Bloomsbury Residences

Overview & Key Facts

Bloomsbury Residences is a 358-unit mixed-use development at 61 Media Circle, jointly developed by Qingjian Realty and Forsea Holdings. Spread across three blocks of 15 to 24 storeys, the project is the first high-rise residential development within the Mediapolis precinct of Singapore’s one-north innovation district. Expected to TOP in 2029, it was launched for sale in March 2025 after the developers secured the Government Land Sales site in January 2024 with a winning bid of $395 million ($1,191 psf ppr).

Designed by ADDP Architects, Bloomsbury Residences includes an integrated retail component — the Bloomsbury Shoppes — at ground level, combining residential living with curated F&B, retail, and co-working spaces. The architectural vision embraces the park-centric ethos of one-north, with over 60 condominium facilities spread across landscaped grounds that include a 50 m lap pool, tennis court, and fitness centre.

At a current average of $2,511 psf, Bloomsbury enters the market at a premium that reflects both its new-launch positioning and the scarcity of residential stock within the Mediapolis zone. This is a development designed for a specific buyer: the knowledge-economy professional who wants to live where Singapore’s biotech, media, and semiconductor industries converge — and who is willing to accept a longer walk to the nearest MRT station as the trade-off for a precinct-integrated lifestyle.

Location & Connectivity

Bloomsbury Residences occupies a unique position within one-north: the Mediapolis sub-zone, historically home to media and tech companies but now pivoting toward broader knowledge-industry tenants. The development sits at the intersection of Media Circle and Portsdown Road, surrounded by the creative and research campuses that define one-north’s character. The nearest MRT stations are Commonwealth (East-West Line, 960 m) and one-north (Circle Line, 1.04 km) — both roughly a 12–14 minute walk, placing Bloomsbury in the functional gap between convenient and inconvenient MRT access.

What Bloomsbury lacks in direct MRT proximity, it partially compensates with precinct amenities. The integrated Bloomsbury Shoppes will provide ground-floor retail and dining, while The Star Vista mall and Rochester Mall are both within a 10–15 minute walk via the one-north park connectors. For drivers, Portsdown Road connects quickly to the AYE (Ayer Rajah Expressway), providing efficient access to the CBD, Jurong, and Changi.

The school catchment is surprisingly strong for an innovation-district address. River Valley High School sits just 450 m away and Queenstown Primary School 460 m — both well within comfortable walking distance. Fairfield Methodist Primary and New Town Primary are in the 1–1.5 km band. For families, this combination of nearby schools and one-north’s park-connected environment offers genuine lifestyle appeal, provided they can work around the MRT gap.

Schools & Education

2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.

Facilities

With over 60 facilities across the three-block estate, Bloomsbury Residences delivers one of the most comprehensive amenity rosters of any sub-400-unit development currently launching in Singapore. The 50 m lap pool is the centrepiece, complemented by a tennis court, a dedicated fitness centre, clubhouse with function rooms, and a co-working space with private work pods — a nod to the remote-work and hybrid-office culture that dominates the one-north professional demographic.

The integrated Bloomsbury Shoppes at ground level add a retail and F&B layer that most pure-residential competitors lack. The Shoppes Plaza is designed for community events, pop-up markets, and weekend bazaars, creating a village-centre feel within the development. Landscaped pavilions, a community garden, and garden BBQ areas distribute social spaces across the site to prevent congestion at any single amenity.

“What attracted us was the co-working space with private pods. My wife and I both work in hybrid arrangements — three days in office, two at home — and having a professional workspace downstairs without the distractions of our apartment is a game-changer. The Shoppes mean we can grab lunch without leaving the estate.”

— Early buyer, two-bedroom-plus-study, purchased at launch 2025

For a development of 358 units, the facilities list is generous. The tennis court is a notable inclusion that many competing mid-sized developments omit. The trade-off is that the co-working and communal spaces will need to be well-managed to avoid the underutilisation or degradation that plagues similar amenities in other developments. As Bloomsbury is still under construction (TOP 2029), the actual quality of these facilities remains to be verified at completion.

Unit Sizes & Layout

Bloomsbury Residences offers two- to four-bedroom configurations as its standard range, with select premium and flexi variants that include study rooms and utility spaces. The penthouse collection extends to five- and six-bedroom layouts for buyers seeking expansive living at the top of the 24-storey tower. All units are designed by ADDP Architects with an emphasis on efficient space planning and natural ventilation — large windows and cross-ventilation corridors are standard features across the range.

Pricing starts from $1.868 million, which positions the entry-level two-bedroom units at approximately $2,200–$2,600 psf depending on floor and facing. Higher-floor units in the 24-storey block command premium pricing for their unblocked views across the one-north parklands and toward the Southern Ridges. North-facing stacks benefit from Bukit Timah views, while south-facing units look toward Kent Ridge Park and the NUS campus.

