[UPDATE] Legacy and innovation on display at redeveloped Shaw Tower; latest in Beach Road rejuvenation
By Timothy Tay
/ EdgeProp Singapore |
The model of Shaw Tower was unveiled on Feb 23. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/ The Edge Singapore)
SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - When the original Shaw Tower on Beach Road was completed in 1975, it boasts of having the largest cinema in Singapore.
The brutalist architecture of the 35-storey tower reflected the growing confidence of the city-state, 10 years after it became an independent republic.
In 2018, Shaw Foundation Hong Kong announced its intention to redevelop the building and the last tenants vacated the space in 2020 before it was demolished.
Fast forward to the present, Shaw Tower will once again play a significant role as a landmark project in the latest rejuvenation of the Beach Road area.
It will join other upcoming projects in the vicinity such as Guoco Midtown by GuocoLand and The M by Wing Tai Holdings. New landmark developments that started the rejuvenation of the area include South Beach by City Developments and DUO by M+S.
Speaking at the launch of the new Shaw Tower show suite on Feb 23, Raymond Chan, managing director, Shaw Group of companies, noted that “the new (Shaw Tower) heralds the rejuvenation of the Ophir/Rochor Road corridor and the transformation of Singapore’s downtown core into a work-play-live district”.
The new Shaw Tower is set to be a new landmark development, highlighting the rejuvenation of the Ophir/Rochor Road corridor. (Picture: Shaw Towers Realty)
“We believe that this new Shaw Tower reflects the amazing progress (Singapore) has achieved and its aspirations for what lies ahead,” says Chan.
Although the former Shaw Tower has been demolished, iconic elements of the former building will be reused in the new development. For example, some of the brutalist architecture façade panels will be reinstalled at the level 5 heritage corner and the nearly 50-year-old Shaw Brothers logo will have a prominent permanent fixture at the roof garden.
“Beyond the visual heritage elements, our commitment (to the former building’s heritage) extends to preserving the original building’s position as a vital hub in the neighbourhood,” Chan adds.
First-class certifications
Shaw Towers Realty has appointed Lendlease to oversee the construction of the new Shaw Tower, as well as manage the new asset when it is completed in 2025. The new development will comprise a 33-storey tower with 435,000 sq ft Grade A office space and a five-storey retail podium that includes 21,500 sq ft of community-centric facilities.
According to Chan, four podium floors will be dedicated to social enterprise firms and social service agencies, a nod to the group’s long-standing philanthropic priorities.
The rooftop of the new tower will feature a restaurant and garden, a sky deck on the 20th floor and a sky garden on the 19th floor, as well as a landscaped sky terrace on level 5 and 6. Between them will be two separate office sections. A high zone between the 21st and 31st floors and a lower zone from the 7th to the 18th floor. The typical office floor plate in the high zone will have a net lettable area of about 20,000 sq ft while the average office floor plate in the lower zone will be about 18,000 sq ft.
An artist impression of the rooftop garden on the new Shaw Tower. (Picture: Shaw Towers Realty)
“The original building deployed the relatively new technology of the time, air-conditioning, to provide comfort and encourage productivity. The new Shaw Tower has been planned to be sustainable and healthier for people inside,” says Chan.
Although scheduled for completion in 2025, Shaw Tower is already recognised for its notable sustainability, wellness and digital connectivity features.
It is the first Grade A commercial building in Singapore to receive the Building and Construction Authority’s Green Mark Platinum (Super Low Energy) certification. According to Lendlease, Shaw Tower will see a total energy consumption of about 44% below the baseline set by conventionally designed office buildings in Singapore. (Find Singapore commercial properties with our commercial directory)
Shaw Tower is also the first building in Singapore and Asia to achieve the Wiredscore Platinum award, the highest possible certification, for its best-in-class digital connectivity standards.
It is also Singapore’s first high-rise Grade A commercial building under development to be pre-certified under WELL v2 Core by the International WELL Building Institute for its focus on well-being and health.
The project is also an ABC Waters Certified Project by Singapore’s Public Utilities Board for its planned landscaped gardens on the podium section, as well as two biophilic-designed sky terraces.
Designed for efficiency and flexibility
According to Alfred Yeung, general manager of Shaw Towers Realty, the group has always had an eye on improving Shaw Towers as a new landmark development in their portfolio. “There was an aspiration (within the company) that the new building would be an important contributor to the wider community, as well as renewing the physical make-up of the asset,” says Yeung.
“The former Shaw Tower was an integral part of the Beach Road area, and we see the new development as a continuation of its journey, especially given its prominence as part of Singapore’s nation-building journey in the 1970s,” he adds.
“The redeveloped Shaw Tower will fit into the plans for the latest rejuvenation on Beach Road, and we feel proud and privileged to be part of this effort”, says Alfred Yeung, general manager of Shaw Towers Realty. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
Yeung says Lendlease was the natural choice to partner in the redevelopment, with the chance to lean into the building firms’ international benchmark projects they have delivered. “We know that the redeveloped asset will fit into the plans for the latest rejuvenation on Beach Road, and we feel proud and privileged to be part of part of this effort”.
According to Richard Paine, head of development, Singapore at Lendlease, the office layouts will be efficient and flexible spaces with full city views and a side core configuration for more efficient space planning. This includes a 3m ceiling height and column-free floor plates. There are also multiple knock-out panels on the floor which gives tenants the flexibility for staircase connections between floors.
“We’ve designed it in a manner where we are able to tailor the space for multiple flexible uses or arrangements,” says Paine. “The Shaw Foundation’s emphasis on community responsibility and legacy is always at the forefront. It is a golden opportunity to work with a developer who is keen to help move the industry forward and create something for the community”.
Office demand to rebound strongly
When the project is completed in 2025 it will help to reinforce the downtown area as an attractive mixed-use district and tenants will be keen to be located there, says Chris Archibold, country head at JLL Singapore.
“In addition to a prime location and high-quality office space, corporate tenants increasingly emphasise the area’s amenities, the building’s health and wellness certifications, and environmental impact of the building when they consider their real estate options,” says Archibold.
An artist impression of one of the two biophilic designed sky terraces at Shaw Tower. (Picture: Shaw Towers Realty)
He adds that in a post-pandemic environment, employers are concerned about how they can attract employees back into the office. “As a result, about 90% of the decision makers we talk to are all about the amenities for their employees, this could be facilities for health and wellness, food and retail, and transport connectivity”.
Shaw is keen to work closely with developers like GuocoLand, which is developing the neighbouring integrated project Guoco Midtown, to enhance the pedestrian network throughout the area. “We are so pleased that GuocoLand is also keen to work with us to build a better community for the area,” says Yeung.
Shaw Tower will be a timely addition to the local Grade A office supply, buoyed by a shortfall in new office space that is expected to persist for the next two or three years, says Archibold. “The tight supply pipeline will help drive up Grade A office rents in the central area over the next few years, driven up by high occupancy rates”.
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