Coming: Glass bridge over Orchard Road
2013 completion for entire project comprising bridge and 2 new buildings
By Esther Teo
ORCHARD Road's first pedestrian bridge will connect two new buildings coming up in the vicinity of Somerset MRT station.
One of the project managers promises the glass bridge, to link the third levels of the two buildings diagonally across Orchard Road, will enhance the world-famous shopping strip.
The bridge will 'offer a new postcard view of Orchard Road', says United Engineers Limited (UEL) group managing director and chief executive Jackson Yap.
Christmas might also look a little different, with new decorative possibilities for the bridge during the annual Orchard Road Christmas Light-up, Mr Yap adds.
The project is set to be completed in the second half of 2013.
Mr Tan Szue Hann, architecture editor of Singapore Architect magazine, has some suggestions though, saying the bridge could have been designed as a public venue rather than just a decorated, functional overhead crossing. 'We're definitely not short of local examples where bridges become pleasant garden paths or are lined with retail facilities. This might have been a more dynamic proposition,' he says.
One building - between Orchard Central and 313@Somerset - will be a mixed development on the site of the former Specialists' Centre-Phoenix Hotel owned by OCBC Bank. The 21-storey building will comprise a four-star hotel (about 500 rooms) and 20,800 sq m of retail space.
It will also be linked to Somerset MRT station via a basement.
The other building will be 11 storeys high and boast 3,500 sq m of office space and 2,700 sq m of retail space. This 1,400 sq m site is owned by Great Eastern Holdings, a subsidiary of OCBC Bank.
The two new buildings will also be linked by an underground pass as wide as CityLink Mall.
UEL is the developer of the former Specialists' Centre-Phoenix Hotel site. The entire project, unveiled at a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday, will cost more than $700 million.
Retail specialist Lynda Wee says the overhead bridge would provide shoppers with convenience and a more interactive shopping experience, adding: 'It also seems to be built quite high up so it's not like an overhead bridge which might be an eyesore.'
Details, including the retail tenant mix, will be released soon, although the Singapore Tourism Board's new visitors centre has been confirmed as a tenant.
Mr Vincent Soh, executive director of OCBC property services, is bullish. 'The economy is in an upturn now. Also, come 2013, there are unlikely to be any other malls completed, we are actually almost the only one left... 2013 is just perfect timing for our development,' he says.
The project will incorporate two open plazas - one on each side of Orchard Road - which will create a gathering point and entertainment platform for buskers, art performances and outdoor events, Mr Yap says.
esthert@sph.com.sg
The project will incorporate two open plazas - one on each side of Orchard Road - which the developers say will create a gathering point and entertainment platform. -- PHOTO: UNITED ENGINEERS LIMITED
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