The new STAR Performing Arts Centre at Vista Xchange is the new 54,000 square metre development which comprises of cultural, civic & retail. The centre uses and provides a premier entertainment, lifestyle and retail experience.
Designed by Aedas, a spectacular 24,000 sq.m. retail space responds to the challenging site topography as the zone spirals inwards addressing the major entry points and culminates in an open amphitheatre.
Above, a 40m high grand foyer creates a visual and spatial connection between the retail, civic and cultural zones. It also provides a canopy under which the public can experience outdoor entertainment and al-fresco dining while protected from the elements.
The focus of the cultural zone is a 5,000 plus seat auditorium, which will be the largest venue of its kind in Singapore capable of staging amplified musicals, concerts and other large scale visual events.
The venue is supported with administration, artist and technical support, function spaces, foyers, concessions and circulation spaces making up the remainder of the 30,000 sq.m. cultural and civic program.
Its futuristic design is multifaceted and creates a variety of perspective, changing form depending on your viewpoint.
In fashion, colours of the fabric contribute to the success of designers' runway collection. Colours are carefully selected for the appropriateness of the collection for each season and time; often black, brown and gold are used to emphasize a timeless and classic piece of work. Grand Park Orchard, rebranded as a Fashion Hotel as part of the design brief and concept, draws inspiration from fashionable colours.
The entire design is wrapped in colours of brown, black and gold. The selected palette of colours brings out the modernity of the urban business hotel and the luxurious lifestyle associated with the lofty flagship retail boutiques. In the day, the façade reveals a spectrum of brown tones with white herringbone lines, akin to a bespoke tailored day suit. Duo layers of frosted glass panels of different herringbone patterns are juxtaposed to create varying translucencies of white.
When viewed at different angles and in different lights, the hotel intrigues pedestrians along Singapore's prime shopping belt of Orchard Road with its ever-changing appearance. At nightfall, Grand Park Orchard transforms into a mystical black cube with golden herringbone lines, creating an atmosphere of glamour and style.
These 'golden twills' utilise the latest energy-efficient LED technology where micro LED bulbs are embedded within the façade double glazed unit. Cool to warm yellow lights are orchestrated rhythmically to give the façade an appearance of molten gold cascading downward onto the street of Singapore's renowned shopping boulevard. At dusk, a 10-minute animated display of rainbow spectrums light up the urban junction with sparkle and glitz, creating a strong sense of place and a prominent identity for the hotel.
Hotel guestroom experience is also enhanced with the myriad colours programmed to soothing rhythms. Colour now plays a dual role: an outward exhibition of architectural expression and an inward expression of ambience.
At the heart of Orchard Road lies Paragon, a high-end retail mall that resonates with the luxury niche of Singapore’s consumer market. Home to numerous international luxury brands, it is the destination of choice for both Singapore’s elite and their foreign tourist counterparts.
To accommodate such an exclusive demographic, Paragon’s upmarket tenants favoured an impressive frontage, unwilling to relinquish ground floor exposure for larger spaces on higher floors. Hence, with acute shortage of ground level frontage and to appease their resistance against moving to higher floors, new shop fascias were designed exclusively for each luxury brand, with magnificent Orchard Road frontage on a much grander scale than before.
The plan also dovetailed neatly with the façade enhancement scheme laid down by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) - the governmental urban planning body – that encourages new and unique building facades to enliven the Orchard Road shopping experience. Realising these aims, the existing stone façade was re-clad in layers of aluminium panels and fritted glass to form an elegant backdrop.
Drawing inspiration from the meaning of 'Paragon', the base façade was designed to resemble a multi-faceted diamond. The new façade articulation consequently comprises three main glass cubes, which serve as multi-volume spaces that effectively address the spatial needs of the high-end retailers. In contrast to the angular cubes, a curved glass façade soars forward, drawing all eyes towards the mall’s main entrance; the juxtaposition of the gossamer net against the solid brute stone of the building transforms the entrance into a head-turning focal point that attracts people and entices them into the wonders within.
Not only did the façade articulation presents a creative solution to the spatial conflict, it also maintained its leading position in fashion and luxury, while improving the flow within the urban framework, thereby making the Orchard Road shopping experience infinitely superior.
As one of the world’s leading advertising agency, DDB have found a new home at Pico Creative Centre in Singapore occupying 2 floors of 1000 sq m each. BBFL were appointed as the architects to understand, interpret and create a workspace that embodies DDB’s dynamic working culture.
The design process began with observing the designers at DDB work as a diverse group which involves a high level of discussion, debate and intervention sessions amongst each team with a common goal of achieving a creative solution for their clients. Group discussion activity was crucial for the team where workspace becomes a social network area rather than a confined individual space. The design process has allowed them to create a bridge between two disciplines which played a huge role in the concept development of the entire DDB environment creating a conspicuous identity.
