Prepared Industrial Land Allocation Falls In Q2

Source : The Business Times, August 13, 2009

Negative 32.2 ha compares with net allocation of plus 14ha in Q1

Net allocation of prepared industrial land went into negative territory in the second quarter for JTC Corporation, as the downturn continued to take a toll.

Coming soon: Phase 2A of Fusionopolis is under construction and is expected to be finished by 2013

JTC's Q2 facilities report shows net allocation was negative 32.2 hectares, compared with a net allocation of plus 14 ha in Q1 and 34 ha in Q2 2008.

Gross allocation in Q2 this year slid to 5.4 ha. And termination jumped to 37.6 ha, from 16.7 ha in Q1. Almost half of total terminations stemmed from the electronics segment. And almost a quarter of terminations was due to companies consolidating operations.

Net allocation of generic land and specialised parks also moved into negative territory in Q2.

Net allocation of generic land was negative 7.1 ha, down from plus four hectares in Q1 and significantly lower than 26.7 ha in Q2 2008. As gross allocation fell 77 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 2.5 ha, termination rose 37 per cent to 9.6 ha in Q2. The manufacturing sector accounted for 74 per cent of gross allocation.

Net allocation of specialised parks dropped to a negative 25 ha versus plus 10 ha in Q1 and 7.3 ha in Q2 2008. This was also due to lower gross allocation and higher termination. Gross allocation plunged 85 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 2.9 ha, while termination rose three-fold to 28 ha.

Wafer Fab Park accounted for 65 per cent of termination within specialised parks, with 18.3 ha in Q2, which widened net allocation for Wafer Fab Park from negative 6.5 ha in Q1 to negative 18.3 ha in Q2.

In JTC's ready-built factory (RBF) segment, net allocation remained negative in Q2 but improved slightly, climbing to negative 7,800 sq m versus negative 8,900 sq m in Q1, thanks to a 64 per cent increase in gross allocation to 17,800 sq m. Higher gross allocation was partly offset by higher termination, which rose by 30 per cent to 25,600 sq m in Q2.

The RBF occupancy rate was 0.3 percentage points lower at 97.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, Phase 2A of Fusionopolis is under construction and is expected to be finished by 2013, JTC said yesterday.

Home Away From Home

Source : The Straits Times, July 10, 2009

WHILE the hotel industry has been hit by the economic downturn, serviced apartments - which come with their own kitchens, suiting professionals on short contracts who want a homely environment - are on a roll.

The 50-unit Fraser Place Fusionopolis located in the heart of Singapore's thriving research and development scene at JTC Corporation's Fusionopolis @ one-north research hub at Buona Vista. --PHOTO: FRASERS PLACE

Two developments, totalling 204 rooms, have opened this year and two more with 675 rooms altogether will open within the next three years, all outside the city belt.

The latest to open is the 50-unit Fraser Place Fusionopolis located in the heart of Singapore's thriving research and development scene at JTC Corporation's Fusionopolis @ one-north research hub at Buona Vista.

The serviced apartments, which are on levels 17 to 19 of the park's 'Symbosis' Tower, opened last Wednesday and rates start from $6,300 a month.

Read the full report in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times, Life!.

Frasers Launches Serviced Apartments At Fusionopolis

Source : The Straits Times, July 9, 2009

Frasers Hospitality has obtained commitments amounting to a 60% occupancy rate for the 50 units.

FRASERS Hospitality launched its serviced apartment complex at Fusionopolis yesterday - its third property in Singapore and certainly not its last.

Frasers Hospitality has obtained commitments amounting to a 60 per cent occupancy rate for the 50 units at Fusionopolis, all one-bedroom loft apartments ranging from 46 sq m to 99 sq m. -- PHOTO: FRASERS HOSPITALITY


Fraser Place Fusionopolis, located on levels 17 to 19 of the Symbosis Tower of Fusionopolis @ one-north, has 50 units, all one-bedroom loft apartments ranging from 46 sq m to 99 sq m.

It has obtained commitments amounting to a 60 per cent occupancy rate. The first few guests, including a professor from the nearby business school Insead, have checked in.

Frasers Hospitality chief executive officer Choe Peng Sum told The Straits Times that occupancy at its two other properties here - Fraser Suites in River Valley and Fraser Place in Robertson Quay - stands at 90 per cent despite the global downturn.

However, it has had to cut rates and the completion of a few of its planned projects overseas has been delayed, added Mr Choe.

The effect of the global downturn kicked in around February but the drop in occupancy has been slight so far, just two or three percentage points, he said.

He attributed it to more expatriates seeking shorter stays or more flexibility in the light of the uncertainty.

The downturn has been kinder to the serviced apartment sector than hotels.

'We saw this during the Hong Kong handover. All the serviced apartments in Hong Kong were full and rates were very good,' said Mr Choe.

Singapore's hotel rates may have fallen by 35 per cent this year but serviced apartment rates are down by only 15 per cent, he said.

Overall, the serviced apartment sector here has an occupancy rate of about 75 to 80 per cent compared with 50 to 60 per cent for hotels.

Mr Choe said Singapore can still accommodate more branded serviced apartments and Frasers Hospitality is looking at opening more.

Elsewhere, occupancy levels remain healthy, he said. Its expansion plans, while still proceeding, have had to slow somewhat in certain areas. While the downturn has had an impact in some areas, others are experiencing construction delays.

The opening of a few projects has been moved to next year. These include a project in Dubai, which has been affected by a downturn-induced construction delay.

Frasers Hospitality will have 5,300 units in operation by the end of this year, and 8,000 units, including those in the pipeline, by the end of next year.

Apartments At Fusionopolis

Source : The Straits Times, July 8, 2009

FRASERS Hospitality launched its service apartment complex at Fusionopolis on Wednesday - its third property here and certainly not its last.

Fraser Place Fusionopolis, located on levels 17 to 19 of the Symbosis Tower of Fusionopolis @ one-north, has 50 units, all one-bedroom loft apartments ranging from 46 sq m to 99 sq m.

It has obtained commitments amounting to a 60 per cent occupancy rate. The first few guests, including a professor from the nearby business school Insead, have checked in.

Frasers Hospitality chief executive officer Choe Peng Sum told The Straits Times that occupancy at its two other properties here - Fraser Suites in River Valley and Fraser Place in Robertson Quay - stands at 90 per cent despite the global downturn.

However, it has had to cut rates and the completion of a few of its planned projects overseas has been delayed, added Mr Choe.

The effect of the global downturn kicked in around February but the drop in occupancy has been slight so far, just two or three percentage points, said Mr Choe.

He attributed it to more expatriates seeking shorter stays or more flexibility in the light of the uncertainty.

The downturn has been kinder to the service apartment sector than hotels.

'We saw this during the Hong Kong handover. All the service apartments in Hong Kong were full and rates were very good,' said Mr Choe.

Singapore's hotel rates may have fallen by 35 per cent this year but service apartment rates are down by only 15 per cent, he said.

Read the full report in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.

