Tivoli Grande
Overview & Key Facts
Tivoli Grande is an 82-unit freehold condominium at 126 & 128 Koon Seng Road in the heart of District 15’s Joo Chiat–Katong enclave, completed in 2014 and developed by KS Development Pte Ltd — a Singapore-based boutique developer that has focused primarily on small-scale freehold residential projects in the Eastern districts. The development comprises two five-storey residential blocks separated by a central lap pool, creating a low-rise, garden-courtyard character that is rare in the densely developed D15 streetscape.
The project’s scale is its most distinctive identity marker. With only 82 units across two compact residential blocks, Tivoli Grande occupies a category of development that Singapore’s property market has largely abandoned — the genuinely intimate boutique condominium, where residents know their neighbours, the pool is never crowded, and the building has a village-like quality that larger developments cannot replicate. This is a deliberate design and commercial choice by KS Development, whose track record in D15 and the broader Eastern corridor reflects a consistent preference for low-density, freehold residential projects over volume-driven mass-market launches.
District 15 is one of Singapore’s most enduringly popular residential addresses, anchored by the Katong–Joo Chiat cultural precinct, East Coast Park, and a dense ecosystem of Peranakan heritage, independent F&B, and international schools. The Koon Seng Road location places Tivoli Grande in the heart of this neighbourhood — walkable to the heritage shophouses of Koon Seng Road itself, minutes from the East Coast Park foreshore, and well-served by bus corridors linking to Paya Lebar MRT interchange and the broader network. With an average transacted PSF of $1,413 on 31 recorded sales transactions and an average rent of $3,170 per month on 95 rental transactions, Tivoli Grande represents one of the more competitively priced freehold entry points in the D15 market — a reflection of its modest scale and Joo Chiat sub-location rather than any fundamental quality deficit.
For buyers evaluating freehold tenure in D15 without the premium quantum that newer launches like The Continuum or Grand Dunman command, Tivoli Grande offers a genuine alternative: permanent tenure on Koon Seng Road at a price point meaningfully below the $1,800–$2,000 PSF range that the D15 freehold market increasingly benchmarks. The Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), now operational at stations including Tanjong Katong (TE25) and Marine Terrace (TE26), has materially improved the district’s connectivity and is beginning to be reflected in transacted prices.
Location & Connectivity
Tivoli Grande sits at 126 & 128 Koon Seng Road, one of D15’s most photographed and culturally rich streets — famously lined with restored Peranakan terrace houses in vivid pastel hues. The address delivers immediate immersion in the Joo Chiat–Katong neighbourhood character that draws both Singaporean families and expatriates to the Eastern corridor: a walkable, village-scale precinct dense with independent cafes, Peranakan restaurants, heritage shophouses, and community life that the District 9–10 belt cannot replicate.
MRT connectivity has improved significantly with the opening of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). Tanjong Katong MRT (TE25) and Marine Terrace MRT (TE26) are both within approximately 1.0–1.3 km of Koon Seng Road — a 12–16 minute walk or a short bus connection. For EWL users, Eunos MRT (EW7) is approximately 0.83 km away and reachable by a 10–12 minute walk north along Changi Road or Eunos Avenue. Paya Lebar interchange (EW8/CC9) is approximately 1.55 km away, providing dual-line access to the Central Business District and Orchard Road. The TEL connectivity story is a structural tailwind for D15 values: residents can now reach Marina Bay Financial Centre in under 25 minutes by rail without a transfer, a journey that previously required a bus to Paya Lebar and a train.
The East Coast Park foreshore is approximately 10–15 minutes by bicycle or 20 minutes on foot via Joo Chiat Road and the coastal connector network. The park’s 15-km stretch of beach, cycling paths, and waterfront dining is the defining lifestyle amenity of the D15 address and represents the kind of accessible recreational infrastructure that urban D9–D11 condominiums simply cannot offer. For families with children, the East Coast Parkway cycling culture and beach access are meaningful quality-of-life differentiators.
Day-to-day amenities are excellent. The Joo Chiat–Katong precinct offers a dense concentration of independent F&B — from Eng Seng’s pepper crab to the Katong laksa houses along East Coast Road — supplemented by 112 Katong mall and Parkway Parade, D15’s anchor regional shopping centre with NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage, Golden Village Cinemas, and a comprehensive retail and dining mix. For families, the school catchment is strong: Haig Girls’ School, CHIJ Katong Primary, Tao Nan School, and a cluster of international schools including Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong) and Chatsworth International School (East) are all within the broader neighbourhood.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Canossa Catholic Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Tanjong Katong Girls' School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong) | international | Within 1 km |
| Telok Kurau Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Broadrick Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| EtonHouse International School (Broadrick) | international | Within 1 km |
| CHIJ (Katong) Primary | primary | ~1.0 km |
| Tao Nan School | primary | ~1.1 km |
Facilities
For an 82-unit boutique condominium completed in 2014, Tivoli Grande delivers a thoughtfully curated facilities deck that prioritises quality over quantity. The headline feature is the central lap pool that physically divides the two residential blocks — a design choice that makes the pool the social and visual heart of the development rather than a peripheral amenity. Complementing the lap pool is a wading pool and a Jacuzzi, creating a complete aquatic suite within a compact site footprint. The gymnasium is equipped with contemporary cardiovascular and resistance equipment appropriate to a development of this scale and market positioning.
