Plaza Singapura is a contemporary shopping mall located along Orchard Road, Singapore. Plaza Singapura is a unique mall at the edge of modernity and history. With a history going back 38 years, it was the first shopping mall that many Singaporeans experienced and many of us have fond memories of shopping at the iconic Plaza Singapura.
Plaza Singapura was completed in 1974 and was designed by BEP Akitek Pte Ltd. At the time of completion, it was one of the largest malls in the island. Plaza Singapura was officially opened by then Minister for Finance, the late Mr Hon Sui Sen, on 16 August 1975. The mall did not go under any major renovations until 1997 during the Asian Financial Crisis, when it went under major retrofitting with a totally new look and the mall totally changed when it reopened in 1998. Few years after the mall went under new renovation phases, first between 2002 and 2003, when the mall had renovations in the basements, and a direct link to Dhoby Ghaut MRT station was constructed, second in 2008, and the last major renovation work from 2012 to 2013 when the mall was given today’s look. In this last phase the first three levels of Atrium@Orchard, which housed several offices, were converted to shop spaces.
Today Plaza Singapura is a popular contemporary one-stop urban mall with emphasis on fashion, entertainment and food for families and young adults. With over 460,000 sq ft of net lettable area spread over nine-storeys, Plaza Singapura offers shoppers a wide range of shopping, entertainment and leisure activities. Each floor has been creatively themed to focus on specific groups within the target markets to ensure that there is something for everyone in the family. It enjoys convenient accessibility with its direct link at Basement 2 to the new Dhoby Ghaut MRT interchange. The tenant mix includes popular household brand names and diverse anchor tenants like Carrefour hypermarket, Best Denki, the leading electrical and electronics chain store in Singapore, Yamaha Music School, one of the largest music schools in Singapore, and Golden Village Cinemas which offers a 10 screen cineplex.
Location and accessibility
Plaza Singapura is located along Orchard Road, Singapore’s main shopping belt, and right in the heart of the Civic and Cultural District. The mall boasts a direct Basement 2 link to the Dhoby Ghaut MRT Interchange Station, which connects three MRT lines – the North South Line, the North East Line and the Circle Line.
Shopper Trafic/Catchment Area
The mall’s broad-based positioning, coupled with its strong focus on basic consumer goods and services, differentiates itself from other malls along Orchard Road, and allows it to attract a wide range of shoppers – families, youths and working adults – from all over Singapore.
Annual Shopper Traffic (million) 24.1
Entertainment zone
Gaming Era (videogame store), AMB Aquatic Hub (aquarium & pet retailer), OmOcha!! World, Baby Spa by Hwa Xia International, Family Lounge (Rest & Relax Room), THE STAR FACTORY (latest video and simulation game machines), Golden Village (multiplex).
Features mall architecture
Marking a new phase in its life, Plaza Singapura also has a new look. It boasts a façade featuring flowing architectural ribbons that resemble waves and are symbolic of the flow of people and trade in the area. By night, the wave-forms twinkle with light, much like water glittering in twilight. Adding to the vitality of the 170-metre long frontage, one of the longest on Orchard Road, is a family of multi-coloured sculptures called the Jelly Baby Family. Created by Italian artist Mauro Peruchetti, the five cheery figures embody the unity of family and the beauty of multi-culturalism as they welcome shoppers to the mall.
Planning
The building consist nine retail levels (including two basement levels) and a
multi-storey car park with direct access into the mall from levels 2 to 7.
With the completion of asset enhancement works in October 2012, Plaza Singapura is now seamlessly connected to the retail podium of The Atrium@Orchard via internal walkways at levels 1, 3 and 4. Shoppers can also experience an exciting new facade as well as a more vibrant front plaza for public events and gatherings.
Project Cost
Market Valuation (S$ million) 1,168.0
