Work has commenced on the new Shaw Tower in Singapore, which will be redeveloped into a 200-m future-grade mixed-use tower. Lendlease has been appointed by Shaw Towers Realty Pte Ltd to manage the redevelopment and the subsequent operating asset.

Targeted for completion in 2025, the project is central to the ongoing rejuvenation of the country’s ‘Downtown Core’ area into a work-live-play precinct, an extension of the central business district (CBD). 

The new Shaw Tower will comprise 435,000 sq ft of Grade-A office space and a five-storey podium with 15,700 sq ft of retail and F&B offerings, including a rooftop restaurant. Community-centric facilities taking up 21,500 sq ft include a multi-purpose hall with auditorium, meeting and training facilities.

‘Pandemic-resilient’ building

According to Lendlease, the new Shaw Tower will be constructed in line with Singapore’s developmental agenda of modernising the built environment to meet contemporary needs by introducing technology-enabled sustainable features for a scalable, pandemic-resilient and sustainable workplace essential today.

The flexible workplace can be adapted to different configurations to suit each tenant’s needs, with floorplates ranging between 17,000 and 19,000 sq ft. This flexibility is made possible from its configuration with multiple knock-out panels for seamless connectivity between floors to encourage closer collaboration at work.

Access to the workplace within Shaw Tower will be safe, easy and secure with pandemic-resilient features supported by advanced technologies, such as facial recognition, contactless entry, destination control lifts equipped with automatic UV sterilisation and smart lighting with IoT.

The new Shaw Tower will also promote healthy lifestyles, added Lendlease. Its biophilic design will feature lush greenery in the form of outdoor breakout/collaboration spaces, a fitness/yoga deck, two sky terraces, rooftop gardens and end-of-trip facilities such as secure indoor/outdoor bicycle parking and locker and shower facilities. Air quality is optimised through ultra-filtered recirculation and bi-polar ionisation while rooftop solar photovoltaic panels generate renewable energy.

In addition, the project will play the role of a community hub by supporting the mission of community organisations, with spaces spanning four levels dedicated to social enterprises/social service agencies.

Preserving heritage

Lendlease further highlighted that it will retain Shaw’s heritage of the previous tower and its place in modern Singapore’s nation-building post-independence.

For this reason, the company has engaged professors from the Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore (NUS) as its heritage consultant for an in-depth understanding of the cultural history and significance of Shaw Tower, as well as to identify opportunities for heritage experiential design and interpretation.

To preserve Shaw Tower’s legacy in Downtown Singapore’s placemaking history, heritage elements of the original building will be carefully weaved into the new building, reinstating Beach Road’s historic character of leisure and entertainment in its streetscape and public spaces for the local community.

These include, among other things, the original Shaw Brothers logo from the roof facade, previous Shine auditorium seats, ticket stubs from New Alhambra and Marlborough Theatre as well as Jade 1 and Prince 2 cinema, film memorabilia, and film editing and splicing machine.

“We are deeply committed to preserving Shaw Tower’s place in Singapore’s nation-building journey as a symbol of its modern identity,” said Raymond Chan, managing director of Shaw Group of Companies, Hong Kong. “Just as it did during an exciting time for post-independence Singapore, we hope the new Shaw Tower will again capture the zeitgeist of Singapore today in its sustainability journey and represent a breakthrough in how culture and history can be melded with cutting-edge technology to bring to life the future of workplace.”

Ng Hsueh Ling, managing director for Singapore at Lendlease, added, “With tech-enabled features for pandemic resilience, the new Shaw Tower will continue to lead the evolution of the workplace. The combination of heritage elements of the original Shaw Tower with best-in-class sustainability features and innovative design will ensure its legacy extends into the next chapter of its illustrious story.”

Image credits:
Image 1: Lendlease
Images 2-5: Shaw Towers Realty Pte Ltd