2. MASTERPLAN
The masterplan consists of several functional ‘islands’ arranged around a central core. The main building, the skyscraper, houses the activities and functions to be allocated, whilst the other, lower buildings – situated at the level of the new walkways and squares – accommodate recreational spaces, sports facilities, schools, cinemas and theatres. These overlook a central courtyard comprising a small marina, accessible from the Kallang River via a navigable canal.
The outermost structures are gardens on the same level as the adjacent areas, beneath which are situated car parks, underground storage areas and facilities to enhance the infrastructure hubs. All the buildings are connected across multiple levels by platforms that house the main thoroughfares, squares, retail terraces and the harbour quay. These have been designed to accommodate cycle and pedestrian traffic or for travel assisted by electric vehicles on at-grade or elevated tracks. Access to the project area is as follows: to the east via Nicoll Highway Station, which is being upgraded; to the north via Nicoll Highway, via cycle and pedestrian access points from existing routes; to the west via a new connection to Ophir Road and Suntec City; to the south via an infrastructure junction on Republic Avenue; and to the south-east via a new cycle and pedestrian link and the new navigable canal towards Marina Park and the Kallang River.
The main east-west and north-south routes also form the structural axes of the entire project, linking the various access points as they all converge on the central core, from which the skyscraper is accessed. The buildings have been arranged to make the most of the visual connections from the podiums to Singapore’s main landmarks, so that from the core there is a visual link to The Flyer, The Marina Park and other important surrounding buildings.
3. CELL The skyscraper consists of two concentric structural steel cylinders connected by horizontal rings, within which independent, self-supporting cells are inserted, constructed using a structural bamboo grid. Each level of the skyscraper is designed as a continuous tunnel, along which the cells are arranged and assembled, resting on the horizontal structural rings and taking on different configurations depending on their functions. The varying arrangements of the cells and the different assembly combinations allow for the creation of diverse and flexible spaces. Each cell can be easily replaced should it deteriorate over time: this is achieved via a vertical handling system within the central structural cylinder.
The spaces thus defined are clad in removable bamboo panelling, which facilitates the maintenance of the building and its systems, and are divided by movable walls that can be adapted to ever-changing requirements. The skyscraper is further clad in a double skin of glass and bamboo shading elements, which create an air gap providing insulation and natural internal ventilation. The skyscraper is thus composed mainly of bamboo, in the form of structural cells and cladding, a small proportion of steel as the strictly necessary main framework, and a minimal amount of glass.
4. TECHNOLOGY AND BIOCLIMATICS
The two structural cylinders, linked together by horizontal rings, form the framework and the housings for the bamboo cells. On each level, these are arranged side by side, joined or separated depending on the spaces to be configured, creating a continuous ‘tunnel’. Each cell is designed as a hollow section of the tunnel, sized so that it can be transported vertically through the inner structural cylinder, facilitating assembly and any future replacement. The skyscraper is accessible from cycle and pedestrian decks and via an internal navigable landing, situated within a large green cavern. This creates a vast reservoir of fresh, humid air at the base of warmer ventilation ducts, located within the buffer zone and along the internal structural cylinder; the pressure difference and the narrowing of the ducts trigger natural ventilation capable of cooling the building. The lifts are housed within the large lower pillars, which also provide access to the balconies surrounding the cavern-harbour, up to the first cells; from here upwards, the lifts are housed within the internal structural cylinder. On some levels, the absence of units allows for the creation of spacious internal plazas for socialising, recreational activities and dining. The bamboo outer skin filters the intense external light and is designed to account for the high angular incidence of the sun, which is always very high throughout the year. It forms the skyscraper’s distinctive cladding, becoming an integral part of the plazas and external walkways; the design of the bamboo elements in the external cladding and the cells filters out the intense solar radiation and ensures diffused, uniform natural lighting, whilst in the early and late hours of the day it creates plays of light and shadow on the interior surfaces of the spaces. A water collection and harvesting system is also integrated into the external cladding; the water is stored, purified and reused. Bamboo is used both as cladding and as a structural element in communal spaces, along walkways and in the squares. Lush tropical vegetation will be planted on the roofs of each of the other buildings, so as to restore some of the greenery that the city’s expansion has drastically reduced over time. Photovoltaic panels capable of meeting a large part of the energy requirements will be installed amongst the tallest trees and plants. Fertiliser and energy from combustion will be derived from the biomass obtained from the green roofs. Further energy will be supplied by wind turbines at the top of the skyscraper, whilst in the marina, tidal power generators will provide electricity by harnessing the energy of the tidal currents.