[2] Thomson Plaza is one of the first public buildings to be designed with barrier-free features from the onset.

[3] Other handicapped-friendly features in the complex include enlarged toilet cubicles that cater to wheelchair users and door levers, which enable people with difficulty controlling their hands to easily open doors around the complex.

[3] The proposal to build a residential and recreational complex along Upper Thomson Road was first approved by the Ministry of National Development in 1977 as part of its policy of decentralizing commercial activities away from Singapore's Central Business District.

[2] Thomson Plaza later attracted the attention of Japanese retailer Yaohan, the pioneer of one-stop departmental stores in Singapore.

[6][7] At that time, Yaohan was famous for its innovative approach to customer service; its first departmental store in Plaza Singapura reportedly attracted 955,000 shoppers a week.