What does it take to create a well-designed and curated public space?

Nicolas Medrano, Principal, Skidmore, Ownings & Merrill and Valerie Wong, Managing Director, Asset Management, GuocoLand share lessons and insights on designing and curating the expansive vibrant and lively Guoco Tower Urban Park in Tanjong Pagar, one the largest public spaces in an integrated mixed-use development with office spaces, residences as well as retail shops and F&B establishments.

Why was the decision taken to create a distinctive public space for the Guoco Tower office building?

Nicolas: The space where the urban park is currently located was originally intended for a building when the Tanjong Pagar MRT station was developed in the 1980s. As part of the land sales requirement, a city room space and public plaza were to be integrated into the overall development. This is typically done within the building footprint or under the building boundary. But after studying the site carefully, we decided to move the city room space into Tanjong Pagar Park over the MRT station, creating a more generous and continuous urban park space throughout the ground floor of the site. We moved the carpark into the podium of the building where it could be hidden from view and away from public amenities and utilised the existing MRT structure for the city room canopy.

The city room canopy helps to provide shade for the urban park space for people to relax in.

In designing the public space, we wanted to create a space that can be easily accessed and used by different groups of people. Aside from allocating space for the cafes and restaurants, we intentionally left a large part of the public space open and flexible. This offers a greater variety of experiences and excitement for people as it allows them to decide how they want to use the space in their own ways. 

At 150,000 square feet, this is probably one of the largest public spaces in an office building in Singapore. Why is it important to provide such an expansive public space?

Nicolas: Very often, public spaces within our office buildings tend to cater more specifically for office workers or visitors. But what about everybody else? For cities like Singapore where we are living in high-density environments, public spaces are increasingly important serving as front yards or extensions of our living rooms in offering a greater sense of relief, enjoyment, and delight. 

As designers, we wanted to support this further by providing much more public space than what you would normally expect for an office building. The space also feels larger because we removed the boundaries between the more private spaces of the building and the spaces in the public realm such that it feels more seamless when you come out from Tanjong Pagar MRT station up to the ground floor. 

Being in this urban park, it feels much cooler and enjoys a lot of greenery. How did you design for such a comfortable space?

Nicolas: Singapore’s climate is quite extreme. It became critical for us to design the space for human comfort and significantly cool the park and surrounding plazas and streets. We made sure that the space was very well shaded and protected from the intense sun and created natural comfort through wind flow. We incorporated water elements and softscapes at the fringes, so that when the natural breeze comes into the site from the east and west, its naturally cooled. 

We conducted many wind flow analyses using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) tools to help shape the architecture from the beginning. The canopy over the space is open on the west and the east. There is a building facade on the north and there is a screen on the south. This not only captures the primary wind direction, funnelling it through the site, but it also accelerates the prevailing wind such that you feel a cooler temperature when you are in the space. 

The design also allows air to move in and out from the north and south whenever the wind changes. This means even if there is a storm and the wind changes, you can still feel the wind throughout the site. Porosity of the site is key in ensuring that wind can flow through the site throughout the year. 

More intense greenery in the urban park space can be found in areas exposed to sunlight and the natural environment.

On greenery for the space, we worked closely with Cicada, our landscape designer. Plants ultimately need sunlight. Thus, we deliberately placed the plants at the periphery of the canopy. It is greenest where there is full exposure to sunlight, rain, and the natural environment. 

Beyond design, what makes this space more engaging is a year-round calendar of events and activities. It is both a space for activity and for people to relax in.  

Valerie: Most of the people who access and use the space tend to be office workers. But we also have residents dropping by from nearby residential areas. In curating activities for this space throughout the year, we try to plan for events that appeal to a wide range of people; from yoga sessions to pets and plant events, artisan markets, a women’s run and even mid-autumn festival celebrations. 

An example of a fitness event at the urban park space. 

In curating the space, we have to be mindful of managing the needs of the restaurants and cafes, people using the space and the ongoing events to ensure that noise from events do not affect the cafes and the people sitting around.  

On the weekends, when it is quieter, families like to come by and I sometimes see toddlers play with the water jets. We now even have new inhabitants – chickens! 

One thing that has been well received is our introduction of public seats. It encourages people to stay longer in this space and feel like they are part of a larger community. Beyond having activities in the space, it also offers a quiet space for people to just relax in. 

What has been the impact of such a public space on people and the neighbourhood? 

Nicolas: I see such a public space contributing to our overall health and wellness. Such a space is an extension of our natural environment and enables us to interact with our colleagues, friends, and families. This helps people thrive in terms of their mental and physical health. 

The space is comfortable, there is fresh air, daylight and wind flow so you feel more at peace, and you feel like it is your space. This benefits us on an individual level and as a community. 

The urban park space has become a popular place to have a meal or just to hang out with colleagues and friends. 

Valerie: Besides serving the office crowd and residential community, I observe that there is also an impact on the immediate neighbourhood in that more people are motivated to come to this place. It benefits the shops and businesses in the area too. 

The Recreation Master Plan seeks to create more active streets and opportunities, activating and creating more engaging public spaces in supporting more active lifestyles. What would you like to see more of? 

Nicolas: In some of the most exciting cities around the world, there is a blend of the old and new. Perhaps it is not always about creating something new but also preserving the old and adapting it for new uses. 

I love the High Line in New York. From a rail line bringing food into the city, it is now a beautiful park that meanders through different neighbourhoods. I would love to see more overpasses, viaducts and older buildings be repurposed for different uses creating a greater variety of public spaces and injecting new excitement in places.  

Valerie: With a greater emphasis on healthy lifestyles, I see the demand and interest for more varied fitness options. Perhaps there could be more interesting running trails and fitness options even in the city. 

The running track at Guoco Midtown. Image: GuocoLand.

We are trying to provide for more end-of-trip facilities in some of our developments. For Guoco Midtown, we have a swimming pool, workout stations and a running track located on the seventh floor. I think such provision of facilities and options will become more important.