Creative Buzz At Mediapolis

Source : The Business Times, March 10, 2009

INDUSTRIAL SPACE

It will have centres for interactive digital media, computer-generated imagery, games, animation and more

IMAGINE flashing billboards, colourful media screens, film shootings on the streets and red carpet activities galore. This is not downtown Manhattan nor Tokyo. Come 2020, Singapore's very own Mediapolis may be home to a vibrant suite of film, television and animation clusters.

The 19-hectare Mediapolis is set to become a self-contained media ecosystem comprising soundstages (left) with green screen capabilities, digital production and broadcast facilities and media schools (next).

Of course, Mediapolis will not replicate the street scenes of these cities entirely. Internationally renowned architect Bernard Tschumi was clear that he wanted to preserve Singapore's tropical uniqueness even as he brought in elements from these cities.

And distinct the Mediapolis will be. Mr Tschumi's works are commonly associated with a post-modern form of architecture called deconstructivism, where buildings take on non-rectilinear shapes or non-uniform surfaces to stimulate a sense of controlled chaos.

He has also introduced this concept to the Mediapolis masterplan - sides of buildings facing the central street will have glass facades and billboards, while the other sides will have to be constructed with other types of material such as steel or wood to create a contrast.

For a project that involved so much creative effort, what exactly is the Mediapolis?


What the Mediapolis is

Located in one-north, the 19-hectare Mediapolis was launched in December last year. It is set to become a self-contained media ecosystem comprising soundstages with green screen capabilities, digital production and broadcast facilities and media schools.

There will also be centres for activities in interactive digital media and research and development; computer-generated imagery and visual effects; games and animation; and intellectual property creation and digital rights management.

Mediapolis was created in response to Singapore's expanding media sector. In 2005, it reported an annual turnover of $18.2 billion, contributing $4.9 billion value added to the country's GDP. It also employed close to 55,000 people.

Media funding has also grown with about $1 billion anchored here. Award-winning films, games and animation and major international co-productions such as the filming and production of Mark Burnett's Contender Asia and The Contender 4 also took place in Singapore.

Global media giants such as Lucasfilm, Linden Lab, EA, Ubisoft and Rainbow SpA have also set foot here. And more media activities such as the upcoming shoot of Jan de Bont's Point Break 2 will take place this year.

The government therefore came up with Mediapolis to position Singapore as a media hub. Four agencies - JTC Corporation, the Media Development Authority (MDA), the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) - were involved.

'JTC is pleased to be part of this multi-government agency effort that propels Singapore ahead as a trusted global media capital,' said Philip Su, JTC's assistant chief executive. 'We are glad to contribute to building the critical pieces, which will complement each other in the growth of a vibrant media ecosystem.'

JTC is also the master developer of one-north. The Mediapolis will be the third strategic industry cluster in one-north, after Biopolis (biomedical sciences) and Fusionopolis (infocomm, media, engineering and physical sciences).

'Mediapolis will also be able to leverage on the creative community in the neighbouring Wessex Estate, and tap on the synergies and world-class expertise within one-north,' said Mr Su.

MDA chief executive Christopher Chia also expressed great hopes for the Mediapolis. It is 'an essential piece of a comprehensive media ecosystem that we are building', he said. 'Over the years, Singapore's media industry has made great strides, particularly in media financing and international co-productions. To elevate ourselves to the next level, we are finding ways to add scale and synergy to what we already have.'

The government also consulted an International Advisory Committee in the conceptualisation of Mediapolis. The panel comprised media industry insiders such as Dune Entertainment chairman and chief executive Greg Coote, Warner Brothers Pictures president of physical productions Steve Papazian, and film maker and director Shekhar Kapur.

Mediapolis will be developed in two phases. For phase one, JTC has reserved a 1.2-hectare plot of land for works to begin in the first quarter of this year. Local media production company Infinite Frameworks (IFW) will invest in and develop a soundstage complex here.

Controlled chaos: Street-facing sides of buildings will have glass facades and multi-media awnings, while the other sides will be built with other materials for contrast

Cutting edge

IFW is a producer of cutting-edge computer graphics and visual effects for television and feature films. The complex is expected to cost $80 million to $120 million and could house three soundstages when completed in two years.

'The soundstage at Mediapolis presents a unique opening for Infinite to further augment our distinctive range of specialist services for the film and television industries,' said IFW managing director Mike Wiluan.

The second part of phase one's development would start after Ayer Rajah Camp relocates in 2011 and could be completed in 2020 at the latest. No date has been set for works on phase two to begin.

The entire Mediapolis could take as long as 20 to 30 years to complete. According to Chan Yeng Kit, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, the speed of development will depend on demand from the media industry.

Fusing Science, Art And Nature

Source : The Business Times, February 24, 2009

INDUSTRIAL SPACE

Fusionopolis' towers house scientists and engineers working on new medical solutions and technical innovations

DRIVING past Buona Vista it is hard to miss the futuristic towers that make up the first phase of Fusionopolis. Connected by a podium, the 24-storey Symbiosis and 22-storey Connexis reflect the daylight off their glass facades like gems, while the red circular logo at the top of one-north glows like a beacon in the night.

Research hub: (From above onwards) The Fusionopolis towers, one of the 13 sky gardens spread throughout the two towers, and the retail space. Fusionopolis aims to create an environment that is conducive to research, especially for the infocomm, media, science and engineering industries to incubate and test-bed ideas and products, says JTC. This, in turn, will create jobs and IP rights for Singapore

But these buildings amount to much more than architectural beauty. Officially launched on Oct 17 last year, they have become home to a scientific community of talent working hard on the next technical innovation or medical solution.

As JTC Corporation's assistant chief executive Philip Su explains, Fusionopolis aims to create an environment that is conducive to research, especially for the infocommunications, media, science and engineering industries to incubate and test-bed ideas and products. This, in turn, will create jobs and intellectual property (IP) rights for Singapore.

JTC is the master developer of one-north, the research and development (R&D) centre in the west that includes Fusionopolis, a project that has come a long way since construction began in 2003 amid the Sars outbreak.

Mr Su says JTC believes in the development's long-term potential and went ahead with it even though market confidence was low at the time. The take-up rate since has been overwhelming. 'Now I've got a problem,' he says. 'I don't have enough space.'

Attractive co-location

Costing $560 million, Fusionopolis's 120,000-square-metre phase 1 development already houses various public and private research institutes - co-location that is attractive because it promotes collaboration and the exchange of ideas.

Private tenants include Panasonic Electric Works Asia-Pacific, Seiko Instruments, Thales Technology Centre (S) and Vestas Technology R&D.

A*Star's Science & Engineering Research Council (Serc), the Media Development Authority and Spring Singapore are also there.

And the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will set up its first overseas research centre at Fusionopolis. It will run a five-year programme to study how humans can interact with the digital world as seamlessly as they do with their natural five senses - an example of new frontier research called the human sixth sense programme.

Indeed, Fusionopolis could well re-invent the way research is done, by bringing cross-disciplinary capabilities under one roof to find solutions to global challenges.

Such collaboration is already going on for treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - a disorder that causes children to be disruptive and makes it hard for them to concentrate and learn.

A*Star's Institute for Infocomm Research, the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and the Institute of Mental Health are working on non-invasive therapy that helps people concentrate. They have come up with a game that could teach children with ADHD to focus, and perhaps to pay more attention to their teachers.

