BT : S'porean developers lauded at Fiabci Prix competition

Business Times - 28 May 2010

S'porean developers lauded at Fiabci Prix competition

By UMA SHANKARI

SINGAPOREAN developers continued to pick up honours at this year's Fiabci Prix d'Excellence competition, which recognises excellence in property development.

Far East Organization's mixed-use development Central came out tops in the office category, UOL Group's Pan Pacific Suzhou won the top prize in the hotel category and City Developments' The Sail trumped in the high-rise residential category.

Other projects by Singaporean developers finished as runners-up in their respective categories: Square 2/Novena Medical Center (by Far East Organization) in the specialised purpose-built category; One-north Residences (a joint venture between UOL, Kheng Leong and Low Keng Huat) in the residential category; and Jakarta Garden City (a township by Keppel Land in East Jakarta) in the low-rise residential category.

Fiabci is the French acronym for the International Real Estate Federation, which organises the annual Prix d'Excellence. Last year, three property projects in Singapore picked up honours in the competition.

Entrants are evaluated on five criteria: global concept, architecture and design, development and construction, community benefit and environmental impact, and financials and marketing.

This year's winners were announced last night at the gala dinner of the Fiabci World Congress held in Bali.

The win for Central marks Far East Organization's sixth Fiabci international real estate award.

Central, located above the Clarke Quay MRT station, is in the city's civic, cultural and tourist precinct. Far East, which won the site in a government land tender, said it set out to create a product that would be relevant to the community and complement the character of the area.

Built at a cost of $631 million, Central aims to integrate residential, lifestyle, business, community and transportation functions within one complex. It comprises two small office home office towers, a 25-storey office tower, a sky garden, recreational facilities and a retail podium. A 17,000 sq ft civic space was also purpose-built and donated to the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre to serve as a hub for public activities.

'As the area grows, Central is also evolving in tandem with the changing market profile, consumer behaviour and lifestyle trends,' said Far East Organization's executive director and chief operating officer Chia Boon Kuah.

UOL's Pan-Pacific Suzhou, a five-star, 481-room hotel, was recognised for mixing traditional Chinese architecture and contemporary design to capture the architectural essence of the Suzhou garden - such as open courtyards, flowing rivers, poetic Chinese landscape and an intimate sense of proportion. The jury citation described the hotel as being 'designed in harmony with the surrounding environment and existing structure'.

UOL chief operating officer Liam Wee Sin said that building the project was challenging as the developer had to 'respect the traditional architecture'.

Competitions such as the Fiabci Prix d'Excellence improve both the winning developer's brand as well as Singapore's, Mr Liam added.

'I strongly feel that as more and more Singaporean developers and buildings win global awards (such as the Fiabci award), we are in some sense contributing to Singapore becoming a vibrant city,' he said.

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