WORLD-CLASS CIVIC PRECINCT

The Empress Place Extension was part of the larger master plan to revitalise the Civic District of Singapore, home to some of the nation’s more notable historic buildings and spaces. architects 61 worked in collaboration with Cox Architecture to strengthen the identity and attractiveness of the Civic District as the birthplace of modern Singapore and a world-class arts and cultural hub.

The Civic District acts as a green refuge within the dense city centre, yet the connections between its open spaces were tenuous. The new design focused on stitching the individual areas together as a larger urban park.

This was achieved through upgrading infrastructure such as pedestrian bridges and underpasses; improving pedestrian connections through more canopies, increased lighting and new wayfinding; and removing limits to access and visual connectivity across the precinct while taking care to preserve designated Heritage Trees in the area.

Key features of the extension include a new grand public lawn in front of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, with the capacity for up to 10,000 people, more green areas around the various museums, a riverfront walk and sculpture rooms, creating a vibrant place to engage the community and the arts.