| Category | Office | Retail | Mixed Use |
|---|---|
| Year | 2016 |
| Size | 315,200sqm |
Projects
Marina Square
Remaking Marina Square
A bold new architectural frontage with its jewel-shaped entry portico, Marina Square’s latest facelift isn’t merely cosmetic. Facing the newest kid on the block, the entire length of its 10-metre wide landscaped public promenade is ultimately a response to the changes in its surrounding urbanscape.
Interestingly though, the remaking of Marina Square is never about an absolute makeover. Instead, at every point of its evolution, it aims to hold fast to a semblance of the old.
Retaining core characteristics
Where its Spanish steps were demolished, the original layout of its turfs of green lining the promenade was retained. Existing red Frangipani trees (Plumeria rubia) were also conserved. With continuation in its books, new islands of Frangipani were created in place of the old Spanish steps albeit a more approachable frontage.
At the corner of this public promenade closest to Marina Bay, Melaleuca bracteata cv. ‘Revolution Gold’ trees with their chartreuse foliage grace the diagonal pathway leading to a canted entry porch. A striking, welcoming gesture is thus created together with linear strips of varied shrubs and ground-covers that form a distinctive directional pattern, effectively drawing visitors to this entrance from the bay. Similarly, directional tiling patterns with its gradating degree of colour and intensity draw the eye towards the new shop-fronts of the mall, heralding a captivating retail experience.
Details
The second storey landscaped terrace beckons with its interestingly faceted façade punctuated with illuminated panels projecting outwards to engage the public promenade. This serves as an elevated platform with vantage views of the Bayfront festivities. Peripheral planters envelop the verdant terrace, providing seating along its edges while flowering Coral and Sea Hibiscus trees are dotted along these planters to provide shade, colour and movement to the elevational composition.
The landscaped public promenade and roof terraces provide the public with a multi-sensory experience as well as a lovely vantage point towards Marina Bay.
Fine grain plantings and delicate tree species like the Australian weeping tea-tree and Indian Rosewood afford respite and lend a calming presence to the ambience of the courtyards, allowing a restful moment for shoppers.
A collection of different shrubs are planted under the trees, adding to the lushness and vibrancy of this roof-top dining experience.
The selection of tree species with a variety of bark textures, foliage colours and flowers serve to create an immediate connection with living greenery and the outdoors for diners through the glass-fronted restaurants.
Re-planting its visual identity
Working between aesthetics, our landscape proposal also took into account accessibility and porosity between neighbouring establishments – an architectural feature intrinsic to the larger Marina Centre. This is embodied in the multiple traversing pedestrian pathways formed between the islands of greens and Frangipani. To further augment this notion of porosity, Terminalia mollis tricolour trees flank these pathways. This alignment to the building frontage coupled with the characteristic layered branching of the trees afford framed views to the new major entrances of Marina Square and the shopfronts.
A perfect push and pull of the old and the new, the landscape of Marina Square has been beautifully updated. Heralding an exciting new frontage, it ushers in a new age of retail experience while extending a welcoming and engaging gesture towards Marina Bay.
Specialist Services
Integrated services provided for this project.