The Reef at King’s Dock: ‘An urban village’
By Cecilia Chow and Valerie Kor
/ EdgeProp Singapore |
SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - The Reef at King’s Dock previewed over the weekend of Jan 16–17 and drew 1,300 visitors. It will be officially launched on Jan 30–31. The 429-unit luxury condominium, which sits on a 284,266 sq ft, 99-year leasehold land strip at Harbourfront Avenue, is developed jointly by Mapletree Investments, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings and Keppel Group, with respective stakes of 61% and 39%.
Anticipation has built up in recent weeks as The Reef is the last significant condominium development plot at Keppel Bay. Among the projects at Keppel Bay, The Reef is located closest to the Harbourfront MRT Interchange Station and VivoCity, Singapore’s largest mall with over a million sq ft of net lettable space.
The Reef is located within the Greater Southern Waterfront, Singapore’s largest transformation plan, which covers an area of 2,000ha — six times the size of Marina Bay — and stretches across 30km of the southern coastline. As the first project within the Greater Southern Waterfront to be launched, The Reef offers buyers “a first-mover advantage” over future developments, and the prospects for capital appreciation, notes Lee Sze Teck, Huttons Asia director of research. Hence, the project is attractive to both investors and owner-occupiers.
Showflat for a one-bedroom unit (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
“The Reef may possibly be the only new project launched this year with the sea at its doorstep, and offers a different lifestyle compared to projects on mainland Singapore,” adds Lee.
‘Not a typical residential project’
Indeed, it is not just a typical residential project that could be anywhere in Singapore, says Zurich-based Anouk Kuitenbrouwer, partner at KCAP Architects & Planners, during a conference call with EdgeProp Singapore. “We have been working on many waterfront projects in Europe,” she adds. They include the transformation of the former port area at HafenCity, Hamburg; the masterplan of a 21ha brownfield site at the seafront city of Fredericia, Denmark; the Müllerpier in Rotterdam; the masterplan for the Riverside at Zuchwil, Switzerland; and the port area of the Bay of Pasaia, San Sebastian in Spain.
In Singapore, KCAP designed the masterplan for the 360ha Jurong Lake District, including the detailed masterplan for the 160ha, high-density, mixed-use development site where the high-speed rail terminus is situated. However, the high-speed rail between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore has since been aborted.
The living area in a showflat for a two-bedder (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
Unlike most harbourfront developments around the world that are part of larger, mixed-use developments and are usually public projects, The Reef was unusual as it involves just one developer (the joint-venture partners) and sits on private land, notes Kuitenbrouwer.
Historic docks to high-end
waterfront homes
Keppel Land and Mapletree began discussions with KCAP on the design of The Reef back in 2018. “We were very excited to see this dock with its marina history,” says Kuitenbrouwer.
When it opened in 1913, King’s Dock was the second largest dock in the world. Keppel Harbour, which was named after Captain Henry Keppel in 1900, became one of the busiest ports in Singapore. By the 1950s, there were four docks at Keppel Harbour: Dock No. 1 and 2, King’s Dock and Queen’s Dock. In 1999, Keppel Shipyard moved its operations to Tuas.
Showflat for a three-bedroom premium unit (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
Over the past 20 years, Keppel Land has transformed Keppel Bay from a shipyard to a luxury waterfront residential enclave. Prior to The Reef, the latest development at Keppel Bay was the 366-unit Corals at Keppel Bay. Launched in 2013, it was completed in 2016. The luxury condo development was designed by award-winning architect Daniel Libeskind, who also designed the 1,129-unit Reflections at Keppel Bay. Reflections was completed in 2011. A landmark in Singapore’s skyline, Reflections has six distinctive curved, glass towers of 24 to 41 storeys and 11 six- to eight-storey villa blocks fronting the 750m shoreline. Reflections was completed in 2011.
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Keppel Land’s maiden luxury condominium at Keppel Bay was the 969-unit Caribbean at Keppel Bay. Completed in 2004, it was designed by Singapore-based DCA Architects. Incidentally, DCA Architects collaborated with Libeskind for Reflections and Corals, and will also be working with KCAP on The Reef.
