Clarke Quay, Singapore
Known as the 'heartbeat of downtown nightlife', Clarke Quay is one of Singapore's top five must-visit tourist destinations, located along the Singapore River, and is an entertainment haven with shopping, dining and entertainment. This vibrant harbour area is a place where tourists and locals alike can feel free to express themselves and have a good time at leisure. Take a boat ride along the straits, dine at the harbour's flavoursome restaurants and dance the night away at the nightclubs - life at Clarke Quay is enchanting.
The History of Clarke Quay
Clarke Quay is located in the heart of Singapore and is situated on the banks of the Singapore River on a total of over 50 acres of land. Originally a small wharf for loading and unloading goods, Clarke Quay was named after the second Governor, Andrew Clarke. five buildings with over 60 warehouses and shophouses make up Clarke Quay, all of which retain their original 19th century appearance, reflecting the history of the wharves and warehouses that served the busy trade on the Singapore River in their heyday before falling into disrepair.
The 19th century look of Clarke Quay
The first renovation of Clarke Quay
The first unsuccessful renovation of the commercial area in 1980 saw Clark's Quay, instead of being revitalised, fall further and further into disrepair. The first renovation, positioned mainly with the idea of family leisure activities, lacked popularity due to the lack of access.
The inner street of Clarke Quay before the renovation
A second makeover for Nirvana
In 2003, in order to attract more people to Clark Quay and to enhance the commercial value of Clark Quay, CapitaLand invited Stephen Pimbley to carry out its second redesign of the development.
Chief Designer Stephen Pimbley's challenge was not only to provide an attractive streetscape and riverfront view, but also to cope with the perennial climate and find ways to mitigate the effects of outdoor heat and heavy rain on the commercial area.
CapitaLand was committed to using creative design to drive the commercial and leisure environment of the area, giving new life and development opportunities to this historic riverside marina. The final total cost was RMB440 million, which still seems quite expensive today at RMB16,000 per square metre for the renovation.
What are the key elements of attraction that have been heavily created?
Traditional architecture combined with modern lighting
The renovation and development of Clarke Quay, while preserving the old building in its original form, is fully in line with the needs of the modern city with modern creative design of the exterior colours, lighting and landscape of the building space, presenting a dialogue and harmonious integration of tradition and modernity. The old building is protected in its entirety and no damage is caused; at the same time, through the creative design of the modern technical landscape, the old building is given a new look and is fully integrated, reflected and coordinated with the modern landscape, creating a unique ambient space suitable for the modern urban landscape.
Clarke Quay Waterfront Night View
Use architectural colours wisely
Architectural colour and architecture itself are interdependent. Without architecture, colour would have no support, and without colour, architecture would be less decorative. The building itself is inseparable from colour, which is therefore the most direct way of expressing the mood of the building.
Colourful waterfront commercial space
In common commercial architectural applications, the walls of buildings emphasise the use of transitional colours, with a predominance of muted colours. Clarke Quay, on the other hand, goes in the opposite direction and uses extremely bold colours, with warm red walls with grass green doors and windows. The pink and sky blue walls are interwoven and at first glance, one would think that one has arrived at Disneyland, while being full of childlike and active feelings.
Bold colours on the building façade of the inner commercial street
The different areas are distinguished by the different colours, which not only decorate Clarke Quay beautifully without being overbearing, but also add to the relaxed atmosphere of the area as if they were vibrant and dynamic notes coming from the restaurant or bar at night. The commercial identity is also maximised by the strong visual impact of the vibrant colours.
Singapore Clarke Quay
The ETFE canopy covering the main street becomes a vehicle for light at night
Due to its specific geography, Singapore has no four seasons and the climate is hot and humid. If air conditioning was used to cool all the open-air areas, huge energy consumption would be incurred. Clarke Quay has adopted passive environmental control, using natural ventilation and lighting to create a suitable physical environment both indoors and outdoors while minimising energy consumption. The designers have carefully transformed the formerly hot and humid dilapidated commercial street into a climate-friendly streetscape arcade by adding an ETFE membrane 'umbrella' to the roof of the main street, creating a grey space that provides shade and protection from the rain, preserving the natural appearance of the street and ensuring that commercial activities are not affected by the climate.
The "sunshade" design concept
During the day, the roof is transparent, but at night, it begins to blossom with a magic that changes colour to the rhythm of the night. Human beings are inherently 'light-oriented', and the commercial landmark effect of Clarke Quay is instantly demonstrated by the light. With the light reflected in the already see-through glass walls, the casual atmosphere of Clarke Quay is at its best.
ETFE canopy covering Main Street
Maximising the waterfront space with light and water shadows
Taking into account the rainy nature of South East Asia, the riverbanks themselves have been transformed with umbrella-like awnings called 'Bluebells'. At night these 'bluebells' are reflected in the Singapore River and change colour in the night sky, reminiscent of the rows of lanterns that lined the river banks during the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations of the past.
"Hyacinth" awning
Dramatically dubbed the 'Lily Pad', the riverfront dining platform extends approximately 1.5 metres out from the riverbank, maximising the spatial and commercial value of the riverfront and creating an open-plan dining space with excellent views. Visitors can dine here with a view of the Singapore River, and the distinctive shape of the pier itself is a major attraction.
A "lotus disk" extending approximately 1.5 metres beyond the river bank
The addition of open lounge and dining spaces, the creation of colourful lighting and water effects and the upgraded use of water links have transformed Clarke Quay's original waterfront but not water-friendly nature, making full use of its own landscape resources and enriching its commercial form.
A visual feast of architectural lighting
Another major innovation in the transformation of Clarke Quay is the use of modern photovoltaic design. The five buildings are illuminated in a variety of colours, and even at a distance, they become the focus of attention.
Clarke Quay under colourful night lighting
Post time: Sep-06-2022
