With its roots founded in construction, it seemed a natural progression for YTL Corporation to develop a full-fledged property development arm, which it realised in the 1980s. Although born in times of recession, YTL Land saw it as a time of altruistic opportunity, stepping in to fill the need for low-cost housing around the country while serving the population as a responsible and far-sighted property developer. Beginning with modest projects that involved the construction of primarily walk-up flats, YTL Land began to expand its horizons by going on to build more spacious, better quality three-bedroom houses, all the while improving on quality and lowering costs by streamlining its own costs and designs.
As the nation moved out of recession and the demand for a wider range of housing grew, YTL Land paid heed to the demands of the market and began to embark on more ambitious developments around the country. Three decades on, YTL Land has since gone on to earn a name for itself as a full-fledged developer with a particular penchant for aesthetically-appealing lifestyle concepts, as can be seen in its Sentul, Lake Edge and Pantai Hillpark centerpiece projects as well as its award-winning developments of Sandy Island and Kasara, The Lake in Singapore’s luxurious Sentosa Cove enclave.
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From a small construction business in Kuala Selangor, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri (Dr) Yeoh Tiong Lay grew the business on hard work, integrity and foresight. Today, the YTL Group is a diversified conglomerate with business interests and investments around the world. Under its third generation of distinctive leadership, the same values, which span six decades to date, continue to serve as guiding principles for the company.
YTL spearheads the development of affordable housing under the Malaysian Government’s ‘Special Low Cost Housing’ programme, offering well-built, well-designed low- and medium-cost apartments and terrace houses in the states of Perak (Taman Pakatan Jaya), Selangor (Taman Puncak Kinrara) and Johor (Taman Cahaya Masai). Instead of offering mere 550 sq ft walk-up flats, the company opted to build spacious two-storey, three-bedroom low-cost houses of 740 sq ft, within the Government’s regulated price of MYR25,000. Until today, this thoughtful innovation for a social housing scheme is still very much remembered and appreciated by the community.
A key moment for YTL as Pantai Hillpark in Kuala Lumpur is launched, which has since gone on to become the Group’s most successful high-end condominium development of the 1990s. The Group sees opportunity in this quiet hillside that straddles Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya – an area associated with squatter settlements – to transform it into a complete lifestyle-oriented development. Today, Pantai Hillpark is known for its distinctive Mediterranean-inspired architecture and innovative mix-development offerings, ranging from award-winning condominiums to SOHO suites.
YTL Land & Development Berhad, a public-listed company on Bursa Malaysia, becomes part of the YTL Group. The innovation continues as YTL Land unveils its Sentul Master Plan – an award-winning and ambitious urban renewal project for the regeneration of Sentul, a century-old railway town. Spanning 294 acres of prime freehold land, effectively split in half by the existing Sentul KTM Komuter track, the master plan was developed by characterising these two distinct halves to embody the unique personalities of Sentul West and Sentul East. Sentul West also marked Malaysia’s first-ever offering of private, gated park living while also safeguarding one of the city’s rare and major green lungs.
Lakeside living is elegantly brought to life as YTL Land launches its Lake Edge development in Puchong, Selangor, offering secure, gated community living set amidst soothing greenery and tropical landscaping, complete with resort-quality facilities – ideal for knowing, urbane city-dwellers and their families. It also marks the successful transformation of a former mining land into an exclusive lakefront development. Lake Edge’s numerous awards – from town planning to landscaping and master planning – are testament to the development’s success.
A bold trend in innovation equals to a win for YTL Land’s new Lake Fields landed residential concept in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur. Characterised by its three-storey design with generous built-up areas, these modern, unconventional layouts are an instant hit with young families because they offer extra space and privacy. The first phase of terrace homes feature a living area with 20 ft ceiling and column-free layout, creating a true sense of generous space. The final phases of the development feature the more luxurious superlink and semi-D homes within gated and guarded schemes.) This is yet another stellar example of YTL Land’s positive impact on an area formerly identified for high-rise, low-cost development.
Set along one of the world’s greatest retail avenues, Orchard Boulevard counts itself among Singapore’s most exclusive and prestigious addresses. In 2007, YTL Land acquired the Westwood Apartments and is in the midst of redeveloping it as 3 Orchard-By-The-Park, offering 77 exclusive residences in three 25-storey towers designed by the inimitable Italian designer Antonio Citterio. Envisioned as “villas in the sky” by Citterio, the freehold luxury condominium is a mere stroll away from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Singapore Botanic Gardens.
The Midfields residential and commercial project continues to solidify YTL Land’s position in the Klang Valley for modern urban homes as well as office and retail units. This new sanctuary, strategically positioned in an unrivalled, highly-accessible location, enjoys the convenience of four inter-connected highways in its vicinity. A lushly-landscaped park, courtyard gardens and an array of recreational amenities aim to bring residents as close to nature as they can possibly get, while creating an exciting new nexus within the city.
Luxury takes on a new dimension in Singapore as YTL Land completes the landmark development of Sandy Island and Kasara, The Lake, both of which are located within the premier enclave of Sentosa Cove. With a total of just 31 waterfront luxury villas, it also marks the group’s paradigm shift into iconic, ultra-luxurious developments. The collection of 18 villas with private yacht berths at Sandy Island won the international FIABCI Prix d’Excellence Gold Award for Residential Design in 2013.
Flanked by the UNESCO World Heritage City of George Town and the tropical sea, Shorefront Penang marks YTL Land’s first foray into the island’s luxury residential market. Shorefront takes its inspiration from the open sea, juxtaposing it with Penang’s world-renowned Old World charm. This low-rise development, neighbouring the historic E&O Hotel, offers buyers the rare opportunity to own a premium property set along one of the city’s last seafront addresses. These lifestyle condominium units are all strategically-placed for residents to enjoy stunning views over the island’s highly-coveted seafront. The sell-out launch was met with overwhelming response from local as well as regional purchasers.
