News Releases

21 July 2005

MARINA BAY– A MILESTONE IN SINGAPORE'S FUTURE

1. The Minister for National Development, Mr Mah Bow Tan, today outlined plans to promote Singapore’s Marina Bay area and make it a new focal point for the city.
   
   
2. Mr Mah also unveiled the new “Marina Bay” brand that will be used to promote the entire area encircling the bay.
   
   
   Marina Bay – a beacon for change and progress
   
   
3. Marina Bay is a beacon of change and progress for Singapore, reflecting the country’s willingness to embrace change in order to compete. The entire area is designed with people in mind and includes a mix of commercial, residential and entertainment, all set within a distinctive garden city on the bay.
   
   
4. The new brand would be an important part of building an identity for Marina Bay. Marina Bay brand provides the area with a personality everyone can relate to. The brand does not focus on land, or on buildings. It focuses on people and how they explore, exchange and entertain.
   
   
5. The logo, colours and branding of Marina Bay have been carefully designed to capture the heart and soul of the area and the vision for its future.
   
   
6. The Marina Bay logo (refer to Annex 1) is an elliptical symbol of three colours, each representing the different elements of the area – namely, a place to explore (orange), exchange (magenta) and entertain (green). The centre of the logo is blue, representing the bay as a focal point for the area.
   
   
7. Orange represents “explore” (live) and the vibrancy of life. It will provide a variety of living options and public spaces.
   
   
8. Magenta represents “exchange” (work) and networking and ideas. The state-of-the-art business and financial district which is alive with business opportunities and conference venues.
   
   
9. Green represents “entertain” (play) where people can enjoy the waterfront activities and lush tropical gardens by the bay. It will include café’s, restaurants and dining, arts and cultural activities, shows and live entertainment.
   
   
10. The combined elements reflect the vision for Marina Bay to be a beacon of change for Singapore and show the way for future cities. The brand creates a clear identity for Marina Bay to promote both in Singapore and overseas.
    
     
11. Significant progress had already been made on the massive Marina Bay project, with work underway on both commercial and residential developments, the award of a tender for the new Business and Financial Centre and substantial international interest in the proposed Integrated Resort.
    
    
    URA as place manager for Marina Bay
    
    
12. URA Chief Executive Officer Mrs Cheong Koon Hean said URA was acting as a “place manager”, taking a holistic approach to planning and development to integrate the hardware and software of Marina Bay.
    
    
13. “We have always ensured an integrated planning approach, which considers factors like quality urban design and the timely development of  infrastructure and services.”
    
    
14. “We are now going further and paying attention to some of the intangible elements, including the need to create a feeling and sense of place for Marina Bay,” said Mrs Cheong.
    
    
15. URA plans to take Marina Bay to international property conferences over the next year, enabling URA to talk to international investors, property analysts and media about the project and business opportunities.
    
    
16. And, although Marina Bay will be a busy construction site in the next few years,  URA plans to start now to give people locally a reason to visit the area.
    
    
17. In line with this, URA will be actively encouraging the staging of public events and celebrations on and around the water.
    
    
18. In September the F1 Powerboat World Championship Singapore Marina Bay Grand Prix 2005 will be held. The event is expected to attract thousands of spectators and be televised internationally, showcasing Marina Bay in the process.
    
    
19. In addition, a major New Year’s Eve countdown celebration would be held at MarinaBay this year – the first of an annual event.
    
    
20. “Other public events on or around the bay will have a common objective: to encourage Singaporeans to visit Marina Bay and enjoy the waterfront experience with their friends and families,” said Mrs Cheong.
    
    
21. “Ultimately, we want to make Marina Bay the place to be in Singapore.  We can start that by building a buzz locally and experience shows that where local people go, tourists will follow.”
    

SPEECH BY MINISTER FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, MR MAH BOW TAN AT THE BRIEFING ON MARINA BAY KEY DEVELOPMENTS AND BRAND LAUNCH ON 21 JULY 2005 AT 9.30AM, TOWER CLUB, 62ND FLOOR REPUBLIC PLAZA