'Creating this technology requires a multi-disciplinary team - it takes the expertise, experience and creativity of many individuals to identify the problem, develop a solution and the technologies to implement it,' Science and Engineering Research Council chairman Charles Zukoski said last year. 'It is solving problems in this manner that will epitomise the work conducted at Fusionopolis.'

To facilitate interaction, the first phase of Fusionopolis also integrates various live, play and learn elements for the 800 or so scientists, engineers and game developers working there.

Shopping and entertainment

Some reside comfortably in the 50 serviced apartments on the 17th to 19th floors of the Symbiosis tower after work. Managed by Frasers Hospitality, each unit is about 60 sq m.

There are also retail and food and beverage outlets such as Starbucks Coffee and Harry's Bistro and Bar. In line with the Fusionopolis vision, Cold Storage is even test-bedding ideas at the Market Place @ one-north. The supermarket is equipped with digital price tags and trolleys fitted with LCD screens that feature the latest promotions.

Staff looking to take a break from all the heavy research can retreat to one of the 13 sky gardens spread throughout the two towers. Some include ponds and water wells in the landscaping, and one may even screen out telecommunications signals in future for visitors to enjoy undisturbed peace.

Beyond beautifying the environment, the sky gardens also help diffuse heat from the buildings and create energy savings.

Relaxation: The open-air swimming pool at Fitness First, a gymnasium situated on top of the Connexis tower of Fusionopolis

For those who prefer exercise as a way to unwind, there is Fitness First. The gymnasium has an open-air swimming pool and is situated on the top-most floors of the Connexis tower.

There is even a black-box theatre to bring the arts into the scientific community. Nestled between the two towers, the Genexis theatre has more than 500 retractable seats and the space can be easily configured to accommodate conferences, exhibitions and various other events.

With all these features, phase 1 of Fusionopolis can pride itself as the first high-density mixed-use development in one-north. Activity in the area is set to mount once phases 2A and 2B take shape.

The $600 million phase 2A development will be ready in 2012 and will house various laboratories, test-bedding centres and what could be Singapore's largest R&D clean room facility across 103,600 sq m of space.

Phase 2B may be up and running in 2011 and will provide up to 50,000 sq m of space for other agencies and companies working with nearby institutes.

And more developments are set to come. The entire Fusionopolis will be a 30 ha complex comprising six phases when it is fully completed, by which time it will be Singapore's icon for R&D in interactive media, physical sciences, engineering and technology.

Whiff Of Hollywood To Touch Buona Vista

Source : The Business Times, December 11, 2008

Singapore aims big with billion-dollar media hub at one-north

Locals could be rubbing shoulders with movie stars and Hollywood bigwigs at the one-north cluster in the near future.

And films like box-office hit 300, part of a new wave of films that rely extensively on state-of-the-art digital movie studios, could be spawned from studios coming up in a new 19 hectare Buona Vista enclave, called Mediapolis@one-north.

In the frame: Mr Chan, second from left, with MDA, JTC and IDA officials yesterday

Singapore's new media hub is a billion-dollar mega project that could see more than a dozen buildings sprawled across a lush landscape by 2020.

Announcing Mediapolis at the Asia Television Forum trade show yesterday, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lee Boon Yang said the hub will be a 'crucible' for creating and distributing content from Singapore to the world.

Mediapolis will sit on land roughly the size of 19 football fields adjacent to Portsdown Avenue, a plot now partly occupied by the Ayer Rajah military camp.

It will 'have facilities not found elsewhere in Singapore and become the ideal home for international and local media companies, media schools and R&D (research and development) firms', the minister said.

At yesterday's media briefing, Chan Yeng Kit, chairman of the Mediapolis steering committee, said that Mediapolis is proceeding despite the financial downturn because demand for co-production expertise and facilities remains robust.

Mr Chan, who is also the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (Mica), added: 'In some ways, the downturn does provide a window of opportunity for us, with construction costs coming down. By prepping the ground now and strengthening the whole ecosystem for media with scaled-up infrastructure and greater depth, we will be ready to catch the tide and gear up for the next stage of growth when recovery comes.'

The media industry is 'fairly recession-proof', he noted, because consumers will still continue to spend on entertainment in a downturn.

Four government agencies will jointly steer Mediapolis. They are the Media Development Authority (MDA), JTC Corporation, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and the Economic Development Board (EDB).

Commercial developers are expected to undertake most of the development at the park, alongside JTC. The total gross floor area will come to around 400,000 square metres, according to a JTC spokesman.

Construction will kick off in the first quarter of next year on a 1.2 hectare plot of land. Local media production firm Infinite Frameworks will be Mediapolis' first developer.

The firm yesterday announced that it will be investing between $80 million and $120 million to build Singapore's first purpose-built soundstage complexes. These are hanger- like studios that can be fitted with movie sets and so-called green screens, which are used by studios to create the illusion of on-location shooting.

When completed by 2020, Mediapolis will have movie studios, digital production and broadcast facilities, research labs, games and animation studios, offices, service apartments and high-tech hotels.

There will also be a sprawling park that can host outdoor movie screenings and provide location settings for film companies.

According to JTC assistant chief executive Philip Su, Mediapolis could swell by another 18 hectares in a future second-phase development after 2020. This will likely be sited south of the current 19 hectare plot.

Mediapolis is expected to stoke an already bullish Singapore media industry. According to a joint statement, between 2000 and 2005, this industry reported an annual turnover of US$13.4 billion in revenue, contributing 4.5 per cent, or US$3.6 billion, to Singapore's gross domestic product and employing 53,500 people.

There has also been an influx of overseas projects, with the upcoming shoot of Jan de Bont's Point Break 2 here next year an eye-catching example. A number of global media giants such as Lucasfilm, Linden Lab, EA, Ubisoft and Rainbow SpA have also set up facilities in Singapore.

Coming: A New Media Hub

Source : The Straits Times, Dec 10, 2008

SINGAPORE is setting the stage - literally - for special effects movies like Frank Miller's acclaimed 300, with a new 19-hectare media hub to be built at 1 North.

When completed in 2020, the park, which is about the size of 23 football fields, will feature digital media schools, production companies, 24-hour food and entertainment outlets, business hotels, service apartments, and Singapore's biggest and most high-tech film production set.

Mediapolis, as the park is called, will 'add significant scale and depth to Singapore's media infrastructure,' said Dr Lee Boon Yang, the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, at the annual Asian Media Festival on Wednesday.

CapitaLand's One-North Investment Costs More

Source : The Business Times, September 16, 2008

It cites construction costs; projected return still on track

CAPITALAND yesterday said that its investment in one-north hub will now cost $476.8 million - up from $380 million announced in September 2007 - because of rising construction costs.

CapitaLand will own and manage a retail and entertainment zone called the hub at Vista Xchange at JTC's one-north.

Partner New Creation Church's Rock Productions, which will own and manage a civic and cultural zone, will invest $499.5 million in that project - up from $280 million announced last year.

Rock's increase is partly due to a planned increase in gross floor area (GFA) at the civic and cultural zone.

