nor the expansive land area (Amber Park) that its new neighbours boast of. 

So, if you are checking out the Amber area for new developments with the lowest psf around, NYON might be worth a look. Additionally, we also understand they are currently running promotions for several units, with a free furniture deck for the first 6 buyers of the 3 Bedroom showflat unit.  

Our Take

If you are looking for a home with character befitting of its location, NYON’s Peranakan inspired concept should sit well with you. Its Nyonya influences can be seen throughout the development and I am impressed by how detail-oriented the developers have tried to be, be it with the mosaic pool or the lovely courtyard space. 

Location wise, it’s not difficult to argue NYON’s case. Set in a well established District 15 neighbourhood, it is 10 minutes to the CBD and Changi Airport while the upcoming Tanjong Katong MRT will be less than 3 minutes walk away. Katong is also a foodie haven so one will definitely not be without options here. 

Of course, you can say that having lived in various parts of District 15 all my life, my views will be slightly biased. 

Throw in the 5 minute walk to East Coast Park, where you will be able to chill by the sea on evenings or weekends, and it all sounds pretty good to me. 

That said, Amber Road and the neighbouring Meyer Road and Marine Parade Road also present many other condo options. Some of them will come with sweeping sea views, which I can assure you, is breathtaking (as with some of the prices). Nonetheless, you can say that NYON is the only development that infuses that Peranakan nostalgia of Katong with modern condo living. 

Matt K

Reviewer: Matt K