The workspace concept that revolves around DDB’s office wasn’t just about its corporate colours or even the branding of its company but creating a collective space that leans towards the culture of the people in DDB itself. This lead them to create spaces which improve and promote inter-connectivity between creative individuals. To enhance this notion, spaces within the work environment weren’t crafted out with walls or any form of concealed demarcation, compositing to an open office setting. Territories are divided and screened by discussion and collaborative areas within the office.
The aim was to enhance the current culture and to encourage a more lively work space, which will ultimately provide a better work flow. The workspaces are designed as long communal tables supporting an open office environment. The architects designed spaces that allow these communal areas to be part of the workspace. Discussion bars are dispersed within team work areas. Even libraries and the staff pantry spanning across both floors were used as collaborative spaces for discussions.
Conference rooms were meant to be flexible and open where staff would frequently occupy for internal presentations and brain-storming sessions. Gym-like staggered benches were introduced for audiences to participate in these sessions. Arrival lobbies on the other floors were treated with interactive projection of the collection of works that inspired DDB and a source of expression for the staff.
CapitaLand Residential Singapore and Mitsubishi Estate Asia Pte. Ltd. MEA jointly unveiled their upcoming condominium at Bishan Central recently, which will be designed by renowned international architect Moshe Safdie as a distinctive example of new urban living. Located on a 11,997-squaremetre (129,137 square feet) site in the heart of Bishan Central, one of Singapore’s choice residential areas, the condominium will comprise approximately 500 apartments across two 38-storey towers.
Moshe Safdie has introduced a strong and distinctive stepping form for the condominium, moving past the traditional approach of deploying individual towers to create a three-dimensional matrix of homes, private terraces and public gardens. His design provides for lush vertical greenery, optimal orientation relative to the sun, naturally ventilated units, and generous views.
Instead of independent towers, the condominium’s two towers are linked by three bridging “sky gardens”. This offers opportunities for commonly shared garden and leisure spaces, while giving rise to an overall mass that is porous and open. This non-traditional approach allows air to breeze through and sunlight to penetrate, while maximising views for families and for the community spaces. Residents on the towers’ upper floors will be able to enjoy breathtaking views of the lush greenery of Bishan Park. At ground level, 70% of the site area will be developed into a series of lush gardens, outdoor event rooms, swimming pools, and walking paths for residents to enjoy their leisure hours.
Mr Safdie added: “While providing an unprecedented quality of life, mitigating a sense of density and concentration and maximising contact with nature, the complex also results in a village-like clustering of residential units, echoing hillside developments and the integration of architecture and plant life into a singular experience. Carefully-considered design features have greatly expanded family and community space amenities, in part by providing generous community gardens and outdoor spaces on the ground and in the air as well as individual penthouse-like roof terraces and gardens for more than one-third of the individual residences.”
CapitaLand Residential Singapore acquired the site at Bishan Central for S$550.1 million through a government land sales tender in February 2011. CapitaLand Residential Singapore holds a 75% equity stake in the project while MEA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. (“MEC”), holds the remaining 25% equity stake. CapitaLand will be the lead development manager for the project, responsible for the full spectrum of sales and marketing, product design and development, and project management.
Design and development works are in progress and the condominium is targeted to be launched for sale in the first half of 2012. Temporary Occupation Permit for the condominium is expected to be obtained in 2015.
Unit Types and Facilities: Buyers will have a choice of apartment types, namely one-bedroom-plus-study, two-bedroom, two-bedroom-plus-study, three-bedroom and four-bedroom units. The units range from approximately 680 square feet to 3,000 square feet in size. Residents will enjoy a full suite of recreational facilities, including a 50-metre lap pool, leisure pools, children’s pool, play areas, a tennis court, barbeque pits, function rooms, karaoke rooms and a gymnasium.
Accessibility: The condominium is located is a five-minute walk to the Bishan transportation hub comprising the Bishan bus interchange and Bishan MRT interchange station (North- South Line and Circle Line). It is close to retail, entertainment and recreational facilities such as Junction 8 shopping mall and Bishan Park, as well as reputable local and international schools like "Raffles Institution" (www.ri.edu.sg), Catholic High School, the Australian International School and Stamford American International School.
This important addition to Singapore's heart in Marina Bay exemplifies advanced architectural and engineering design in the urban redevelopment of a global city. The project's aesthetic and environmental initiatives signposts a way forward for future urban design innovation.
The promenade conceived of as a continuous, gridded urban ground plane of durable granite paving links to the water borne activities on the bay by the lower boardwalk platform made of renewable resource hardwood timber and a granite amphitheatre that steps down into the bay. Interwoven into both ground plane levels of the promenade are a verdant tropical landscape of carefully selected mature indigenous plant species.
