Singapore – On 27 October 2022, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) revealed the design for 8 Shenton Way, a new 63-storey mixed-use tower that is set to become the Singapore’s tallest skyscraper.
Soaring to a height of 305 metres, 8 Shenton Way will be located at the intersection of Singapore’s Central Business District and Marina Bay, Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood and the emerging Greater Southern Waterfront. The tower will comprise of expansive public spaces, offices, retail, hotel, and luxury residences and offer unparalleled panoramic views south-facing of the South China Sea. The residences will occupy the highest levels of the tower, enjoying the most impressive views.
“8 Shenton Way will be the newest landmark on the Singapore’s skyline – truly a next generation tower for the city,” said SOM Partner Mustafa Abadan. “Designed specifically with the tropical climate of Singapore in mind, this building will be one of the first post-pandemic mixed-use towers in the world incorporating health and wellness as its primary design drivers. By seeking to achieve the city’s newest and most rigorous sustainability standards, our design will establish a new paradigm for resilient and elegant high-rise design in Singapore and beyond.”
The design of 8 Shenton Way is inspired by bamboo forest and the biophilic elements found in nature. The building will reuse part of the existing foundation and infrastructure onsite to minimize material use and embodied carbon during construction. The facade will be built of energy efficient glazing, and recyclable aggregates will be used in its concrete structure, manufactured through a low carbon process, while segregating waste and using Singapore Green Building Council-certified materials where available.
The development will integrate dynamic live, work, and play elements, while elevating luxury in Singapore’s downtown. A public performance and events space with retail, seating, and bike racks will activate the street. Landscaping will extend from the street into the building, creating a seamless green corridor for pedestrians. On the second floor, an open-air green space with restaurants offers room to gather, surrounded by a biodiverse landscape with plants chosen specifically to attract birds and butterflies. In total, the design includes more than 10,000 square metres of elevated, public green space – exceeding the footprint of the entire site.
The building facade is characterized by natural materials – champagne-coloured terracotta and bamboo along the walls of the sky gardens – with curved edges that create bay windows on nearly every floor, offering vast sightlines of the city and the sea. In the lobby, wood, stone, and terracotta finishes flank artwork and a reflecting pool, with a multi-floor atrium framing the space above. Landscaped sky gardens located throughout the height of the tower create a place of respite, building occupants ample room for an outdoor escape in the sky. There are seven terraces altogether, including one for the hotel floors and three for the residential levels, carved out of the building every five to six floors bringing light, air, and natural ventilation to prioritize wellbeing.
From the zero-waste manufacture of terracotta to the use of engineered bamboo, the design seeks to minimise both embodied and operational carbon. Targeting Building Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Certification – equivalent to a 55 percent energy reduction compared to the benchmark – 8 Shenton Way is seeking the highest sustainability certification in the region.
“Emerging from the pandemic, this moment presents a rare and exciting opportunity for architects to explore new approaches to health-driven placemaking,” said SOM Design Principal Nic Medrano. “Singapore is an incredible canvas to do this, with its excellent quality of life, abundance of greenspace and diversity of cultures. Our design weaves together nature, heritage, connections to transit, luxury living, health workplaces, and lively public spaces into a thriving hub for the community.”
8 Shenton Way is owned and being developed by Perennial Holdings Private Limited and its consortium of investors. SOM is serving as Architectural Design Consultant and with DCA Architects of Singapore serving as Architect of 8 Shenton Way. The project is anticipated for completion in 2028.
