ISSUE 02 • 2015 URBAN PLANNING // CONSERVATION // ARCHITECTURE // PROPERTY THE NEW AERIAL INTELLIGENCE HERITAGE ON FOOT GRAND DESIGN CONTENTS Editor-in-Chief 03 10 12 CHYE HUI SZE Editors Grand design Theatrical reinvention Making ripples MELISSA LEE SERENE TAN CHERIE THIO CASSANDRA YEAP Editorial Assistant 16 18 21 SHANNON TAN All about place Making places better Heritage on foot Design management Silicon+ Published by 24 28 30 Address The new aerial Memories captured, Design-led, 45 Maxwell Road intelligence future imagined people-centred cities The URA Centre Singapore 069118 Telephone +65 6221 6666 Connect with us at 34 35 www.ura.gov.sg/skyline Towards a Observer facebook.com/URASingapore twitter.com/URAsg more transparent property market To get in touch with the editorial team, please email to [email protected]. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior consent of the URA. All rights reserved. GRAND Works at the iconic Civic District will reinforce its status as a premier arts, DesiGN culture and lifestyle precinct. FEATURE STORY he Civic District is the historic birthplace of modern Singapore. Home to some of the T city’s most iconic landmarks, the district has showcased countless arts and cultural offerings, from concerts to exhibitions featuring local and international artists. Works are currently underway to ensure the district remains a welcoming and inviting place for all. “So what we want to do is come in and create a nice lawn for these developments to sit within, Plans for the Civic District enhancement works so we have a garden setting with monuments were exhibited to the public for feedback as nestled within it,” he said. part of the Draft Master Plan 2013 exhibition, and were well-received. The bulk of the work More green and scenic walking routes will is set for completion this year, just in time for encourage visitors to explore the district by Singapore’s 50th birthday. foot. “The other priority for us is to create an environment that is safe and comfortable Underpinning this project is a vision of an for pedestrians.” integrated arts, culture and lifestyle precinct around the Padang, lush with greenery and By July 2015, a new spacious walkway will be enhanced with pedestrian-friendly features. introduced along St Andrew’s Road in front of the National Gallery. One side of Anderson Bridge, which currently connects the financial Paving new paths for pedestrians district to City Hall, will be converted into a Empress Place, which currently runs between pedestrian footpath. the Asian Civilisations Museum and the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, will be paved over to Works have also been carried out along give priority to pedestrians. The surrounding Connaught Drive. Existing car and coach parking buildings will be integrated into a seamless lots have been removed. The road has been paved park environment. and landscaped, providing more space for the public. The road will be converted into a two-way Bernard Chan, URA’s senior architect overseeing street and limited to buses and coaches. New bus the works, said the idea was to frame the “first stops, shelters and coach drop-off points will also class arts and culture developments”. be built, allowing visitors a convenient gateway point into the precinct. Green, breezy and walkable Green lungs and resting stops will allow pedestrians to take a breather and reconnect with their surroundings. Visitors to the Civic District Previous page, top photo: Works are in progress to pave Empress Place over will be able to find shade in front of the Victoria to give priority to pedestrians (artist’s impression) Theatre and Concert Hall, with the transplanting Top right: of eight mature rain trees. Stepped plazas at the Queen Elizabeth Walk will allow visitors to enjoy great views of events Stepped plazas will also be introduced along the happening by the waterfront (artist’s impression) edge of the Singapore River at Queen Elizabeth Bottom right: Walk and in front of the Asian Civilisations Connaught Drive will be paved or landscaped over to provide more space for the public Museum. Visitors will be able to sit by the water (artist’s impression) and feast their eyes on the scenic waterfront view. 04 ISSUE 02 | 2015 05 Old meets new at Esplanade Park Connecting places and generations Going back to its “roots”, the Esplanade Park Commemorating Singapore’s 50 years of nation will be home to five new Angsana trees. These building, a new eight km-long Jubilee Walk will are a callback to the original Angsana trees that connect key attractions within the Civic District used to occupy the same spot until the 1990s. and along the Marina Bay promenade. Trail Known as Gor Zhan Chew Khar (the spot under markers will allow visitors to trace the journey of five