The zone will now have a GFA of 38,000 square metres, up from 'over 30,000' sq m announced previously.

The new investment figures mean that the hub will now cost $976.3 million, up from $660 million announced in September 2007.

CapitaLand and Rock yesterday said that they have awarded a $633 million contract for construction of the hub to Hexacon Construction Pte Ltd.

The project is expected to be completed by mid-2012.

CapitaLand said that despite the higher cost, its projected return will remain the same.

'We have enhanced our asset plan and are thus still able to achieve our target rate of return,' a spokesman told BT.

Shares of CapitaLand, Singapore's largest developer, continued to take a beating yesterday on various concerns - news of the increased investment, worry over the developer's exposure to China and a plunge in the Singapore stock market.

CapitaLand lost as much as 28 cents or 6.5 per cent. It ended the day 26 cents down at a one-year low of $4.03.

Like other developers, CapitaLand has seen its stock price sink as warnings about China's property market emerged over the past few weeks.

China's market could be headed for a 'meltdown' as home prices and sales slump, Morgan Stanley analysts said on Sept 12.

Developers including China Vanke, the nation's biggest publicly traded real estate developer, and Poly Real Estate Group have reported falling sales amid government lending curbs.

'Investors are a bit jittery about the forecasts,' CIMB property analyst Donald Chua said yesterday.

CapitaLand's shares have fallen 8 per cent since end-August, while Keppel Land's stock has fallen 16.2 per cent in the same period.

Keppel Land lost as much as 28 cents or 8.1 per cent yesterday. The stock closed 19 cents down at $3.25 - also a 52-week low.

50% Of Retail Space Leased At Fusionopolis

Source : The Business Times, September 9, 2008

Cold Storage and Fitness First are two of the largest tenants

AS the first phase of Fusionopolis approaches its official opening next month, more than 50 per cent of retail space in the development has been taken up.

The upcoming research and development (R&D) hotspot, comprising two towers and a podium in phase one, has around 183,000 sq ft of retail space. With seven tenants already secured, some 86,100 sq ft are left.

Upcoming hotspot: Rents for the retail space range from $4.50 to $12 per sq ft, depending on the usage

Cold Storage and Fitness First are two of the largest tenants. Fitness First @ Fusionopolis, with a rooftop swimming pool, will occupy 30,000 sq ft. According to JTC Corporation, the fitness club's members have been able to use the facilities starting yesterday.

Starbucks Coffee, Harry's Bistro & Bar, food and beverage (F&B) outlet Black Canyon, Raffles Medical Group and Frames & Lenses (Optical) will also be moving into the first phase of Fusionopolis.

Rents for the retail space range from $4.50 to $12 per sq ft, depending on how the units are used. Larger units also enjoy a lower psf rent.

'We are heartened by the enthusiastic response from our business partners in locating their retail and F&B outlets at Fusionopolis,' said JTC Corp's assistant CEO, Philip Su.

'It is an endorsement of what the vibrant Fusionopolis stands for, as the first integrated development within one-north which embraces all four work-live-play-learn elements.'

Frasers Hospitality will also be launching its brand of serviced apartments in Fusionopolis, comprising 50 work loft units.

JTC Corp is in talks with more retail and F&B businesses to take up the remaining space. 'We welcome all other like-minded and enterprising business partners to join us in realising the vision of this unique innovative hub,' said Mr Su.

Fusionopolis is a major development at one-north catering to the infocomm, media, science and engineering industries. The first phase has around 1.29 million sq ft of floor space and major R&D tenants include institutes and laboratories under A*Star's science and engineering research council.

Phases 2A and 2B of the Fusionopolis are likely to be completed by 2010.

Tender For Phase 3 Of Fusionopolis Will Open By H2

Source : Channel NewsAsia, 28 June 2008

Singapore is seeing an overwhelming demand for research and development space, particularly from the info-communication, media and science sectors.

So to meet the growing need, the government said it will expand the Fusionopolis cluster at one-north.

This was revealed at the ground-breaking ceremony of Phase 2B of the development on Friday.

The ground-breaking marks the start of Phase 2B of Fusionopolis. However, further development of the cluster is now projected to grow at a much faster pace.

Philip Su, Assistant CEO, JTC Corporation, said: "In terms of demand from the private sector for space in business park, you'll find that we are presently quite short.

"Even with the ground-breaking of Phase 2B, there is an unfulfilled demand for such space. So, that's the reason why we may have to push forward some of our plans to bring in Phase 3."

An additional 50,000 square metres of Gross Floor Area will be added under Phase 3 and Phase 4. And to meet demand for more business park space, JTC is bringing forward the development of the third phase.

It will open Phase 3 for tender by the private sector by the second half of this year.

Speaking at the ground-breaking, Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang noted that Fusionopolis plays a key role in building up a knowledge-based economy in Singapore.

Mr Lim said: "The Fusionopolis cluster, together with the other developments in one-north, will help to anchor high-value economic activities and contribute to the development of Singapore as a knowledge-intensive economy."

When ready, the 15-storey building will house R&D labs for the infocomm, media, science and engineering industries. As part of the Fusionopolis cluster, it is expected to set the stage for more public-private partnerships.

With Fusionopolis Phases 1 and 2A previously attaining full occupancy even before completion, Phase 2B is expected to receive similar responses.

Low Soon Sim, Executive Director, Soilbuild, said: "There has been quite a bit of interest, and at this point in time, we are focusing on their design requirements."

Mainboard-listed Soilbuild is the developer for Phase 2B - the first private developer in the Fusionopolis cluster. Construction for Phase 2B is expected to be completed by 2010. - CNA/ms

One-North - A Place To Dine, Drink And Rock

Source : The Business Times, June 17, 2008

The 5,000-seat entertainment centre to come up at one-north will be a world-class venue for big performances

FIVE thousand people yelling their heads off. Fists pumping the air. There will be a lot to shout about when Singapore gets another large entertainment centre in 2011, and concert and theatre fans troop in for the latest and brightest in performance acts, acoustics and lighting.

Plenty of fun: One Rochester, a wine and bistro chill-out outlet (above), and Min Jiang @ one-north, that serves Chinese cuisine. One-north is fast shaping up as one of Singapore's most vibrant venues for fine dining, cocktail-sipping and art galleries

For starters, the 5,000-seat centre won't be smack dab in the middle of the town, as one might expect. It will be at one-north, the area around Buona Vista that has been earmarked for massive development. Bringing the whole concert-going experience out of the city is part of the idea, say the developers.

'Our extensive research indicates an overwhelming need for a sizeable performance venue, away from the city and well-equipped with state-of-the-art facilities,' said Matthew Kang, director of Rock Productions, which will build, lease and operate a civic and cultural zone at one-north. 'The proposed high-tech theatre is expected to fulfil the needs of and attract these performing art and cultural groups.'

The place will be a 'world-class venue for staging large-scale performances, shows and events', he added. Rock Productions hopes it will become the new centre for artistic and cultural events, as well as meetings, conventions and exhibitions in Singapore.

