The public can get a preview from this Sunday of what to expect when Funan mall opens its doors in the final quarter of 2019.
Funan, an integrated development redeveloped from the former Funan DigitaLife Mall in the heart of Singapore’s Civic & Cultural District, has scored a retail sector-first with a one-of-a-kind experiential showsuite, landlord CapitaLand Mall Trust said at the launch of the suite yesterday.
Located at the junction of High Street and Hill Street, the two-storey showsuite brings to life a new live-work-play paradigm with cutting-edge immersive virtual reality simulation technology.
It incorporates design elements reflective of Funan’s centerpiece “Tree of Life”, a wood-and-steel structure extending from Basement 2 to Level 4 that will house a variety of open platforms and studios that promote new forms of retail, experimentation and social learning, CapitaLand Mall Trust said.
The showsuite will open to the public daily from 11am to 9pm, from this Sunday, which coincides with this month’s edition of car-free Sunday SG in the Civic District.
In conjunction with opening festivities, visitors can expect activities that include watercolouring and terrarium workshops, conversations with creative entrepreneurs, and an exclusive InstaMeet helmed by popular Instagrammer Yafiq Yusman, known for his unique perspective on architectural photography on the social media site.
“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 showsuite is designed — accessible, community-centric and experiential,” said Mr Wilson Tan, CEO of CapitaLand Mall Trust Management.
With a project development expenditure of S$560 million, Funan will have a total gross floor area of 887,000 sq ft, including 500,000 sq ft for retail, 266,000 sq ft for offices and 121,000 sq ft for 279 apartment units.
Funan has received commitments for about 25 per cent of its total retail net lettable area of 324,000 square feet, the landlord said.
Local theatre company W!ld Rice’s 380-seat theatre spanning 18,000 sq ft will be Singapore’s first theatre venue within a commercial complex that is designed, managed and programmed by a theatre company.
Some of the other key tenants at the new Funan include IT retailers Newstead Technologies and AddOn Systems, supermarket chain FairPrice Finest, cinema operator Golden Village, Kopitiam food court and rock climbing facility Climb Central.
Well-known photography store TK Foto will have a dedicated test zone for drone filming.
Funan, which will have one floor entirely dedicated to IT, aims to merge smart shopping technologies such as drive-through collection for products ordered online, a pick-up concierge and a basement storage facility for retailers.
In a separate announcement yesterday, Challenger Technologies said it will open its flagship store at Bugis Junction Basement 1 this weekend. Challenger, the largest homegrown IT products and services provider in Singapore, had closed its 53,000 sq ft flagship megastore at Funan DigitaLife Mall in late 2015 after CapitaLand Mall Trust said it would redevelop the mall.
The new 14,000 sq ft flagship brings the total number of Challenger stores in Singapore to 40. The flagship store offers a smart, interactive experience featuring 15 lifestyle concept zones backed by data analytics to guide shoppers in their purchases. The integrated retail space, with carefully curated merchandise, experiential areas and engaging displays, aims to draw shoppers in to explore and experience before making an informed purchase, Challenger said.