Populous initial designs for Singapore project

Article posted by Coliseum, March 8^th, 2023

Image: Populous

Celebrated design studio Populous (US) has announced the preliminary designs for a major community sports and entertainment precinct, the Toa Payoh Integrated Development in Singapore, and the same have been revealed to the public for the first time by Sport Singapore (SportSG).

‘Populous’ stated that located in the central region of Singapore, the 12-hectare site is an existing heritage and sports park that has been reimagined and designed as an integrated development by Populous in collaboration with the MKPL Architects.

Kansas City, Missouri (US)-based Populous is a global architectural and design practice specializing in sports facilities, arenas and convention centers, as well as the planning and design of major special events. Populous was created through a management buyout in January 2009, becoming independently owned and operated. It is reported to be one of the largest architecture firms in the world. Populous formerly operated as the HOK Sport Venue Event, which was part of the HOK Group.

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Christopher Lee, Managing Director EMEA, Populous, UK, is a Member of Coliseum – Global Sports Venue Alliance.

Singapore-based Sport Singapore (SportSG) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth of the Government of Singapore. It is the lead agency tasked with developing a holistic sports culture for the nation.

Singapore-based the MKPL Architects Pte Limited is an architectural firm formed in March 1995. The firm believes in an integrated design approach, combining master planning, architecture, landscape, interior and furniture design to produce a total design product.

‘Populous’ further stated that seen as an extension of the Toa Payoh Town Centre, the project will comprise a regional sport center, a regional town park, a library, and a polyclinic.

The Toa Payoh Integrated Development will become a lifestyle destination with ample community spaces, giving residents health, wellness and learning experiences, while preserving the heritage and greenery in a connective landscape.

Populous Senior Principal Andrew Tulen said it was a great honor to be part of a collaborative team working on an important project in terms of lifestyle, health and wellbeing and the place it plays in the community – “The mix of program and the connectivity of the site to the residents of Toa Payoh, represents a forward-thinking and sustainable design model that should be a benchmark for future integrated developments in Asia.”

In terms of sports facilities, the new regional sport center will include a new football stadium with increased seating capacity, badminton courts, sheltered competition and training pools, outdoor leisure pools, a community gym with fitness studios, sheltered tennis courts, sheltered futsal courts, and a jogging trail.

The new stadium aims to be an inclusive facility that is well integrated into the overall development and will be capable of hosting international events with its FIFA-compliant pitch and extensive player and officials’ facilities.

The Toa Payoh Integrated Development is a collaborative design effort with the multidisciplinary team led by the MKPL Architects with consultants including:

Populous as sports architect and wayfinding designer;
ARUP as the civil and structural engineer, acoustic, security, façade, noise, and audio-visual (AV) and multimedia consultant;
WSP as the mechanical and electrical engineer;
STX Landscape Architects as the landscape architect;
AECOM as quantity surveyor;
Ramboll (Web Earth) as the environmental sustainability consultant;
PH Consulting as the Design for Safety consultant;
Nipek as the lighting consultant;
Dr. Yeo Kang Shua as the heritage consultant;
Knight Frank as the market research consultant;
The Australian Centre for Value Management (ACVM) as the value management consultant; and
Ramboll (Vertix) as the traffic consultant.

The residents of Toa Payoh can expect to use these facilities when the project is completed by 2030.

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