Dense And Complex

After 27 months of construction, Funan has reopened.

- Low Shi Ping

In place of its previous incarnate as a mall with a strong tech focus is a mixed-use lifestyle destination with retail, office and residential components.

Woods Bagot was commissioned by CapitaLand to take on the masterplan, architecture and interior design of the project.

Sensitive to the communities that had sprung up from its previous iteration, the team held collaborative design charrettes with key stakeholders, including current and future tenants, potential shoppers and investors.

“We were interested to explore how Funan could connect to people’s lives; to break down the scale of this large project into something granular and integrated into the community,” says Stephen Jones, a Director at Woods Bagot and the lead architect on the project, referencing the firm’s usercentric approach to all its projects.

The outcome was the discovery that people are “really passionate about their hobbies”, and different community groups should be represented in the final design of the development to be able to engage with them.

At the same time, the solution had to include a public space that complements the retail typology, while being accessible and transparent at the same time – similar to the idea of a marketplace or town square.

AN ICONIC TOTEM

These concepts crystallised into what is known as the 25m-tall Tree of Life, “growing” in the centre of the linear atrium of Funan that runs from basement two right up to the roof, and links North Bridge Road and Hill Street.

Dubbed by Jones as “an iconic totem”, it seemingly reaches upwards and branches out into 20 platforms, studios and mini forum spaces that allow different community groups to inhabit. Everything from a photo workshop, to a cooking lesson or children’s art class can be held.