- The Concourse
Infobox Skyscraper
building_name = The Concourse
location = Beach Road,Kallang ,Singapore
type =High-rise
use =Commercial andResidential
floor_count = 41
status = Completed
elevator_count =
management = Hong Fok Land
owner = Hong Fok Land
website =The Concourse (zh-sp|s=鸿福中心|p=Hóngfú zhōngxīn) is a
high-rise commercial andresidential building on Beach Road inKallang ,Singapore .History
The Concourse is located in Singapore's "Golden Mile", which refers to the strip of
land betweenNicoll Highway and Beach Road. It was planned by theSingapore Government as a high-rise spine frontingKallang Basin . The area used to be occupied bysquatter s and small marineindustries .Norman Edwards, Peter Keys (1996), "Singapore - A Guide to Buildings, Streets, Places", Times Books International, ISBN 9971-65-231-5]The Concourse's site was acquired in competition in the
Urban Redevelopment Authority 's 8th Sales of Sites programme in 1979. The project commenced in 1981 as the Hong Fok Centre butconstruction stopped whenSingapore's economy was hit by arecession in the mid-1980s.In 1987, the
architectural firm Architects 61 andarchitect Paul Rudolph re-designed the complex. They retained what was already constructed, and revamped the remainder in order to accommodate new programmatic requirements.Built at a cost of
S$ 248.1 million and to aheight of 175 metres (574 ft)cite web |url= http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b4789 |title= The Concourse |accessdate=2007-08-15 |format= |work= SkyscraperPage] for itsoffice tower , The Concourse was completed on5 February 1994 .Architecture
The Concourse is a mixed-use development, comprising a 41-story office tower, a three-level
retail podium and nine storeys ofserviced apartment s. The three distinct components, with their different usage, have separateentrance s. These overlook the traditional low-riseshophouse s and office blocks in the Beach Road area.Paul Rudolph designed The Concourse as a "
Tropical Skyscraper ". His use ofsolar shading , wide overhangs, andcommunal garden s and externalbalconies has some similarities with the ideas advanced byKen Yeang for thebioclimatic skyscraper. Thecorrelation betweenform and function arises out of Rudolph's grounding inmodern architecture , for he was taught byWalter Gropius atHarvard University .Approaching the city from
Singapore Changi Airport , The Concourse's tower stands out as alandmark because of its distinctivesilhouette when viewed from across theKallang Basin . The tower isoctagon al in plan, as the number "8" for the octagon is associated withprosperity inChinese culture , and is typical of Paul Rudolph's buildings. It is also supported by hugepilotis , which is another feature of Rudolph's earlier buildings in theUnited States , such as the Art and Architecture Building atYale (1964), and also of The Colonnade in Singapore. The distinctive soaring effect of the tower is accentuated by these loftycolumn s on the first storey which also effectively elevate the building, but is mitigated by thefacet edfaçade of the serviced apartments and retail podium.The Concourse's most prominent architectural feature is the
aluminium curtain wall system incorporating inclinedwindow s that form clusters of units. These interlocking clusters are stacked vertically, likedinner plate s, one above the other,rotating around the building.A five-storey atrium
lobby greets visitors to The Concourse, and 14 sky-atria within the tower formreception lobbies formultinational corporation s andorganisation s. The serviced apartment units in the lower block vary in size, andfacilities include aswimming pool ,squash court s and afitness centre . The apartments overlook Nicoll Highway and theKallang River Basin. Shops are arranged around a three-storey sky-lit atrium in the retail podium.Due to its unique and unconventional
building design , ascale model of The Concourse once went for an architecturalexhibition tour around the world.cite web |url= http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_889_2004-12-23.html |title= Singapore Infopedia: Beach Road |accessdate=2007-08-16 |format= |work=National Library Board ]Notes
References
* Wong Yunn Chii (2005), "Singapore 1:1 City: A Gallery of Architecture & Urban Design",
Urban Redevelopment Authority , ISBN 981-05-4467-7
* Robert Powell (2000), "Singapore: Architecture of a Global City", Archipelago Press, ISBN 981-4068-05-5
* Robert Powell (2004), "Singapore Architecture", Periplus Editions, ISBN 0-7946-0232-0External links
* [http://www.concourse.com.sg/ The Concourse]
*commons-inline|The Concourse
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