CommercialCOMMERCIALDistrict 9 · Museum

Macdonald House

Reviewed by Nathan TangUpdated 8 November 2026

Quick Summary

Macdonald House is a commercial building in District 9 · Museum, on land zoned COMMERCIAL under the URA Master Plan with a gross plot ratio of 4.9. 4 units are currently listed for rent. ACRA records 79 live company registrations at this address.

The facts are here — now get the verdict on Macdonald House.

Ask PropKaki

What are the key facts about Macdonald House?

Key takeawayMacdonald House is a commercial building in District 9 · Museum, zoned COMMERCIAL.

Asset class: Commercial
Land-use zone: COMMERCIAL
Gross plot ratio: 4.9
Tenure: Not on record
District / Area: District 9 · Museum
Address: 40a Orchard Road
Land area: 1,324 sqm
Completed: Not on record
Storeys: Not on record
Submarket: City Hall / Bugis
Listed as: Office
Transactions on record: None recorded
Live listings: 4
ACRA registrations: 79

No recorded transactions — this building has never generated a strata caveat (typically single-owner or lease-only stock). That is not missing data, and it says nothing about the building's value, occupancy or availability.

About Macdonald House

Macdonald House is a commercial building in Museum (District 09). It is located along 40AOrchard Road, Singapore 238838.

Under the URA Master Plan it sits on land zoned commercial with a gross plot ratio of 4.9. It lies inside the Central Area.

It occupies roughly 1,324 sqm of land with about 9,806 sqm of gross floor area.

98 businesses are currently registered at this address with ACRA.

The nearest MRT is Dhoby Ghaut MRT, 54 m away (about a 1-minute walk). The closest bus stop (Dhoby Ghaut Stn) is 69 m away (about a 1-minute walk). Plaza Singapura is 198 m away (about a 3-minute walk).

What is Macdonald House zoned as?

Key takeawayMacdonald House sits on land zoned COMMERCIAL with a gross plot ratio of 4.9, inside the Central Area.

Land-use zone: COMMERCIAL
Gross plot ratio: 4.9
Urban design area: Udga
Central Area: Yes

BCA-verified envelope: allowable GFA 6,488 sqm · built 9,000 sqm · headroom -2,512 sqm. This block appears only where BCA has published the actual built floor area — everywhere else, buildable headroom cannot be verified and is deliberately not estimated.

Run the full zoning report for this building →

What does space at Macdonald House rent for?

Key takeawayNo street- or building-level rent is published here. Across District 9 retail, retail space rented at a median of $11.90 psf a month in 2026Q3, with the middle half of leases between $9.24 and $17.57. That is not this building's own rent, and never a quote for a particular unit.

Retail space — District 9 retail

Region band · 2026Q3

25th pct

$9.24

$99.43 psm

Median

$11.90

$128.12 psm

75th pct

$17.57

$189.09 psm

S$ per sq ft per month

A REGION BAND — URA's grid for the whole district or location, not this street or building. Say "across <district/location>, …", never that this building rents for it. The middle of URA's retail grid for District 9 across every floor and size band — a ground-floor shop and an upper-floor unit sit at very different points in it.

Source: URA REALIS retail rental analysis (district × floor × size grid).

Market context around Macdonald House

Key takeawayFlexible workspace: JustCo lists a centre here; the boring office (JustCo) lists a centre here, per the operators' public location list (10 Oct 2026).Brokers' office figures for this part of Singapore — a broker's market figure, not this building's rent.

CBRE, 2Q 2026

Fringe CBD: Vacancy 7.2%

Singapore Figures Q2 2026

Cushman & Wakefield, 2Q 2026

City Hall / Marina Centre: Rent S$11.36 psf/mth · Vacancy 3.2% · Planned / under construction 0.00m sq ft
Bugis: Rent S$12.12 psf/mth · Vacancy 11.9% · Planned / under construction 0.56m sq ft

Singapore Office MarketBeat Q2 2026

Official series (URA, 2026Q3): Office vacancy rate (Whole Island) 10 (-1.2 pp on the year) · Office rental index (Central Region) 203.4 (+1.8% on the year).