The centre, to be operated by Rock Productions, is part of a larger Civic Cultural and Retail Complex located at Vista Xchange within one-north. The Complex is designed to stand out with space-agey architecture by Andrew Bromberg of AEDAS Hong Kong. It will have eight levels dedicated to the civic and cultural zone, run by Rock, and four floors to retail and entertainment, managed by CapitaLand Retail.

The Complex will be served by Buona Vista MRT station, as well as the future Circle Line.

CapitaLand's retail zone will have two floors above ground and two basement levels. Its open, spiral-stairway design will help show off its multitude of restaurants, food halls, cafes and fashion outlets.

'The zone is expected to benefit from the natural visitor catchments from the one-north communities, surrounding housing estates, as well as tertiary institutions close by,' said Pua Seck Guan, chief executive officer of CapitaLand Retail. It will also cater to 'the affluent crowd' from the nearby Bukit Timah, Holland Village and Rochester Park areas, he added.

'The open concept, set in a lush green environment, will create a new destination for art and cultural patrons, professional, academic and residential communities in one-north and people from various parts of Singapore,' he said.

Rustic and bohemian: Another corner of one-north that's attracting visitors is Village Square in Wessex Estate. Among its attractions is Ristorante Pietrasanta (left), which offers hearty Tuscan dishes such as veal tripe

While the Cultural and Retail Complex will be completed in three years' time, there's already plenty of fun to be had at one-north. The area is fast shaping up as one of the most vibrant venues in Singapore for fine dining, cocktail-sipping and art-gallery hopping.

Wide variety

Rochester Park, for instance, has been pulling in the crowds for some years now, thanks in part to its tranquil colonial setting. The cluster of old black-and-white houses converted into food-and-beverage outlets offers a wide variety of dining experiences - from Graze, which offers contemporary dining, to Da Paolo Bistro Bar, with its Italian cuisine, to Min Jiang @ one-north, which serves Chinese fare.

'We have grown in terms of global awareness,' said Cheryl Lee, co-owner and director of One Rochester, a wine and bistro outlet that was the first to open in the area in December 2005. 'We have been listed among the top 30 bars in the world in lists compiled by Forbes magazine.'

One Rochester has cleverly adapted its business to its old British residence, offering its premises as a kind of 'house', with different rooms and lounge areas called the Living Room, the Playroom, the Library, and so on. It also leases out its space for a variety of events, including birthday parties, weddings, wine tastings and corporate launches.

Another place aiming to offer a smorgasbord of experiences is Rochester Terrace, which describes itself as a 'gastronomic village'. It consists of four outlets at one stretch on the elevated side of Rochester Park, each offering a different dining and entertainment concept.

The first outlet, Twelve + One, will house a gourmet bakery, cafe and cooking studio. The second, Cassis, specialises in modern French cuisine; the third, Pinchos, is a wine bar that emphasises food sharing, thus featuring tapas and finger food; and the fourth, Minx, is a Russian caviar and vodka bar.

To date, Cassis and Pinchos are open, Twelve + One will open in the middle of July, and Minx will open in time for the Singapore Grand Prix season.

Mahesh Ramnani, chief executive officer of Rochester Terrace, said the Park is a 'great location'.

'The layout and milieu is unique, allowing us to create a graceful and relaxed setting,' he said. 'It brings back classic entertainment consisting of camaraderie, indulging in the company of friends.'

Another corner of one-north that's attracting visitors is Village Square, which is situated in Wessex Estate, another colonial enclave. Unlike the more high-end Rochester Park, the Village Square is more rustic and its various art studios and galleries such as Fringe Benefits, d'Art Studio and Geeleinan give it a bohemian feel.

There is also the legendary Colbar, which started life some 40 years ago as a British officers' mess and still attracts nostalgic diners with its ramshackle, retro setting.

Across the road from the Colbar is a swish new cocktail bar called Klee, which opened just earlier this year. Klee's cocktail servers are called 'mixologists' who pride themselves on using only premium spirits - Belvedere, Johnny Walker Black Label, Sagatiba - and fresh ingredients (bottled fruit juices are a no-no).

Occupying a happy spot between dining and art is the cosy Ristorante Pietrasanta, which offers hearty Tuscan dishes such as veal tripe and T-bond steak, and also sells the art works on its walls.

'We have a curator who takes care of it, changing the works of art every two or three months,' said Loris Massimini, who opened the restaurant with his wife Jennifer Tan.

Mr Massimini said business has been brisk since Pietrasanta swung open its doors in March. 'We are always fully booked during the weekends,' he said.

One North - An Ecosystem Of Learning

Source : The Business Times, June 10, 2008

Lessons at one-north include the study of literature, how to build a digital game and cookery classes

IT'S a place where you can study Confucius and Shakespeare, learn how to build a digital game for the Wii, probe the human gene or whip up a Mexican meal - whichever takes your fancy.

one-north, a fast-developing area that wants to be known as Singapore's 'icon of the knowledge economy', is teeming with schools and institutions of learning.

Learning centre: (Left) The Pixel building boasts a funky grey, black and white harlequin-patterned exterior; NTU@one-north houses the Centre for Continuing Education, the Confucius Institute and an alumni clubhouse; aspiring future game developers admiring works of art by DigiPen students

The list includes well-known names in both local and international education - the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) one-north campus, Insead, DigiPen Institute of Technology, Singapore Polytechnic, United World College, Tanglin Trust School, the Anglo-Chinese School and Junior College and the Japanese Primary School.

Not forgetting the various institutes in genomics, molecular biology and nanotechnology that are housed in giant research centre Biopolis, as well as much smaller outfits that focus on creative pursuits such as drama and cuisine.

'The location at one-north provides an ideal setting for students, staff and visitors to learn, work and unwind alongside scientists, researchers, technopreneurs and business people from all over the world,' said a spokesperson for NTU.

The Jurong-based university last year opened NTU@one-north, which houses educational facilities such as the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) and the Confucius Institute, as well as a 10-level alumni clubhouse.

The CCE offers executive programmes and online courses for participants in Singapore and abroad. The Confucius Institute, a collaboration with Shandong University and the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), teaches Chinese and runs courses on Chinese culture.

Different cup of tea

Offering a rather different cup of cha is DigiPen Institute of Technology, which from September will offer two degrees in Singapore - a Bachelor of Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Production Animation.

The first degree focuses on the technology behind the development of video games, including the development of game engines, graphics, physics, artificial intelligence and networking. The second degree aims to prepare students to produce 2D and 3D art for animation industries such as feature films and video games.

The institute is housed in Pixel, a funky grey, black and white harlequin-patterned building at Central Exchange Green, a grassy area in one-north. Jason Chu, chief operating officer for DigiPen, said that the atmosphere there is 'dynamic, exciting and desirable'.

'DigiPen's programmes are exciting and challenging and students need an environment where they can focus and concentrate their efforts in studying,' he said. 'The location in Pixel is serene and provides an ideal learning environment.'

DigiPen actually started life in 1988 as Digipen Corporation, a computer simulation and animation company in Canada. In 1998, DigiPen Institute of Technology was created in the US, and its American alumni includes Kim Swift, who ranked seventh in a recent list of the top 25 most influential people in the digital gaming industry. She helped to develop the Portal game for Valve Corporation, which won Best Game of the Year award in 2008.