Additional facilities include a pool deck with sun loungers, a BBQ area, and a children’s playground. The intimate scale of 82 units means that all facilities are consistently uncrowded — a practical daily advantage that residents consistently cite as one of the development’s most appreciated qualities. There is no tennis court, which is characteristic of D15 boutique condos on relatively constrained urban sites, where the priority is maximising the aquatic and leisure deck within the available plot rather than allocating space to a single-sport court that requires a larger site to justify. The overall facilities positioning is comparable to what buyers should expect from a well-specified boutique D15 freehold development of this vintage.
“Well maintained condo with a large lap pool and wading pool. Nice gym. The fact that it’s only 82 units means you almost always have the pool to yourself — that’s a real lifestyle advantage.”
— Resident review via 99.co
The development’s two-block configuration divided by the central pool creates a natural ventilation corridor and maximises the sense of openness despite the compact site dimensions. KS Development’s design approach here reflects an understanding of how to maximise liveability on a boutique urban plot in a heritage precinct: the focus is on communal spaces that feel generous relative to the unit count, rather than attempting to replicate the full facilities roster of a large-scale condominium that would require three to five times the unit count to justify. Residents benefit from 24-hour guarded access and covered car parking, with the management footing described as professional and responsive to maintenance requests.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Tivoli Grande’s unit mix spans six configurations across 82 apartments, from efficiency-scale one-bedders to three-bedroom penthouses, with a clear focus on the two-bedroom-plus-study format that represents the largest cohort in the development. The breakdown comprises: 1-bedroom + Study (560 sqft, 12 units), 2-bedroom (700 sqft, 12 units), 2-bedroom + Study (797–850 sqft, 36 units), 2-bedroom PES (904–958 sqft, 2 units), 2-bedroom Penthouse (1,141 sqft, 4 units), 2-bedroom + Study Penthouse (1,249 sqft, 4 units), and 3-bedroom + Study Penthouse (1,389–1,539 sqft, 12 units). The dominant configuration is the 2-bedroom + Study at 36 units — 44% of the development — reflecting KS Development’s read of the D15 demand base as young professionals, dual-income couples, and small families who want a home-office capability without stepping up to a full three-bedroom quantum.
The average transacted unit size of approximately 972 sqft reflects the weight of the 2-bedroom-plus-study configurations in the sales mix. For a D15 freehold development completed in 2014, unit sizes are broadly in line with what contemporaries delivered — the 700 sqft two-bedder and 800–850 sqft two-bedroom-plus-study are functional layouts with adequate separation of living and sleeping zones, and the 2-bedroom PES units at 904–958 sqft deliver ground-floor private outdoor space that commands a premium in boutique developments of this type. The 2014 vintage predates the post-2016 market compression toward sub-700 sqft two-bedders, meaning buyers transitioning from HDB living will find the space standards broadly comfortable.
The penthouse tier at the top of both blocks represents the development’s premium offering. The 3-bedroom + Study Penthouses at 1,389–1,539 sqft occupy the fifth floor and benefit from rooftop terraces that extend the effective living area significantly — particularly valuable in a low-rise development where high-floor views are not the differentiating factor that they are in a tower. The 2-bedroom penthouse configurations at 1,141–1,249 sqft similarly offer a meaningful step-up in living space and outdoor amenity from the standard 2-bedroom stack.
Ceiling heights across the development are in the standard 2.8–3.0 metre range for a 2014 KS Development project. The penthouse units benefit from double-volume ceiling treatments in certain areas. Finishings throughout reflect the mid-to-upper segment positioning that D15 freehold developments at this price point have historically maintained — marble or homogeneous tile flooring in main areas, timber flooring in bedrooms, and a quality bathroom and kitchen specification that requires updating rather than full replacement for buyers entering the resale market today. The prevailing consensus among residents and agents is that the development has aged well and the building fabric remains in good condition under professional management.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 7 | $1,479 | $1,007,698 |
| 2 BR | 13 | $1,505 | $1,253,385 |
| 3 BR | 4 | $1,234 | $1,437,500 |
| 4 BR | 7 | $1,277 | $1,928,286 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 31 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $755,000 to $2,110,000, averaging $1,374,061 (~$1,650 psf).