As a new launch, unit fittings and finishes are specified but not yet delivered. Buyers should note that Qingjian Realty’s track record on fit-out quality has been mixed across their portfolio — some developments have drawn praise for value engineering, while others have attracted criticism for finishing standards. Inspecting the show flat carefully and comparing specifications against competitors is advisable before committing.

Pricing & Market Position

Across 315 recorded transactions (all-time), sale prices range from $1,339,570 to $5,753,700, averaging $2,084,027.

Over the last 12 months, transactions averaged $2,566 psf.

Price Appreciation

From 2025 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 2.9% (from $2,506 to $2,579 psf).

Neighbourhood Comparison

In the one-north and Queenstown corridor, Bloomsbury Residences ($2,511 psf, 99-year from 2024) competes with several established and upcoming developments. Blossoms by the Park ($2,390 psf, 99-year) is the most direct comparison — a completed 275-unit development 330 m from Buona Vista interchange. Blossoms wins decisively on MRT access but offers fewer facilities and a smaller total unit count. Normanton Park ($1,864 psf, 99-year) provides resort-scale facilities across 1,862 units at a 25% discount, with Kent Ridge MRT access. Parc Clematis ($1,880 psf, 99-year) near Clementi MRT rounds out the value alternatives.

Bloomsbury’s differentiator is the integrated Shoppes concept, the 60+ facilities roster (including tennis court and co-working pods), and its position as the only residential tower within Mediapolis itself. For buyers who work in the precinct and prioritise on-site amenities over MRT proximity, Bloomsbury offers a self-contained lifestyle that none of its competitors replicate. For everyone else, the MRT gap is a persistent competitive disadvantage that the pricing has not yet discounted.

Lease Decay Analysis

The 99-year lease runs from 2024, meaning approximately 2 years have already been consumed. Roughly 97 years remain — still comfortably within the range where most banks will offer full financing without restrictions.

For a buyer purchasing today with a 10-year horizon (exit around 2036), the lease situation is essentially a non-issue — you’d be selling a property with ~87 years remaining, which is still very bankable. The risk profile changes for longer holds.

ShiokNest Scores

Our proprietary scoring system evaluates BLOOMSBURY RESIDENCES across multiple dimensions.

What Residents Say

“We bought at launch because we both work in Mediapolis — my husband at Infinite Studios and I at a biotech firm in Biopolis. The idea of walking to work through park connectors instead of fighting the morning MRT crowd was the clincher. Yes, the MRT is about a kilometre away, but we barely use it. For us, this is a lifestyle purchase.”

— Early buyer, three-bedroom, purchased 2025

“I compared Bloomsbury against Blossoms by the Park and ultimately chose Bloomsbury for the facilities — the tennis court, the co-working pods, and the bigger pool area. But I won’t pretend the MRT distance doesn’t bother me. On rainy days, the walk to Commonwealth station is going to be unpleasant. If they deliver on the shuttle service promise, that changes the equation entirely.”

— Early buyer, two-bedroom-plus-study, purchased 2025

“As an investor, I’m cautious. The $2,500 PSF entry price is steep for a development that’s a kilometre from the nearest MRT. One-north has strong rental demand, sure, but tenants will compare this against closer-to-MRT options. I’m banking on the Mediapolis precinct maturing and the Shoppes adding enough amenity value to justify the premium when it TOPs in 2029.”

— Investor-buyer, two-bedroom, purchased 2025

Strengths & Weaknesses

Verdict

Bloomsbury Residences is a bet on the continued growth of Singapore’s one-north innovation corridor. The Mediapolis address, integrated retail shoppes, 60+ facilities, and proximity to schools like River Valley High (450 m) create a compelling lifestyle package for knowledge-economy professionals and young families. The co-working spaces and work pods acknowledge the hybrid-work reality in a way that few competing developments bother to address.

The elephant in the room is MRT access. At roughly 1 km to both Commonwealth and one-north stations, Bloomsbury sits in a connectivity no-man’s-land that will deter MRT-dependent commuters. This is a meaningful disadvantage for rental appeal: tenants in the one-north precinct can choose Blossoms by the Park (330 m to Buona Vista interchange) at a comparable or lower PSF. The planned resident shuttle, if it materialises and operates reliably, could mitigate this gap — but that is a promise, not a guarantee.

At $2,511 psf on a new 99-year lease (97 years remaining), Bloomsbury prices above Normanton Park ($1,864) and Parc Clematis ($1,880) by 30–35%, and close to the upcoming Elta ($2,557). For own-stay buyers who work in one-north and drive or cycle, the precinct-integrated lifestyle and generous facilities roster make a strong case. For pure investors, the MRT weakness and the new-launch premium warrant careful consideration of whether rental yields can justify the entry price once the development TOPs in 2029.