GuocoLand will preview its newest riverfront condominium, the 455-unit River Modern, on Friday Feb 20. Prices at the 99-year leasehold project in prime District 9 will start from $2,877 psf.

River Modern will comprise two 36-storey residential towers with a mix of two- to four-bedroom units. The development will also include 4,300 sq ft of commercial space, or about six retail shops, on the ground floor, and these will form part of the condo’s common area.

It's been nearly a decade since GuocoLand broke ground on a new luxury project in the River Valley area. The developer launched the 450-unit Martin Modern back in 2017, and the project was completed in 2022.

Back then, Martin Modern moved 83 units at an average price of $2,200 psf, based on caveats. The entire project was sold out by September 2021, and set an average selling price of $2,500 psf.

According to Cheng Hsing Yao, group CEO of GuocoLand, River Modern's name is a reference to Martin Modern, and certain elements of the architecture and design are echoed in the new project, such as the emphasis on greenery and landscaping.

But several architectural choices at River Modern make it distinct, such as the colour palette, which features a much lighter shade compared to the dark tones seen throughout Martin Modern.

River Modern also features a curviliner architectural style that is inspired by the meandering portion of the adjacent Singapore River. The project is designed by ipli Architects and P&T Consultants, while the landscape design was led by Tinderbox.

In general, the design of River Modern is a transition between four different outdoor zones that also blend into the neighbouring areas. This layering effect starts from the Singapore River and Kim Seng Park, before moving into the condo's private spaces — a landscaped riverside zone, the Lawn, the Pool, and a landscaped Forest zone.

The orientation of both residential towers has been designed to maximise views of the Singapore River and the surrounding skyscape. According to Cheng, about 70 per cent of the units at River Modern will enjoy a degree of unblocked views of the Singapore River.

GuocoLand has certainly gone above and beyond the typical stack planning of its two residential towers, rotating the orientation of some units to showcase some of the most unique views from each stack.

It also helps that the residential units start from the second floor, and the elevated towers mean that even residents living on the relatively lower floors should get unobstructed views over the treetops. According to GuocoLand, the height of the second floor, where the residential units start, makes them approximately five-stories high relative to the street level.

The development is directly connected to Great World MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), which itself links to Great World shopping mall, while River Valley Primary School is right across the road.

"Current trends suggest that the demand for well-located, quality core central region (CCR) projects remains intact, and we expect the 455-unit River Modern in District 9 to be well-received," says Kelvin Fong, CEO of PropNex.

He adds that River Modern also checks all the right boxes for buyers keen to own and live in a home in this area. "It has a good range of amenities in its immediate surrounding area (including some shops in the development) and is one MRT stop from Orchard Road, while the Thomson-East Coast Line also provides a seamless commute to the central business district".

With the recent launch of Zyon Grand last October, as well as the launch of Promenade Peak and River Green in July 2025, there are fewer residential sites up for development within and around the River Valley neighbourhood.

River Green achieved a 88 per cent take up during its initial launch, Promenade Peak moved over 54 per cent during its sales launch, and Zyon Grand sold over 84 per cent of its units when it entered the market.

In recent years, several available sites have been sold and launched, such as Riviere on Jiak Kim Street, Canninghill Piers in Clarke Quay, as well as redevelopments like Robertson Opus and Union Square.

In fact, River Modern may be one of the last residential sites that will be developed along the Singapore River and River Valley neighbourhood. Fong adds: "Much of the riverfront has already been developed over the years, and new waterfront homes that have an unobstructed view of the Singapore River are relatively scarce".

Mohan Sandrasegeran, head of research and data Analytics at SRI, comments that while cumulative supply in the area has increased with these launches, the projects are differentiated by product positioning, unit mix, and pricing bands.

"Rather than signalling saturation, this reflects a broadening of buyer choice within a tightly held CCR micro market," says Sandrasegeran.