Brokers draw submarkets and grades differently; each figure is the broker's own, for its own area, cited to its report. Rents are per square foot per month.

How fast units move at Macdonald House

Key takeawayBased on listings we track, as of our last check on 28 Aug 2026: 4 units for rent.

Rent: between 6 Aug 2026 and 28 Aug 2026, 2 new listings appeared and 1 came off (sold, let or withdrawn). Days on market: not enough history yet — we began tracking on 6 Aug 2026.

One count per unit, however many agents list it. Asking prices are not tracked over time, so price cuts are not shown.

What's been approved at Macdonald House?

Key takeawayURA has approved 3 changes of use at Macdonald House since 2000, most recently in 2021. This is the building's planning history, not today's approved use of any unit: confirm a unit's approved use with URA before signing.

31 Aug 2021ApprovedFloor 1
Change of use to furniture showroom
Proposed change of use of unit #01-XX and mezzanine floor to furniture showroom at macdonald house
2 Feb 2016Approved
Additions & alterations
Proposed retention of additions & alterations to 4th, 10th & upper roof storey of existing 10-storey commercial building (the macdonald house) on lots 99139t & 99780w ts 19 at no 40a orchard road
25 Feb 2015Approved
Change of use to child day care centre cum commercial school
Change of use of 4th-storey premises to child day care centre cum commercial school at macdonald house
18 Nov 2013Approved
Additions & alterations
Proposed additions & alterations comprising new canopy to the existing macdonald house at level 1 40a orchard road singapore 238838
10 Nov 2006Approved
Additions & alterations
Proposed additions & alterations to existing 10-storey commercial building, the macdonald house
18 Apr 2005Approved
Change of use: office → health centre for beauty consultation cum spa in an existing 10-storey commercia
Proposed change of use of premises on the 9th & 10th storey from office to health centre for beauty consultation cum spa in an existing 10-storey commercial building

Source: URA planning decisions (URA Data Service), matched to this building by address or land lot. A past approval can lapse (a temporary permission) and belongs to the unit it names. The authoritative approved use of a unit comes from URA's Enquiry on Approved Use of Premises (S$54.50 per unit).

What do commercial rents run near Macdonald House?

Key takeawayURA publishes contracted-rent percentile grids quarterly (latest: 2026Q3) — the benchmark evidence an asking rent should be weighed against.

Indicative area yield — District 9 retail

Gross yield (area)

3.2%

2.9% net of property tax

Rent side (median of bands)

$128.12 psm/mo

2026Q3

Price side (strata, 5y)

$4,434 psf

190 sales

An INDICATIVE AREA yield for District 9 retail — NOT this building's yield, and not any unit's. Commercial rents are published as a district percentile grid, so both halves describe the district.

Priced on STRATA sales only: rent is quoted per unit of lettable area, and commercial land PSF runs far above strata — mixing them would shift the ratio sharply.

Net deducts the 10% non-residential property tax ONLY — not vacancy, maintenance, agent fees, financing, or the 9% GST on purchase.

Retail rents — District 9 ($ psm/month, 2026Q3)

Floor level · size band	25th pct	Median	75th pct
Level 4 & Above · 30 & Below	$101.79	$127.98	$144.93
B1 & Below · 30 & Below	$231.82	$392.95	$544.95
Level 2 & 3 · 30 & Below	$97.06	$128.26	$157.50
Level 1 · 30 & Below	$131.15	$157.04	$196.05
Level 1 · >30 - 100	$112.35	$161.16	$217.81
Level 2 & 3 · >30 - 100	$91.89	$118.41	$156.35
Level 4 & Above · >30 - 100	$81.28	$100.52	$133.94
B1 & Below · >30 - 100	$155.98	$328.55	$492.13

Office rents — Central Area ($ psm/month, 2026Q3)