Rents range from $1,900 to $4,800 per month across 96 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.9%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2025, the average PSF has appreciated by 31.2% (from $1,214 to $1,593 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Fernwood Towers is the closest mid-market peer for Tivoli Grande: a 280-unit freehold D15 development along Fernwood Terrace near Siglap, completed in 1994, developed by Hong Leong. Recent transactions have averaged approximately $1,600–$1,900 PSF, placing Fernwood Towers at a meaningful premium above Tivoli Grande’s $1,413 PSF. The premium reflects Hong Leong developer brand recognition, the larger development scale (which supports a more comprehensive facilities deck including a tennis court and function rooms), and a location closer to the East Coast seafront sub-location that carries a D15 premium. Fernwood Towers is 30 years of vintage older than Tivoli Grande, meaning buyers should factor renovation and MCST age considerations that do not apply to a 2014-completed development. For buyers choosing between the two, Tivoli Grande offers newer construction and lower quantum, while Fernwood Towers offers developer brand and larger scale.
Rymden 77 is the most comparable boutique D15 peer: a small-scale freehold development in the Telok Kurau sub-location of D15, developed to a similar boutique specification and targeting the same profile of buyer seeking intimate freehold living in the Eastern corridor. Both Tivoli Grande and Rymden 77 represent the boutique D15 segment as distinct from the developer-branded, large-complex end of the market. The sub-location differential is the principal comparison point: Koon Seng Road (Tivoli Grande) delivers the Joo Chiat heritage precinct and direct pedestrian access to Katong’s F&B culture; Telok Kurau (Rymden 77) offers a slightly more suburban residential character with closer proximity to the Katong Park TEL station corridor. Buyers should walk both neighbourhoods before deciding.
In the newer large-scale segment, Park East (CDL, D15 freehold, Marine Parade Road) and the post-2020 launches represent a step-up in developer brand, facilities comprehensiveness, and contemporary specification — all at PSF levels of $1,800–$2,200 that make the absolute quantum a different proposition from Tivoli Grande. For buyers who have the budget for Park East or a comparable CDL D15 development, the primary debate is whether the additional $400–$800 PSF premium purchases a materially better living experience or primarily a brand and recency premium. Tivoli Grande buyers are generally making the opposite calculation: that a boutique freehold address at $1,413 PSF in the heart of Joo Chiat provides more of the D15 lifestyle that they want than a 500-unit tower at Parkway Parade at $2,000 PSF.
Against newer D15 launches — The Continuum and Grand Dunman having come to market in the $2,100–$2,400 PSF freehold range — Tivoli Grande’s competitive position is as a resale entry into D15 freehold at roughly half the new-launch quantum. The trade-off is a 2014 vintage that will require kitchen and bathroom renovation across most resale units, and the absence of the full-facilities decks that large new launches include. For first-time D15 freehold buyers working within a sub-$1.5M budget, Tivoli Grande’s 700–850 sqft two-bedroom configurations represent one of the last accessible entry points into the district at permanent-tenure pricing.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIVOLI GRANDE | Freehold | — | 82 | $1,650 |
| GRAND DUNMAN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 1,008 | $2,537 |
| EMERALD OF KATONG | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2023 | 2024 | 846 | $2,640 |
| THE CONTINUUM | Freehold | 2023 | 816 | $2,790 |
| TEMBUSU GRAND | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 638 | $2,462 |
| AMBER PARK | Freehold | 2021 | 592 | $2,544 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates TIVOLI GRANDE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Great location in Joo Chiat — walkable to so many good eateries. The condo is well-maintained and the pool is never crowded. Boutique living at its best.”
— Owner review via 99.co
“Ideally located for East Coast lifestyle. 5-minute drive to East Coast Park, easy bus access, and all the Katong food you could ever want just down the road. Very peaceful for a D15 property.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
“Small development means you actually know your neighbours and the pool and gym are always available. The management is responsive and the building has been kept in good condition. Freehold on Koon Seng Road is hard to beat for the price.”
— Buyer review via EdgeProp
“MRT is a bit of a walk but the bus service compensates. East Coast Park is nearby for weekend cycling. The neighbourhood has great character — the Koon Seng Road shophouses are beautiful. Very different from a typical high-rise condo experience.”