A series of bespoke environmental initiatives have been designed to provide visitors respite and thermal comfort from Singapore's intense tropical climate, but appear more like sculptural installations.
These include a 300-metre-long sinuous stainless steel mist pipe; 9-metre diameter solar powered breeze shelters each equipped with a massive motion sensor-activated fan and a colourful, fully interactive water feature in the precinct's activity plaza.
These interventions all lead pedestrians to the fully glazed, solar powered visitor centre designed using geometric mesh steelwork to house exhibitions and information on Marina Bay's fast developing environs.
Marina Bay, as it grows, will effectively double the size of Singapore's city centre. Global Cities like Singapore recognise the importance of urban fabric. This project demonstrates the Singapore Government's commitment to urban renewal and infrastructure and the value the government places on design excellence. The projects reflect that in future, successful urban interventions must use advanced environmental and engineering designs to create an increased aesthetic value for a city.
Integrating Singapore's water bodies into the urban landscape in new and innovative ways is the goal of national water agency PUB. Under its Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) programme, a 1.2 km stretch of Alexandra Canal from Tanglin Road continuing downstream to Delta Road was transformed from a functional concrete canal into a pleasant and attractive waterway with softened banks, seamlessly integrated with the adjacent surroundings. CH2M HILL is the principal consultant involved in the project design and the redeveloped canal was opened earlier this year.
This section of Alexandra Canal starts from an elevated lookout deck at Tanglin Road in which gentle ramps lead down to the new structural deck. A water cascade coming down from the elevated deck flows into a shallow stream which meanders into a water play area. At the end of the water play area is an Educational Hut, showcasing panels about water. The shallow stream then gives way to a set of wetlands which naturally treat water from the canal, and provide opportunities for outdoor classroom learning. This is a tranquil area with simple boardwalks and intermittent resting points so people can get close to water and nature. The water in the wetlands is pumped from the canal and cleansed water at the end of the wetlands will trickle through a rockscape area before flowing back into the canal.
Part of the existing concrete wall of the canal was removed to create a setback for soft planting, transforming the waterway from a functional drain into a modern canal with softer edges and nodes that extend out to adjacent urban developments. A community plaza suitable for community activities was constructed at the downstream of the canal, providing a great lookout point for views of the waterway.
The wetland modules designed for this project are surface flow, floating aquatic vegetation and horizontal sub-surface flow. In addition, rain gardens, vegetated swales and bio-retention swales form sustainable natural elements that attenuate and improve the quality of rainwater runoff. The pilot-scale implementation of these various features are also good demonstration tools to educate the public on the feasibility and effectiveness of treating rainwater where it falls, which should not be overlooked in a densely populated urban city such as Singapore.
Tanglin Road to Delta Road and Prince Charles Crescent
The massive, slow moving Sandcrawlers from George Lucas' Star Wars films inspired the form of his new regional headquarters in Singapore. Designed by Aedas, the Sandcrawler Building will house a 100 seat theatre, LucasFilm Singapore offices, a public podium and other employee spaces. Neither rusty nor slow moving in this case, the glassy and streamlined building will combine a high performance facade with lush gardens and foliage that spills over terraces, resulting in a highly efficient commercial space. With construction already underway, we can look forward to this real life Star Wars manifestation sometime in 2012.
Restricted by height and setbacks, the Sandcrawler Building conforms to its site and is shaped like a long narrow horseshoe. A public podium open 24 hours will be in a lush garden space set on a granite base and complimented by recycled timber and natural stone. Shaded by the building overhead, the space, which will be overgrown with foliage, will be a respite from the heat and the sun and cooler than surrounding areas. The main feature of the eight story building is a 100 seat, state-of-the-art theater, which can be used for screenings, premieres or other events. Next to the theater will be a conference wing for use by LucasFilm or other offices.
The building’s profile was directly inspired by the iconic Sandcrawlers, which were used by the Jawas as huge mobile fortresses. The ephemeral exterior will be achieved with a low-iron glass layer and a second metallic-frit dot layer underneath. From the exterior, the building will appear chromed, but will still allow for daylight to reach into the offices without soaking up solar heat gain. The interior courtyard is more private and uses clear low-iron glass and allows for maximum daylighting and penetration into the inner offices.
A layer of aluminum louvers minimizes heat gain on the roof, which extends out over part of the courtyard and the terraces to provide shade. A fritted glass canopy over the courtyard also filters sunlight. At the horseshoe’s ends, overhanging terraces step down to the podium level. These private terraces will be covered with draping plants and shade the terrace below it. The high performance facade, along with the materials and lush vegetation are all part of the plan to help the project receive a Gold Plus Greenmark certification in Singapore.
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