The last potential development site is on Keppel Island, which has been reserved for the development of luxury villas in the future. The Marina at Keppel Bay is located on Keppel Island and linked to the mainland by the 250m Keppel Bay Bridge.
First-in-Singapore floating deck
The kitchen of a three-bedroom premium unit (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
KCAP is designing The Reef as “an urban village” that is set to be a new landmark in the neighbourhood. “It is a unique development in terms of its scale and variation of blocks, compared to others along the coastline,” Kuitenbrouwer says.
The 10 blocks within the development have varying heights, from four to 10 storeys. The interplay of high and low blocks allows the architect to maximise the views of most units. Units that do not have a direct view of the sea will have garden views, while those units in the northwest will have views of Mount Faber, says Kuitenbrouwer. “Each building is unique; it has its own colour scheme. This will add to the diversity and residents can identify with their home.”
A first-in-Singapore feature at The Reef is the 180m-long floating deck, where an Olympic-length swimming pool, a splash pool for children, and a rejuvenation pool will be located. The deck will also have a Marine Viewing Hammock where one can view marine life.
The second bedroom that can be converted into a study (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
Environmental consulting firm and marine ecology specialist DHI Group has been engaged to design the submerged surface of the concrete floating deck, together with Delta Marine Consultants, a firm that specialises in coastal infrastructure and maritime engineering. Delta Marine Consultants’ portfolio includes Waterfront Promenade at Marina Bay Sands as well as the floating pods and pavilion at Fullerton Bay Hotel.
“This is the first time such a feature is included in a residential development in Singapore and it allows residents to be close to the water and natural ecology of King’s Dock,” says Siew Chure Hoe, associate director of DCA Architects.
Top-end fittings and finishes
Smart home features have been included at the units at The Reef, for instance, smart door lock, intercom system air-conditioning and motorised screens. Kitchens will be fitted with top-end appliances from Miele and bathroom fittings from Dornbracht and Geberit.
The master bedroom of a two-bedroom unit (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
Energy-efficient air-conditioning systems, LED lighting and lifts will be incorporated into the project. Water-efficient features such as rainwater harvesting and auto-irrigation will also be used. Given these attributes, The Reef has been awarded a Green Mark Gold Plus certification by the Building and Construction Authority.
A feature that is not very common in condominiums in Singapore is the aluminium mesh sun screens at the balconies of each unit. “The metal mesh is permeable, so it lets light and wind in but you can keep the heat out,” says KCAP’s Kuitenbrouwer.
About 79% of the 429 units at The Reef are one- and two-bedroom units, with sizes ranging from 431 to 893 sq ft. The balance 92 units are a mix of two- and three-bedroom villas, as well as three-bedroom-plus-study and premium units, with sizes from 980 to 1,572 sq ft. Prices start from $960,000 ($2,227 psf) for a 431 sq ft, one-bedroom unit; $1.6 million ($2,360 psf) for a 678 sq ft, two-bedroom unit; and $2.8 million ($2,602 psf) for three-bedroom units starting from 1,076 sq ft.
“The quantum of below $1 million is a very attractive proposition to buyers in today’s market who are looking at homes in District 4 and right next to the sea,” says Huttons’ Lee. “The higher price-points for the larger units are probably facing the sea so there is some premium attached to it.”
The Reef gives Singaporeans the opportunity to enjoy a waterfront lifestyle “at an affordable price”, says Ismail Gafoor, CEO of PropNex. “What is mesmerising is the floating deck. You can’t recreate that experience elsewhere in Singapore. The Reef is also located so close to the amenities at Harbourfront.” Keppel and Mapletree will also be developing a public park next to The Reef, where residents will have direct access through a secured side gate.
Check out the latest listings near The Reef at King’s Dock, Reflections at Keppel Bay, Corals at Keppel Bay, Caribbean at Keppel Bay, Harbourfront MRT Interchange Station
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