SINGAPORE – Come March 14, shoppers in the Orchard Road area will be able to enjoy a green oasis in the form of a new outdoor community space outside the newly revamped Temasek Shophouse.
The new outdoor community space – roughly the size of seven basketball courts, or 3,000 sq m – has been fitted with features to not only support local biodiversity, but also act as a gathering space.
New features include a community farm, a garden terrace with cooling features and shaded seating areas. Members of the public can enjoy these amenities for free.
The community farm in the new outdoor community space outside Temasek Shophouse.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
These spaces can be used to host events such as outdoor cinema screenings, performances and public lectures, said Ms Chum Jia Xin, studio director of design studio Henning Larsen. The firm collaborated with Temasek Shophouse to create the outdoor space with the intention of integrating nature into the daily experience of the community.
“Quality outdoor spaces in Singapore are something much needed,” said Ms Yvonne Tay, chief executive of Temasek Shophouse, during a media preview of the space on March 12. “A space that is thoughtfully designed, not just to attract the birds and bees and butterflies, but also to attract humans to coexist side by side with nature.”
To encourage people to spend time in the outdoor spaces, shelters and cooling systems were installed to improve thermal comfort, she added.
The opening of the outdoor community space marks the completion of a four-year-long renovation of Temasek Shophouse, which now houses facilities such as event venues, co-working spaces and food and beverage outlets.