Mr Chu said that one of the reasons why DigiPen decided to open its first-ever branch campus in Singapore was 'the dedication and support of the Singapore government towards the development of the interactive digital media industry (IDM)'. Singapore also has 'the potential of becoming the centre for the IDM industry, due to its strategic location in South-east Asia', he said.

For Narayan Pant, the dean of executive education at Insead, the nation's cosmopolitan nature was also a draw for the world-famous business school, which also has campuses in Fontainebleau and Abu Dhabi. 'Singapore is a cosmopolitan culture and this is a reflection of our own cosmopolitan roots,' he said. 'We get students, teachers and participants from all over the world. It's not only about bringing the class to the world, but about bringing the world to the class.'

Insead's campus at one-north opened in 2000, and the school had initially planned its next step of expansion for 2008. 'Instead, our next stage of growth was in 2005, when we had to make a 50 per cent expansion in space,' said Prof Pant.

The business school's proximity to other institutions of learning and research is another plus point. 'In education, you don't work alone,' he said. 'You work in an ecosystem. It's about being near a library, the NUS, the NTU. And every new development, such as at Rochester Park or Fusionopolis, adds to the ecosystem. From that perspective, one-north is a great place to be.'

Another school which a multi-national flavour, this time literally, is Palate Sensations. The school, situated in a black-and-white colonial building at the Wessex Estate, offers lessons in French, Italian and Mexican cuisine, as well as courses for cocktails and pastry.

'We like to work some of our courses around a theme, like a movie,' said managing director and owner Lynette Foo. 'We have Mexican cooking classes built around Like Water for Chocolate, and French classes around the movies Ratatouille and Chocolat.'

A few blocks away, also in the Wessex Estate within one-north, is the Centre Stage School of the Arts, which teaches drama to children. On any given day, crowds of kids can be seen entering or leaving the school, chattering excitedly and getting ready to enact scenes from Roald Dahl's The Twits or Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The school accepts participants as young as six months, when babies start to learn the basics of interaction, to as old as 17 years. It also has a few adult classes. 'Theatre's so important, it's not only about acting, but about poise, expression, listening and language,' said artistic director Peter Hodgson, who has a bachelor of arts in theatre as well as teaching and acting diplomas.

'More and more, the corporate world is also tending to hire people with an arts background,' added Mr Hodgson, who started the school with his wife, Alison Tompkins.

Centre Stage used to be located in the River Valley area, but Mr Hodgson said that Wessex Estate, in the green enclave of one-north, is more conducive to learning drama. 'The advantage here is that we have a beautiful, calm environment,' he said. 'It's more helpful to what we do.'

Fusionopolis Phase 1 Nearly Sold Out Already

Source : The Straits Times, Jun 2, 2008

The 120,000 sq m complex will be opened in October

IT HAS yet to be named, but the first phase of Fusionopolis - a complex with two towers and a podium - is almost fully taken up already, ahead of its official opening slotted for this October.

RICH TENANT POOL: The Asian Food Channel, the Thales Technology Centre and NRG Engineering have already moved into Fusionopolis. Upcoming tenants include the Institute for Infocomm Research. -- PHOTO: JTC

The soaring complex, which comprises two towers - one with 24 floors and the other, 22 floors - and a podium, will be named next month.

The complex is one of 10 buildings that make up Fusionopolis, a 30ha purpose-built infocommunications and media research and development site at the one-north area off Buona Vista Road.

According to a JTC Corporation spokesman, 'nearly all of the 120,000 sq m of space in the complex has been taken up'.

Three tenants have already moved in: the Asian Food Channel, the Thales Technology Centre and NRG Engineering.

Other tenants that will be moving into the complex include some of the nation's top high-tech research institutes, such as the Data Storage Institute, the Institute for Infocomm Research and the Institute of High Performance Computing.

Besides offices and five floors of retail and food and beverage outlets, including supermarket chain Cold Storage's newest Market Place outlet, JTC has set aside space for sports and lifestyle activities.

There will be rooftop pools, fitness clubs and a theatre devoted to experimental art forms - all designed to cater to the needs of those working and living there.

To accommodate staff living in the complex, there will also be 50 serviced apartments. Each 'work loft' will be about 60 sq m in size.

They are part of the architect's vision of creating a 'work, live, play, learn' environment for the complex, which was designed by the late, internationally renowned Dr Kisho Kurokawa.

This design and vision, said the JTC spokesman, will hopefully 'foster synergistic collaborations between the public and private research institutes and energise the vibrant infocomm and media industry'.

Industrial landlord JTC charges rental rates of $4.67 per sq ft for the business park.

Fusionopolis Phase 2A, with 103,000 sq m of floor space, will have dry and wet laboratories, as well as Singapore's largest clean-room facility, when it is completed next year.

Phase 2B, which is also scheduled to be completed by next year, is a 16-storey mixed office and retail building with a maximum gross floor area of 50,271 sq m.

JTC has shortlisted 10 building names following an online competition, and it is expected to announce them next month.


SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

The complex will offer tenants and visitors not only offices, retail shops and food outlets, but also space specially allocated to sports and lifestyle activities.

There will be rooftop pools, fitness clubs and a theatre devoted to experimental art forms.

For staff living in the complex, there will be 50 serviced apartments, done up as 'work lofts'.

One-North - A Place For A Meeting Of Minds

Source : The Business Times, May 27, 2008

one-north, encompassing Biopolis and Fusionopolis, is Singapore's icon of the knowledge economy

THERE I was, standing in the middle of a gleaming complex of buildings, with blocks bearing names like Chromos, Proteos, Genome and Matrix. I was, of course, at Biopolis, conceived to put Singapore on the global map of the biomedical sciences industry. Biopolis itself is only one part of a vast development called one-north that is emerging around the Buona Vista area.

Brain space: Biopolis (left) was conceived to put Singapore on the global map of the biomedical sciences industry; global pharmaceuticals corporation Novartis houses its Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases at Chromos. The institute 'is dedicated to discovering treatments for diseases of the developing world, including tuberculosis, malaria and dengue fever', says its chairman Paul Herrling

This 200 ha area is 'Singapore's icon of the knowledge economy', according to the one-north website. It encompasses Biopolis and Fusionopolis, a sprawling area dedicated to the media and information businesses.

In its widest interpretation, one-north includes Rochester Park, Insead business school and one campus of the Nanyang Technological University. Clearly, it is planned to be a kind of 'brain space' and creative nerve for Singapore.

But does the talent really like working here? I approached a man and a woman chatting to each other and posed them that question.

The woman's answer was emphatic. 'Yes, it's convenient. It's got everything - there are restaurants, cafes, shops. There's a shared system among all the corporations here, to take care of all our grocery and other needs.' They declined to give their names but said that they work at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.

And for those who think that the location is somewhat out of the way, there is the view of Edison Liu, executive director of the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS). one-north is practically 'in the middle of the city', he said, speaking to BT in a phone interview as he was travelling in the US.

'We are only some 20 minutes from all the major hospitals and universities. It's not like some other research centres, where you're stuck in the outskirts of suburbia.'

GIS is the national flagship programme for genomic sciences, and occupies - of course - the Genome block at Biopolis.