trees), this was a popular rendezvous point our little red dot from the past to the present and among locals until the trees were removed due into the future. to a fungal disease. Envisioned as an integral part of the Marina In partnership with NParks, URA has looked Bay waterfront promenade, the Jubilee Bridge into improving the landscaping in the area. In complements the Civic District enhancements. addition, street furniture such as benches with Providing a barrier-free passage between Merlion mobile phone charging points will be installed. Park and the waterfront promenade in front of the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, it completes New way-finding signs and historic markers will the 3.5 km loop around Marina Bay. offer directional and educational information about the significance of the district’s historic A gift to the nation, these enhancements are landmarks. Young families can also enjoy “fun poised to strengthen the Civic District’s under the sun” moments with their little ones at positioning as a premier arts and cultural hub. the new children’s playground within the park. Green, walkable and intimately connected to its Outdoor events at the park will be made more history, the new Civic District is poised to charm, convenient with the addition of restrooms as well educate and entertain many generations to come. as power, lighting and water. 06 The men behind the Jubilee Bridge: (From left) Pak Chai, Bernard and Zhi Cong BRIDging A Legacy Arcing across the mouth of the Singapore River and running parallel Metal enclosures known as cofferdams were used to create a dry working to the Esplanade Bridge is a new, elegant addition that connects the space in the river for the foundation work where excavation had to be Merlion Park and the Marina Promenade. Named the Jubilee Bridge, it carried out deep into the riverbed. URA’s Director of Project Management was opened on 29 March 2015, a month ahead of schedule. This was Loo Pak Chai elaborated: “In this project, we decided to put the pile caps to accommodate the masses during the week of the late Mr Lee Kuan underneath the river bed to allow a wider channel flow and to achieve a Yew’s passing. This was, on URA’s part, a quiet tribute to Singapore’s better slender column appearance, even though it added difficulty to the founding father. construction process.” Touted as Mr Lee’s brainchild, the idea was born from a site visit Mr The “balanced cantilever method” adopted to span the bridge across the Lee had taken in 2004. Observing the narrow pedestrian walkway of river eliminated the need for scaffolding in conventional construction that the Esplanade Bridge, Mr Lee suggested having a more pedestrian- would otherwise obstruct the water channel. Each segment of the bridge friendly connection between Merlion Park and Esplanade – Theatres had been precast and tied back to balance each other on the bridge on the Bay. pier as it spans to cantilever out. This methodology involves engineering precision as the end-span of the bridge had to meet the abutment level Building a bridge beside the heavily trafficked Esplanade Bridge did within a tolerance of 25 mm taking into account that the bridge is also not come without its challenges, however. An engineering feat on its curving three dimensionally. own merit, the bridge took a year to plan and 28 months to construct. Located in an environment where there was no land access but water Three times wider than the pedestrian walkway of the Esplanade Bridge, to work on, the construction method adopted had to be carefully the Jubilee Bridge has no steps, creating a barrier-free pathway. It can planned to overcome the site constraints and logistical issues and at accommodate up to 2,000 persons, and uses energy-saving LED lights the same time, make sure the water and land traffic were not disrupted. to minimise energy consumption. One of URA’s key engineers for the project, Khong Zhi Cong, fondly The spacious and unimpeded stroll along the river provided by the bridge, calls his project members the “Night Watchmen” because a portion gives pedestrians a chance to take in and contemplate their surroundings. of the bridge had to be constructed at night from 11pm to 7am. That As Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan said: “As we use way, water taxis could continue plying the waters during their normal this new pedestrian bridge to enjoy Marina Bay, let’s reflect on the vision operation hours. and the hard work of Mr Lee and our founding generation.” ISSUE 02 | 2015 07 THE MAKING OF ABOUT THE JUBILEE BRIDGE JUBILEE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION ON THE RIVER Esplanade 1 Bridge Working within an extremely tight space and without a firm Minimising 1 Access on the 2 Water taxi 3 Businesses disruption