Revamped Marina Bay ode to bravehearts

Article posted by Coliseum, July 30^th, 2020

Image: straitstimes.com & ST File Photo

The redecorated Marina Bay floating platform in Singapore will lodge various new elements, including a water sports center, a swimming pool and a National Service-themed gallery when it is completed by 2025.

The Float at Marina Bay, stylized as The Float @ Marina Bay and also known as the Marina Bay Floating Platform, is the world’s largest floating stage and football stadium located on the waters of the Marina Reservoir in Marina Bay, Singapore.

The Ministry of National Development (MND) and Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) announced on July 15th that they have awarded the design consultancy tender for the redevelopment of The Float @ Marina Bay to a team led by WOHA Architects, a Singapore-based architecture practice.

Redevelopment works are scheduled to start in March 2022 and completed by 2025-end, although the project scope and timeline may be adjusted because of the coronavirus menace.

The proposal submitted by WOHA Architects in sync with Populous Pte Ltd, “best fulfilled the objectives of creating an exciting and accessible community space in the heart of the city,” the respective ministries said in a press release sent out.

When completed, the platform will be modified into a “fit-for-purpose and flexible events venue for different scales and types of events”, the ministries press release added.

The venue will boast various community sports facilities, such as a swimming pool and water sports centre, as well as a new waterfront promenade.

Food and beverage to cater to the foodies as well as retail offerings are also being considered, in line with feedback received from the public for more added attractions.

Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong announced in 2017 that The Float @ Marina Bay would be repurposed into a permanent space and renamed NS Square, to serve as the primary venue for the National Day Parade.

Apart from staging National Day parades, the redeveloped venue could also be used to stage large-scale national and community events such as River Hongbao and the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown, the ministries press release further stated.

The Singapore National Day Parade is a national ceremony in Singapore that, as its name implies, includes a parade on Singapore’s National Day on August 9, to mark Singapore’s independence.

Bravehearts

The new venue will also lodge a National Service (NS)-themed gallery to demonstrate Singapore’s defence and NS story and to pay ode to the contributions of generations of National Servicemen, the ministries’ press release maintained.

National Service (NS) is the national policy in Singapore mandated by statutory law that requires all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents to serve a period of compulsory service in the uniformed services.

The gallery will be a mix of open and enclosed spaces and “showcase stories of servicemen from the Singapore Armed Forces and Home Team through various multimedia platforms and hardware displays”, the release further added.

The Marina Bay floating platform was built in 2007 as a temporary stage while the National Stadium was being redeveloped.

It was originally slated to be the venue of this year’s National Day Parade (NDP), but NDP 2020 has since been scaled down in keeping with COVID-19 guidelines.

The Government received 25 submissions for the design consultancy tender. Five teams were shortlisted and invited to submit concept design proposals.

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