Singapore’s Ministry of National Development (MND) and Ministry of Defence (Mindef) have awarded the design consultancy tender for the redevelopment of The Float @ Marina Bay to the consultant team led by Woha Architects Pte Ltd.
In 2017, the Singapore government announced that The Float @ Marina Bay will be redeveloped into a permanent space that is envisioned to be a unique venue to stage large-scale national and community events, such as the National Day Parade, River Hongbao, and the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown, as well as to provide spaces within Marina Bay for the public to enjoy community and recreational activities.
“Creating a liveable and people-centred city for all Singaporeans is a key part of Singapore’s long-term urban development plans,” said MND and Mindef in their joint statement. “In this regard, the redevelopment of The Float @ Marina Bay remains a part of these plans to enhance the vibrancy of the city centre and to create public spaces where the community can come together.”
Following the design consultancy tender, which was held from May 2019 to July 2020, Woha Architects will serve as the principal consultant and lead the project team to develop and implement the design for the redevelopment.
According to MND and Mindef, the concept design proposal submitted by Woha Architects, in collaboration with Populous Pte Ltd, was deemed to have best fulfilled the objectives of creating an exciting and accessible community space in the heart of the city, and responded appropriately to the context of Marina Bay with a compelling vision and narrative.
The design will leverage the site’s waterfront location to create a distinctive, fit-for-purpose and flexible events venue for different scales and types of events. The development will also feature various community sports facilities, such as a swimming pool and water sports centre, to strengthen the recreational offerings for visitors, as well as a new public waterfront promenade that will form part of the continuous loop around Marina Bay and improve pedestrian connectivity in the area.
MND and Mindef added that supporting F&B and retail offerings are being considered to enhance the attractiveness of the development. These features are in line with the feedback that they have received from the community on enhancing the site’s facilities.
Furthermore, there will be an NS-themed gallery to showcase Singapore’s defence and NS story, and to acknowledge the contributions of the national servicemen past and present. This gallery space will consist of a mix of open and enclosed spaces and showcase stories of servicemen from the Singapore Armed Forces and Home Team through various multimedia platforms and hardware displays.
The redevelopment works are scheduled to start in March 2022 and completed by end 2025. “However, given the impact of Covid-19, the project scope and timeline may be adjusted. More details on the project will be shared with the public when ready,” said the joint statement.
Image: Suyash Dixit/Pixabay
