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Suntec City
By Goh, Daniel Toh Hooi written on 2001-12-05
National Library Board Singapore
Comments on article: InfopediaTalk
Suntec City, commissioned and built by a
consortium of business and industry leaders, began construction
in 1989 and was largely completed by March 1995 at a cost of
US$2.3 billion. Built in the heart of Marina Centre near City
Hall, it was designed to be a "city within a city".
It was opened on August 1995 by the Prime Minister Lee Kuan
Yew.
Designed by American architectural firm I. M. Pei and Partners
Architects and Planners, working in conjunction with local firm
DP Architects and New York-based Tsao and McKown, the structure
of Suntec City is supposed to resemble the human hand, with the
18-storey Suntec City Tower representing the thumb, the four
45-storey office towers the fingers, the convention centre the
wrist, and the fountain plaza a gold ring in the centre of the
palm. Suntec City is Singapore's largest private commercial
development. Suntec City also houses the Singapore
International Convention & Exhibition Centre (SICEC).
The name Suntec is derived from the Chinese character xin
da, which means "new achievement". It is
particularly inspired by the mandala "an ancient
philosophical representation of the universe" as well as
Chinese geomancy, better known as feng
shui. According to geomancy
masters, Suntec City is aligned to create maximum harmony
and therefore well-placed for bringing fortune and success. The
five office towers, when viewed from above, resemble the human
left hand. The fountain plaza, which includes the Fountain of
Wealth, looks like a gold ring placed in the centre of the
palm. The Singapore International Convention & Exhibition
Centre represents the wrist.
Suntec City Mall
Suntec City Mall is Singapore's largest shopping and
entertainment centre. Its 888,000 sq ft of prime retail space
are divided into four thematic zones: Elegant Galleria, The
Tropics, Fountain Terrace and the Entertainment Centre. Each of
these areas caters to specific needs.
Elegant Galleria consists of over 62,000 sq ft of upmarket
boutiques offering brand names and exclusive merchandise. The
Tropics caters to the interests of the young and old with its
sports, home furnishing, recreation and fashion outlets. The
Fountain Terrace offers a wide variety of local and
international cuisine, and the Entertainment Centre houses a
giant French supermarket, a cinema and other entertainment
related products and services.
The Fountain of Wealth
Accorded the status of the "World's Largest
Fountain" in the 1998 edition of the Guinness Book of
Records, the Fountain of Wealth is a prominent feature in
Suntec City. It spreads over an area of 1683.07 m and is
supported by four 13.8 m high bronze legs.
The fountain is designed to capture the auspicious values of
feng shui or "geomancy". Suntec City was
designed, according to the I-Ching, aligned to the Dragon
position of the "Lake" hexagram, in proximity to the
seats of authority: City Hall and the Supreme Court.
Neighbouring buildings like the Pan Pacific Hotel and Marina
Square, further enhance its auspicious position as they form
the "Frugality" hexagram.
Based on the Mandala, the fountain's ring symbolises unity
and completeness, an apt icon for the cooperation between 11
tycoons from Hongkong which saw the establishment of Suntec
City itself. A laser-light show dances against the curtain of
water every evening, attracting crowds who dine at restaurants
below.
Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre
(SICEC)
The Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre
at Suntec City is the first purpose-built convention and
exhibition in Singapore. It spans 100,000 sq m of total floor
area. It was designed to be an ideal setting for meetings,
conventions, exhibitions and special events. The SICEC hosted
the inaugural World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference
in December 1996.
Author
Daniel Goh Toh Hooi
References
Regarding Suntec: A Behind-the Scene Look at what makes the
city tick (1998, 20 February - 5 March). I-S Magazine,
2 (14), 4-13.
(Call no.: RSING 052 ISM)
Suntec City. (2002). Retrieved August 20, 2002,
from www.suntec.com.sg
Suntec City. (2002). Fountain of
wealth. Retrieved August 20, 2002, from www.sunteccity.com.sg/corporate/fountain.htm
Further Readings
Tan, K. E. (Ed.). (1998). Suntec City. Singapore:
Times Editions.
(Call no.: SING 725.2095957 SUN)
Suntec: News from Suntec City. (1992). Singapore:
Suntec City Development.
(Call no.: SING 725.205 S)
Suntec City a city within a city. (1995, March 31). The
Straits Times. Life!, p. 8.
Subject
Architecture and Landscape>>Building Types>>Commercial Buildings
Commercial buildings--Singapore
Convention facilities-- Singapore
Arts>>Architecture>>Public and commercial buildings
Arts>>Architecture>>Architectural structure
>> Singapore International Convention Exhibition Centre rooftop
>> Suntec City Tower Four building : exterior
All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2004.
