Shooting for the skies

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

From the architects:

Envisioned as one of Asia’s most sustainable skyscrapers, this 63-storey mixed-use downtown development takes cues from bamboo forests to create an indoor-outdoor vertical community with public spaces, offices, retail, a hotel, and luxury residences.

SOM has revealed the design of 8 Shenton Way will anchor the intersection of Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD) and Marina Bay, the historic Tanjong Pagar neighborhood, and the emerging Greater Southern Waterfront.

Soon to be one of the most identifiable landmarks on the skyline, the tower will soar 305m – becoming Singapore’s tallest skyscraper – with a series of garden terraces that elevate the lush tropical landscape from Shenton Way, Anson Road, and Maxwell Road into the sky.

With expansive public spaces, offices, retail, a hotel, and luxury residences offering panoramic south-facing views of the South China Sea, the heritage district to the North, and proximity to the Tanjong Pagar district, known for its Michelin-recommended restaurants, 8 Shenton Way will be a vibrant, 24/7 hub. 

The tower incorporates leading-edge post-pandemic design features, while integrating a diverse mix of functions  and amenities befitting one of Asia’s preeminent international centres.

SOM partner Mustafa Abadan says 8 Shenton Way will be the newest landmark on the Singapore skyline – a next generation tower for the city.

“Designed specifically with the tropical climate of Singapore in mind, this building will be one of the first post-pandemic mixed-use towers in the world, with health and wellness as its primary design drivers,” says Abadan. 

"By seeking to achieve the city’s newest and most rigorous sustainability standards, our design will establish a new paradigm for resilient and elegant high-rise design in Singapore and beyond."

Nature and sustainability are driving forces 

The tower is inspired by bamboo forests – a biophilic design that echoes vertical elements found in nature. 

Materials are chosen to minimise both embodied and operational carbon, from the zero-waste manufacture of terracotta to the use of engineered bamboo. 

Targeting Building Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Certification – equivalent to a 55% energy reduction compared to the benchmark – 8 Shenton Way is seeking the highest sustainability certification in the region. 

The tower is the first project under the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore’s CBD Incentive Scheme with such a diversity of components, including retail, offices, SOHO style units, luxury residences, a hotel, and event space.

Gathering this wide variety of building functions within a tight urban footprint, 8 Shenton Way will be a highly efficient high-rise which optimises its heart-of-the-city location. 

Reusing part of the existing foundation and infrastructure onsite will minimise material use and embodied carbon during construction. 

The facade will be built of energy-efficient glazing, and recyclable aggregates will be used in its concrete structure, manufactured through a low-carbon process, while also segregating waste and using Singapore Green Building Council-certified materials where available. 

A rare and exciting opportunity

SOM design principal Nic Medrano says that emerging from the pandemic presents a rare and exciting opportunity for architects to explore new approaches to health-driven placemaking.

“Singapore is an incredible canvas to do this, with its excellent quality of life, abundance of green space and diversity of cultures – our design weaves together nature, heritage, connections to transit, luxury living, healthy workplaces, and lively public spaces into a thriving hub for the community,” says Medrano.

The development will integrate dynamic 'live, work, and play' elements, while elevating luxury in Singapore’s downtown. 

A public performance and events space with retail, seating, and bike racks will activate the street. 

Landscaping will extend from the street into the building, creating a seamless green corridor for pedestrians. 

On the second floor, an open-air green space with restaurants offers room to gather, surrounded by a biodiverse landscape with plants chosen specifically to attract birds and butterflies. 

Green spaces bigger than its boots

In total, the design includes more than 10,000m² of elevated, public green space – exceeding the entire footprint of the site. 

The building facade is characterised by natural materials – champagne-coloured terracotta and bamboo along the walls of the sky gardens – with curved edges that create bay windows on nearly every floor, offering dramatic outlooks on the city and the sea. 

In the lobby, wood, stone, and terracotta finishes flank artwork and a reflecting pool, with a multi-floor atrium framing the space above. 

Landscaped gardens are located throughout the height of the tower, giving building occupants ample room for an outdoor escape in the sky. 

There are seven terraces altogether, including one for the hotel floors and three for the residential levels.  

Carved out of the building every five to six floors, the gardens bring light, air, and natural ventilation to prioritise wellbeing. 

The residences are placed at the highest levels of the tower, where occupants will enjoy the most impressive views.

Post pandemic priorities

Across more than 148,000 square meters of floor space, 8 Shenton Way incorporates a variety of post-pandemic features, prioritising tenants’ health. 

Contactless technology, antimicrobial materials, enhanced natural air flow and filtration, adaptable interior spaces, and large, landscaped outdoor spaces collectively create a robust offering of healthier, wellness-focused spaces in the heart of the city. 

To encourage more sustainable modes of transit, the tower will connect to Singapore’s subterranean pedestrian network, including direct underground connectivity to the Tanjong Pagar Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station, as well as two additional MRT stations within a five-minute walk: the Maxwell MRT Station and the Prince Edward MRT Station. 

Bicycle and electric vehicle parking will also be provided. 

8 Shenton Way is owned and being developed by Perennial Holdings Private Limited and its consortium of investors. 

SOM is serving as architectural design consultant and with DCA Architects of Singapore serving as architect of 8 Shenton Way.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2028. 

Designed by: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

Story by: Trendsideas

Photography by: © SOM | Bezier