Building class · size band	25th pct	Median	75th pct
Category 2 · 100 & Below	$54.65	$69.39	$88.80
Category 1 · 100 & Below	$103.62	$122.24	$132.43
Category 1 · >100 - 200	$116.28	$126.99	$148.35
Category 2 · >100 - 200	$65.57	$82.87	$97.63
Category 1 · >200 - 500	$114.67	$128.09	$145.77
Category 2 · >200 - 500	$64.83	$82.57	$94.73
Category 1 · >500 - 1000	$106.56	$137.78	$148.23
Category 2 · >500 - 1000	$85.04	$89.34	$109.80

URA REALIS rental-contract percentiles for the district/location — an area benchmark, not this building's own rents. Office and retail are dimensioned differently and are never mixed.

What is available at Macdonald House right now?

Key takeaway4 units are currently listed at Macdonald House. One row per unit; several agents often market the same unit.

For rent (4)

Macdonald House2 agentsS$950/mo · 200 sqft
Macdonald House2 agentsS$7k/mo · 600 sqft
Macdonald House2 agentsS$15k/mo · 1,689 sqft
Macdonald HouseS$14k/mo · 1,690 sqft

Browse every listing at this building →

What is near Macdonald House?

Key takeawayThe nearest MRT/LRT is Dhoby Ghaut MRT, about 54 m away.

Getting around

Dhoby Ghaut MRT54 m · ~1 min

Amenities nearby

Dhoby Ghaut MRT Exit F · 50 mDhoby Ghaut Stn · 69 mShenton Medical Group (Dhoby Xchange) · 73 mDhoby Ghaut Green · 84 mPlace Of Worship · 187 mCold Storage Singapore (1983) Pte Ltd · 198 mPlaza Singapura · 198 mHotel · 234 mEducational Institution · 250 mTekka Market · 937 m

Straight-line distances. Source: PropKaki amenities data.

Getting there and parking at Macdonald House

Key takeawayThe nearest station is Dhoby Ghaut (NS24 / NE6 / CC1), 50 m away — a busy station, with about 64,000 taps in and out on an average weekday. 12 public car parks are within 500 m.

Foot traffic: busier than 50% of office buildings

nearest MRT/LRT Dhoby Ghaut (NS24/NE6/CC1) 50 m, about 64,000 taps a weekday; 7 more stations within 1 km; bus stops within 400 m: 7, about 27,000 taps a weekday; Museum: 12,672 resident workers (Census 2020, by workplace); about 13,000 residents within 1 km (June 2026). Ranked against 485 office buildings by PropKaki's model: a relative score, not a footfall count.

A relative score from PropKaki's model (station and bus taps nearby, workers and residents around), not a count of people.

Stations within 1 km

Dhoby Ghaut (NS24 / NE6 / CC1)50 m · about 64,000 weekday taps
Bencoolen (DT21)410 m · about 20,000 weekday taps
Bras Basah (CC2)507 m · about 10,000 weekday taps
Somerset (NS23)695 m · about 66,000 weekday taps
Fort Canning (DT20)726 m · about 14,000 weekday taps

Taps are fare-card taps in and out at the station's gates on an average weekday (Jul 2026 to Sep 2026) — people passing through, not visitors to Macdonald House. Transfers between lines don't tap, so interchanges read low.

Bus

7 bus stops within 400 m, with about 27,000 boardings and alightings on an average weekday.

Public car parks within 500 m

The Atrium@Orchard (development car park)78 m
rates not published as open data
The Cathay (development car park)194 m
rates not published as open data
Plaza Singapura (development car park)226 m
rates not published as open data
Penang Lane (URA)256 m
S$1.20 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 14 car lots
Clemenceau Ave (URA)280 m
S$1.20 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 15 car lots

Nearest URA season parking: Mackenzie Road Area, 770 m away, S$100/month.

Public car parks only, by straight-line distance, with the operator's published rates. Macdonald House's own car park, if it has one, and its charges are not in the open data.

Who's registered at Macdonald House?