— Resident comment via SRX
The resident feedback pattern for Tivoli Grande is consistent with what boutique D15 freehold condominiums of this vintage typically attract: high satisfaction with neighbourhood character and lifestyle, appreciation of the uncrowded facilities and boutique community scale, and a pragmatic acknowledgement that MRT access requires a bus or a 10–12 minute walk rather than a door-to-door connection. Unlike high-density developments where resident satisfaction often correlates with facilities scale, Tivoli Grande’s resident base appears to value the quieter, more personal living environment above all else. The development draws a profile of buyer and tenant who has specifically sought out the boutique D15 freehold market — and who is therefore predisposed to be satisfied with the trade-offs that boutique scale entails. Building maintenance standards are consistently described as good, and there is no pattern of structural or management concerns in the available resident feedback.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure on Koon Seng Road — permanent title, no lease decay, CPF usage always available
- Boutique 82-unit scale — uncrowded facilities, community atmosphere, personal neighbourhood feel
- Central lap pool + wading pool + Jacuzzi — well-appointed aquatics for a development of this size
- Koon Seng Road heritage address — iconic Peranakan shophouse streetscape, D15 cultural precinct
- Walking distance to Joo Chiat–Katong F&B — one of Singapore’s most loved eating neighbourhoods
- East Coast Park accessible by bicycle or short drive — beach, cycling, waterfront dining lifestyle
- TEL connectivity uplift — Tanjong Katong (TE25) and Marine Terrace (TE26) stations now open nearby
- Competitive gross yield ~3.9% by D15 freehold standards — $3,170 avg rent on $1,413 PSF
- $1,413 PSF freehold D15 — below-district average entry point into permanent tenure East Coast
- Strong school catchment — Haig Girls’, CHIJ Katong, Tao Nan, Canadian International within neighbourhood
- No MRT within 10 minutes walk — Eunos (EW7) is 0.83 km away; car or bus needed for car-free households
- Low-rise five-storey format — no elevated views; residential outlook is street-level and rooftop-canopy
- KS Development boutique pedigree — less brand recognition than CDL or Hong Leong for resale positioning
- No tennis court — facilities deck is smaller than comparably priced larger D15 developments
- 82-unit scale limits MCST fund accumulation — major common-area repairs require larger per-unit levies
- Units dating from 2014 — kitchens and bathrooms in original condition will need renovation budget
- Joo Chiat sub-location carries modest PSF discount vs Marine Parade seafront — can limit capital upside vs premium D15
- No direct TEL or EWL access on foot — bus-dependent for daily MRT commuting
Verdict
Tivoli Grande’s investment case rests on a confluence of durable structural advantages that are increasingly difficult to assemble in Singapore’s current property market. First, freehold tenure on Koon Seng Road — one of D15’s most heritage-significant addresses — is permanent, with no lease decay, no CPF usage milestones to manage, and no financing restriction cliffs that progressively handicap resale liquidity. Second, 82-unit boutique scale provides a living quality — uncrowded facilities, personal neighbourhood character, village-scale community — that Singapore’s mass-market development pipeline has systematically eliminated in favour of higher-density maximisation. Third, the Thomson-East Coast Line is a structural connectivity uplift that was not priced into Tivoli Grande’s original launch or early resale transactions, and which is now progressively being reflected in the broader D15 freehold market.
At $1,413 PSF, Tivoli Grande represents one of the most competitively positioned freehold entry points in D15 — the result of its Joo Chiat sub-location (which carries a modest discount to the Marine Parade and Katong seafront sub-locations), its boutique KS Development pedigree (versus the CDL or Hong Leong brands that command visible premiums in the same district), and its low-rise format (which limits the high-floor premium that tower configurations can extract). For buyers who understand the D15 sub-market and are not paying for brand or height, this positioning represents genuine value.
The implied gross yield of approximately 3.9% — derived from $3,170 average monthly rent against $1,413 PSF average over ~972 sqft — is meaningfully higher than the 2.5–3.0% yields that premium D15 freehold towers and new launches typically generate. This yield floor, combined with the long-term capital appreciation that D15 freehold tenure and TEL connectivity support, makes Tivoli Grande a defensible proposition for both owner-occupiers seeking a quality freehold home at a sub-market D15 address and investors who want freehold permanence with a rental return that is competitive by district standards.
Tivoli Grande is the right answer for buyers who want a genuine freehold boutique condominium on one of Singapore’s most distinctive heritage streets, at a price point the D15 market no longer offers in any new launch — and who value the intimacy and living quality of an 82-unit garden development over the amenity scale of a large complex.
Against direct comparables, Fernwood Towers (Hong Leong, D15 freehold, 1994 vintage) trades at $1,600–$1,900 PSF and represents the mid-segment freehold D15 benchmark; the premium over Tivoli Grande reflects brand, vintage cycle, and a larger development scale. Rymden 77 is a comparable boutique D15 freehold development (Telok Kurau sub-location) with a similar scale and positioning, giving buyers a direct peer for evaluating the Koon Seng Road location premium. For buyers who can stretch further, newer D15 freehold launches at $1,800–$2,200 PSF offer contemporary finishings and full-facilities decks — but at a quantum that places the investment in a fundamentally different affordability bracket. Tivoli Grande sits in a defensible niche: genuinely freehold, genuinely boutique, and genuinely in the heart of what makes District 15 one of Singapore’s most loved residential addresses.