'Of course I'm biased, but we are always counted among the top 10 genome centres in the world,' said Prof Liu. 'Within a 25-hundred-mile radius in Asia, there is no centre with better firepower than us.' He said that the institute has made its mark in the areas of stem cell genomics, systems pharmacology (which is research related to cancer) and genomic technology.

Slightly more than half of GIS staff is of foreign origin, said Prof Liu, who himself is from the US but is now a Singapore permanent resident. In that sense, the institute shares the international flavour of other big research institutes.

As I walked along the paved streets of Biopolis, it seemed to me that the place, barring the occasional person in a business suit, has the feel of a large university. There is a big food court for the more budget-minded, but also espresso pit-stops and several restaurants.

These eateries are not only great places to grab a meal, but also to swap ideas and contacts, according to Paul Chapman of GlaxoSmithKline. He is head of GSK's Centre for Research in Cognitive and Neurodegenerative Disorders.

'While it is certainly possible to have this kind of interaction if you are located on a separate campus, there is no substitute for bumping into someone at the food court or the cafe,' he said. 'Those casual interactions, where people get to know each other and then discover their mutual scientific interests, just happen more easily at a place like Biopolis.'

Opportunity for study

Novartis, another global pharmaceuticals corporation, houses its Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD) at Chromos.

The institute 'is dedicated to discovering treatments for the diseases of the developing world, including tuberculosis, malaria and dengue fever', said Paul Herrling, NITD's head of corporate research and chairman.

'Biopolis's location in Singapore, a place where dengue is endemic, gives researchers the opportunity to study first-hand the epidemiology of the disease, and enables access to affected patients.'

one-north is not entirely about the medical and biotech sectors. Swissnex Singapore describes itself as a platform of the Swiss Embassy, 'facilitating knowledge and competencies' in science, education, art and innovation between Switzerland, Singapore and South-east Asia.

'Being at Biopolis brings us closer to the stakeholder,' said executive director Suzanne Hraba-Renevey. 'We are more visible and accessible to our users and have easy access to our partners from academia, research, government and business.'

The entire Biopolis project itself is yet to be completed, and consists of several phases. Across the road looms Fusionopolis 1, comprising 24 floors, two towers and 120,000 square metres of floor area.

The building, which represents phase one of the Fusionopolis project, is dedicated to infocomms, or media-related firms that use the latest in technology. It is equipped with satellite access and the necessary power and bandwith for intensive computer use. There are also service apartments, a roof-top swimming pool and a performance theatre.

Early tenant: Cable-and-satellite channel Asian Food Channel was the first to make Fusionopolis 1 its home

Fusionopolis 1 has just opened its doors to tenants, and Asian Food Channel was the first to make it its home. When I visited the premises of the cable-and-satellite channel on the 12th floor, there were still boxes to be unpacked and everything was spanking new.

'We think three to five years ahead,' said managing director Hian Goh. 'In 12 months' time, there's going to be an MRT at the bottom of this building. There will be a Cold Storage and shops. There's a sky garden - it's beautiful.'

The new office is bright, airy and full of glass partitions. There is a room at the rear to be turned into a kitchen-cum-studio.

'That's where we'll have people like Gordon Ramsay doing his shows,' said Maria Brown, managing director of acquisitions and programming. 'We'll also be able to invite people over.'

I imagined the celebrity chef, brow furrowing, expletives flying, sticking a knife in a roasted carcass and calling it done.

'Please invite me,' I said.

JTC Launches New Space For The Arts

Source : The Business Times, April 12, 2008

MEMBERS of the arts community in Singapore will now have another platform to showcase their talent.

JTC Corporation yesterday launched the Wessex Village Square @ one-north - a space for art exhibitions, music and dance performances and other events.

The square will also house an art workshop and studio, a dessert cafe and an Italian trattoria and cocktail bar, all accompanied by gallery spaces.

“Wessex Village Square will be a focal point and vibrant hotspot where community events will be held and artistic talents will show their work,” said JTC assistant chief executive officer Philip Su.

The 10,000 sq ft Wessex Village Square is at the heart of the Wessex Estate, a heritage area in the one-north innovation and research hub that includes Biopolis and Fusionopolis.

JTC has refurbished four blocks of walk-up apartments into 24 experimental work lofts and adapted the previous Judo Federation Club and Colbar into the Village Square, Mr Su explained.

In conjunction with the launch, several artistic events have been lined up for the public at the Wessex Estate today.

People can catch the Wessex Artists Open House, Arts Bazaar and a movie, among other things.

Soilbuild Clinches Fusionopolis Contract

Source : The Business Times, April 10, 2008

MAINBOARD-LISTED Soilbuild Group Holdings yesterday said it has clinched the Concept-and-Fixed Price Tender (CPT), called by JTC Corporation, to develop and lease Fusionopolis Phase 2B.

The proposed development, estimated to cost about $148 million, is a 16-storey multi-tenanted facility at one-north in the Buona Vista area.

It will cater to the infocommunications, media, science and engineering research and development industries. This is Soilbuild’s fifth CPT contract with JTC.

Fusionopolis Phase 2B sits on a 7,734 square metre site with a plot ratio of 6.5, which translates into a maximum gross floor area of 50,271 sq m.

It will comprise an office space white component of about 7,200 sq m and a retail space of 300 sq m. The development is expected to take 22 months to complete, with the target date set for the second half of 2009.

Soilbuild’s winning design for Fusionopolis Phase 2B is by world-renowned architect Ken Yeang, who impressed JTC with his green and sustainable building concept.

Low Soon Sim, Soilbuild’s executive director, said the group was confident that Fusionopolis Phase 2B would attract strong interest.

He said the award of the project tied in with the group’s overall strategy to grow its recurrent income stream through its business space segment.

‘The shorter development cycle also complements the two-to- three-year investment-to- sales cycle for our core residential property segment,’ he said.

“With the full year contribution in 2008 from our current three completed investment properties, we are on course to meet our medium-term target of $10 million in annual recurrent income since we began our expansion into the business space segment in 2005.”

In all, Soilbuild has about two million square feet of business space in the pipeline.

Soilbuild Wins S$148m JTC Contract To Build Facility At Fusionopolis

Source : Channel NewsAsia, 09 April 2008

Property developer Soilbuild on Wednesday said it has secured a S$148 million contract from JTC Corp to develop a multi-tenanted facility at Fusionopolis.

The proposed development is a 16-storey multi-tenanted facility at one-north that will cater to the infocommunications, media, science and engineering research and development industries.

Soilbuild said the development site will span 7,734 square metres, with a plot ratio of 6.5.

The proposed facility can be developed up to a maximum gross floor area of 50,271 square metres. It will have office and retail space.

The project is due to be completed in the second half of 2009. - CNA/ms

100m Biopolis Phase III Starts Taking Shape

Source : The Business Times, April 3, 2008

The 41,500 sqm complex will be ready by Q4 2009

CONSTRUCTION of the $100 million Biopolis Phase III project began yesterday, and its developer hopes to achieve a take-up rate of at least 50 per cent by the middle of June. Said Patrick Teo, CEO of Crescendas Bionix, at the groundbreaking ceremony: ‘We are optimistic that the response from the biomedical industry will be positive.’