Key takeaway79 live companies (and LLPs and branches; sole proprietors are not counted) list Macdonald House as their registered address. These are registered businesses, not who occupies the space.

Financial and insurance
29
Professional, scientific and technical services
22
Information and communications
7
Wholesale and retail trade
6
Arts, entertainment and recreation
6
Administrative and support services
5
Real estate
2
Manufacturing
1
Education
1
Other services
0

Registered businesses, not who occupies the space: companies, LLPs and branches whose REGISTERED address is this building (ACRA), by industry. Sole proprietors are not counted; no business is named. ACRA, as of 2026-09-16.

What is Macdonald House's BCA building profile?

BCA building type: Office
Green Mark: NA (NA)
Energy use intensity: 188 kWh/m²·yr

Frequently asked questions about Macdonald House

Where is Macdonald House?⌄

Macdonald House is at 40A Orchard Road, Singapore 238838, in the Museum planning area.

What is Macdonald House zoned as?⌄

Macdonald House sits on land zoned commercial under the URA Master Plan, with a gross plot ratio of 4.9.

Have there been any recorded transactions at Macdonald House?⌄

No caveats have been lodged for Macdonald House in the URA records we track. That is common for buildings held by a single owner, which never generate strata transactions.

What is the nearest MRT station to Macdonald House?⌄

Dhoby Ghaut MRT is the closest, 54 m away (about a 1-minute walk).

How many businesses are registered at Macdonald House?⌄

98 businesses are currently registered at this address with ACRA. That is a measure of registered addresses, not of how many businesses physically occupy the building.

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Year of completion is not on record for this building. Building age cannot be stated.

Submarket: PropKaki's own map from URA's planning subzones (CBD core, City Hall / Bugis, Orchard, city fringe, regional centres, suburban). Brokers draw these lines differently.

Changes of use: URA planning approvals recorded at this building since 2000 (any unit; renewals of a temporary permission not counted). History only — Past approvals are not today's approved use; check with URA's approved-use enquiry before signing. Never say a use is allowed, permitted or approved for a unit, and never say a use would be approved.

Station taps: average weekday fare-card taps in and out at the nearest MRT/LRT station (LTA DataMall). People passing the station's gates, not people visiting this building.

Foot-traffic score: PropKaki's relative score from nearby MRT and bus taps, workers and residents around (and, for retail, competing malls), ranked against buildings of the same kind. A percentile, not a count of people.

Company REGISTRATIONS at this address (ACRA), not a tenancy schedule. Registration does not mean the company physically occupies space here, and a low count does not mean the building is empty. Do not describe this as occupancy or vacancy.

Tenure is not recorded for this building. Commercial tenure coverage is roughly 40% (industrial is far better at ~90%).

Reviewed by Nathan Tang

Nathan Tang has over 10 years of property experience across condominiums, HDB flats and commercial property, specialising in property research and finance.

Figures draw on URA and JTC records, URA Master Plan zoning, ACRA registrations and live commercial-portal listings; building facts from PropKaki's submarket map, URA planning decisions, LTA DataMall car parks, LTA DataMall passenger volumes, PropKaki's foot-traffic model — see our methodology. Last updated 8 November 2026. For general information, not financial advice.

Getting there and parking: LTA DataMall passenger volumes and car parks, URA Data Service car park rates, HDB and JTC car park information (data.gov.sg) and HDB's published parking charges, Census of Population 2020 and the Singapore Department of Statistics' June 2026 resident population (Singapore Open Data Licence). The foot-traffic score is PropKaki's own relative model, not a count.

Market context: figures cited from CBRE Research (Singapore Figures) and Cushman & Wakefield (Singapore MarketBeat), each with its quarter and report; flexible-workspace centres from the operators' public location lists; collective sales from marketing agents' announcements and news reports, each linked.

Rents: URA rental statistics for office and retail space by street (IRAS-stamped contracts), JTC J-SPACE rentals by building and by street, JTC price tenders, and URA REALIS rental grids. SLA tender results and JTC posted land rents are held for state and JTC land.