CDL Won South Beach Project
Tuesday, 11th September 2007
A consortium led by property developer City Developments Ltd (CDL) has won a US Dollars 1.12 billion bid for development of two luxury hotels, office, retail and residential space on a prime location in the city-state known as the South Beach Project a 99-year leasehold development. South Beach Project has a gross floor area of 146,827 square metres (1,580,433 square feet), will be completed by 2016. The development will feature two new towers, 45 storeys and 42 storeys tall, which house two luxury hotels, offices and apartments. The original conserved military buildings of the old Beach Road Camp will be restored for retail and hotel-related uses such as function rooms. The project will add at least 46,450 square metres (500,000 square feet) of new office space and about 700 to 800 hotel rooms.
Another interesting feature will be the two towers having slanting facades to catch winds and direct air flow to the ground-level spaces. The building facades will also incorporate photovoltaic cells. Rainwater will be collected off the towers and the canopy to flow into a holding tank underground, instead of being wasted. The ground floor will be laid out with a series of internal streets, with the aim of enhancing street level vibrancy and allowing pedestrians to move about easily. A pedestrian "green axis" arises upwards from the basement MRT station exit through multi-tiered gardens. The block layout features alleyways reminiscent of the nearby Seah Street area. It will also feature sunken courtyards, tiered gardens lined with shops, and food and beverage outlets.