Home / Architecture and Landscape

Suntec City

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



All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2004.