A member of the Crescendas Group which bagged the development project, Bionix is already in talks with prospective tenants. Some of them require large space and may occupy entire floors.

On the positive outlook, assistant CEO of JTC Corporation Philip Su said: ‘With Biopolis Phases I and II fully taken up, the launch of Phase III is both timely and necessary in meeting the increasing demand for biomedical R&D space.’ JTC Corp is the master developer for one-north, the focal point for research and technopreneurial activities.

Scheduled for completion by 4Q 2009, Biopolis Phase III will add another 41,500 sq m to the research park. The complex will consist of two buildings, and will house private and public research institutes, incubator research activities, medical technology research centres and clinical research centres.

Crescendas Bionix hopes to achieve a take-up rate of at least 50 per cent by the middle of June, said Mr Teo.

The growth of the biomedical sciences industry is likely to place greater demand on space, and JTC Corp plans to expand the Biopolis cluster further. In fact, BT understands that it may launch Phase IV at the end of this year to yield another 30,000 sq m. Asked if Crescendas will also bid for the Phase IV project, Mr Teo said that ‘as a developer, we will be interested’.

Rental rates for the Biopolis Phase III complex have not been finalised, but according to Mr Teo, they will be market-driven, and will factor in construction costs.

‘Construction costs have gone up by 30 per cent from a year ago,’ he said. For larger tenants, Crescendas is prepared to offer more attractive rental rates.

Crescendas is the first privately owned Singapore company to clinch a major development project on Biopolis.

One-North

Source : JTC Corporation (http://www.jtc.gov.sg/portfolio/one-north/pages/index.aspx)

Our aspiration is to create an exceptional place of vision and inspiration.

Imagine an environment bounded only by imagination itself. Where you can work, live and be inspired by leading scientists, researchers and technopreneurs from around the world. Where groundbreaking ideas are born from a stroll in the park and conventions challenged over coffee at a sidewalk cafe. Where anything is possible.

Welcome to one-north - a vibrant place and a lifestyle choice for the most creative minds of the new economy. A small piece of Singapore with a big part to play in shaping the future.

one-north comprises an area of about 200 hectares in central Singapore, to be developed in phases over the next 15-20 years. The purpose is to create a vibrant mix of commercial, residential and recreational environments, conducive for generating ideas and creating success. The master planner for one-north is Zaha Hadid Architects, a leading London-based practice whose work pushes the boundaries of architecture, extending and intensifying existing landscapes in the pursuit of a visionary aesthetic.

Focusing on the biomedical sciences, infocomm technology(ICT) and media industries, one-north is a meeting place of minds. An exceptional place for exceptional people to live and work, relax and learn. Where you can inspire and be inspired to push the boundaries of knowledge and turn ideas into groundbreaking innovations.

Biopolis, Asia's home for Biomedical Sciences

Located within one-north and in close proximity to the National University of Singapore, National University Hospital and the Singapore Science Parks, Biopolis is envisioned to be a world-class biomedical sciences research and development hub in Asia. This 185,000 sqm world-class R&D hub provides dedicated space for laboratory-based activities and an environment that fosters a collaborative culture among the private and public research community.

To seed growth, core elements of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is co-located at Biopolis Phase 1. The strategy is to encourage growth and strong interaction amonst the public research institutes, private biomedical companies, nearby hospitals and tertiary institutions. This will create a vibrant research community and pave the way for the birth of new ideas.


Fusionopolis, where science meets business and the arts

Envisioned to be one of the most happening places in one-north, Fusionopolis Phase 1 is designed by renowned architect Dr Kisho Kurokawa. It sizzles with energy 24/7. This is a gathering place for leaders and innovators in the infocomm and media industries, where research institutes, multi-national companies and start-ups work together in pioneering the development of technology products and solutions.

Fusionopolis Phase 1 comprising a two-tower cum podium complex integrated with work-live service apartments, amenity clubhouse, technology showcase, media studio and retail outlets is slated for completion by early 2008. It is almost fully taken up with several SERC institutes and laboratories as anchor tenants – namely, the Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R), the Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), the Network Storage Group of DSI and the Industrial Informatics Group of SIMTech. Several private sector companies and the Media Development Authority have also confirmed that they will be taking up space at Phase 1.

Located at a 1.3-hectare site at Ayer Rajah Avenue, Fusionopolis Phase 2A will comprise a new science and engineering R&D complex to be developed JTC. With 103,600 sqm of gross floor area, the new complex will have dry and wet laboratories, clean-room facilities and ground-floor retail units. The S$567 million complex is scheduled to be ready by end-2009.


Vista Xchange, corporate and business support hub in one-north

Vista Xchange is the corporate and business support Xchange in one-north. Covering 17 hectares in land area, it houses high-rise offices, a business hotel, retail-cum-entertainment centres and quality residential developments. Itis also the transport hub for one-north. The Buona Vista Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station, a Circle Line (CCL) MRT station under construction and a future bus interchange provide seamless access to Singapore’s central business district, Changi International Airport and other parts of the island. At Vista Xchange the combination of offices, hotels, shops, entertainment, convention facilities, corporate retreat villas and artists villages bring out the excitement of 24/7 city centre living.

one-north will be a dynamic community for the new dynamic generation. A fun place that is always pulsating, never dull and never short of ideas, Chic apartments, open green spaces, arts and culture, sports and recreation. one-north has a creatobe atmosphere which seamlessly integrates all the elements of the mix.


One-North Park

Spanning 16 hectares in land area and divided into 13 land parcels,the one-north Park is a key component of the one-north master plan. It is a principle relief space for one-north’s work, live, play, and learn communities. one-north Park is a continuous, multi-purpose spine of landscaped spaces that encompasses the one-north site and its graceful form provides a strong counterpoint to the sharp edges of future buildings. It is the ideal venue for informal gatherings, spontaneous events and a meeting point for talents across industries in various xchanges to interact and exchange knowledge.


Rochester Park

Rochester Park is one of the three preserved heritage sites in one-north. Where green space meets urban space in an eclectic mix of styles, this place has 11 units of bungalows for interim periods of residential and commercial/retail usage. These bungalows, set amidst tree-lined winding roads, accomodate a variety of lifestyles such as restaurants with al-fresco dining, spas and wellness centres, art galleries and specialty boutiques. To retain the heritage and rustic environment in Rochester Park, the exterior façade of the bungalows will be conserved. However, the interior of the bungalows can be customised to suit the individual tenant’s requirements.


Wessex Estate

Nestled amid lush green vegetation, Wessex Estate is a colonial-style residential estate surrounded by open spaces and trees to provide a soothing and relaxing ambience for its residents. Narrow roads that wind around the ubiquitous Black and White houses create a closely-knit cluster of residential housing. Constructed around the 1940’s, the Black and White walk-up apartments and semi-detached houses have now become home to a community of artists, teachers and actors. As part of the one-north development initiative, Wessex Estate is slated to be a hub for the creative enclave. It is envisioned as a place where the gathering of diverse and creative minds will create a bohemian culture that transcends norms and boundaries.