Funan gathers momentum with over 80,000 square feet leasing commitment received to date well ahead of opening in 2019
Experiential Funan showsuite opens to wow public with cutting-edge retail innovation
Singapore, 27 April 2017 – Funan, an integrated development located right in the heart of Singapore's Civic & Cultural District, has scored another first with a one-of-a-kind experiential
At the launch of Funan
Drawn to Funan’s positioning as Singapore’s leading retail innovation platform, former tenants that have helped to define Funan’s IT legacy, namely Newstead Technologies, AddOn Systems and T K Foto, have also confirmed their return with bigger and better offerings. Newstead will form Funan’s largest IT anchor with multiple concept stores spread across 15,000 sq ft; AddOn will operate Singapore’s Lenovo flagship and service
Mr Wilson Tan, CEO of CapitaLand Mall Trust Management Limited, said: “More than two years ahead of
“Funan sets out to be an aspirational and experiential space that fosters collaboration among complementary partners, to spark inspiration and discovery for consumers. And this commitment to break new ground has been carried through to the way Funan’s
Previously announced tenants that have signed with Funan include Golden Village, which will operate a multi-dimensional cinema; Climb Central, which will manage a 50-lane climbing facility; and Kopitiam, which will run a high-tech food court.
Championing local creative talents and innovation
The star attraction of Funan’s experiential showsuite is the immersive virtual reality simulation (IVRS) studio, which features a five-wall projection system (spanning the ceiling, floor, as well as the walls on the viewer’s left, right and front). The fully immersive environment enables viewers, who don special goggles, to navigate and explore Funan in a full-scale, computer-generated world. They enjoy a high-resolution and stereoscopic threedimensional viewing experience far more superior than the realism offered by conventional two-dimensional images and videos displayed on desktop monitors and projectors. Funan is one of the first developments in Singapore to adopt the state-of-the-art IVRS technology to market itself to potential business partners. The technology solution is provided by Singapore company Aviation Virtual and viewing is by appointment.
Located at the junction of High Street and Hill Street, the two-storey showsuite incorporates design elements reflective of Funan’s design centerpiece “Tree of Life”, a wood-and-steel structure extending from Basement 2 to Level 4 that houses a variety of open platforms and studios that promote new forms of retail, experimentation and social learning. Designed by Singapore-based architecture firm Lekker Architects, a recipient of President’s Design Award 2015, the airy and light-filled showsuite features open studios and cosy meeting spaces. It aims to provide a sampling of Funan’s full-fledged Tree of Life by partnering local creative talents to host a variety of lifestyle programmes. In the pipeline are craft workshops, film screenings, product launches and community talks, organised around Funan’s passion clusters “tech”, “craft”, “fit”, “taste”, “chic” and “play”.
Visitors approaching the showsuite will be greeted by colourful murals adorning two side walls, hand-painted by Tell Your Children, an art collective comprising four up-and-coming Singaporean illustrators. Stepping inside, a miniature mock bicycle café beckons visitors with artful displays of bicycle parts, topped with a bright orange cycling lane that runs across the ground floor. A long flight of stairs leading to the upper floor doubles up as a multipurpose amphitheatre, complete with a projection screen. Taking pride of place on the upper floor is an eye-catching 1:100 scale model of Funan made up of 66,500 colourful Lego bricks, which took full-time Lego artist Eugene Tan, and his team member Xylvie Wong, 240 man hours to complete. Visitors who are feeling inspired can unleash their creativity with the loose Lego bricks placed behind the scale model.
Mr Kevin Siew, Vice President, Retail Development, Funan, said: “We envision Funan as Singapore’s creative intersection where passion meets discovery, and the showsuite is its microcosm – an inviting space that serves as a platform for people to express themselves and be inspired. We are immensely proud to be working with some of the best Singapore talents, makers and entrepreneurs – both budding and established – to turn Funan’s showsuite into a living showcase of local creative prowess. We hope this will inspire more people to pursue their passions and meet fellow enthusiasts at Funan’s showsuite. As we work with our partners to bring Funan to fruition over the next two years, we will continue to champion local talents, and support the community’s journey of passion, discovery and connection at the Funan showsuite.”
Funan’s showsuite will be open to the public daily from 11am to 9pm, starting from 30 April 2017, which coincides with this month’s edition of Car-Free Sunday SG in the Civic District. In conjunction with its opening festivities, visitors can expect a full day of activities at the Funan showsuite that include watercolouring and terrarium workshops, conversations with creative entrepreneurs, and an exclusive InstaMeet helmed by popular Instagrammer Yafiq Yusman (@_yafiqyusman_), who is known for his unique perspective on architectural photography on the social media site.
For the calendar of events, please visit www.funan.com.sg and connect with @funansg on Facebook and Instagram. Companies and individuals interested to collaborate with Funan may email funan.partners@capitaland.com.
Relive the Funan Showsuite launch party!