Design In Print

YEAR: 2014 | AREA: 90,100 SQM | SINGAPORE
Far left: View of the
overall master plan.
Left: Festival Walk –
consolidated dining,
entertainment and
retail options.
Below left: View of
the multi-storey resort
accommodation block.
THE NEW DOWNTOWN
EAST IS COMMITTED
TO PROVIDING
AFFORDABLE RESORT-
STYLE AMENITIES FOR
SINGAPOREANS FROM
ALL WALKS OF LIFE
Downtown East was first developed in 1986,
and has seen several sporadic additions
over the years which resulted in a lack of
cohesiveness of the overall development.
The new master plan seeks to integrate
and update existing amenities and extend
new areas to create a comprehensive and
harmonious development with a sense of
place and identity.
The objective of the new Downtown East
master plan has a three-pronged approach of
Engagement, Universality and Sustainability.
The revitalised and integrated development
will provide a variety of venues of different
scales and settings for a wide range of
community engagement opportunities. These
venues and amenities will be designed with
a conscious understanding of the needs of
all demographics in terms of affordability
for the masses as well as universal access
for all potential users. The master plan also
takes into consideration three key aspects of
sustainability: environmental, economic and
social sustainability.
The master plan zoning consists of four main
nodes – the E-hub; the Members, Union and
Community Engagement (MUCE) facilities;
the Wild Wild Wet theme park and the Costa
Sands Downtown East Resort – with the
nodes connected across the site via a new
pedestrian network.
In particular, Wild Wild Wet will see a doubling
of land area, with four additional rides, and is
set to become the heart of the new Downtown
East. Costa Sands will also have brand new
chalets and more amenities for resort guests.
various elements within the site, which helps
visitors to easily orientate themselves in this
extensive development. Dedicated drop-offs
planned for the different components serve
to create a sense of arrival for visitors, as
well as to divert the potential heavy numbers
to manageable levels. This reorganisation
of pedestrian and vehicular circulation ties
together the disparate components under a
coherent master plan while allowing for the
unique expression of each part.
The master plan also considers the site
context where the surrounding developments
are primarily residential, with the developments
north of Pasir Ris Drive 3 being low to
medium-rise, and the high-rise developments
located towards the south. The new large
MUCE centre will be situated along Pasir
Ris Drive 3 to form a strong urban front with
the existing E-hub. Further up north, facing
Pasir Ris Park and Beach, will be the new
Costa Sands chalets. This allows the chalets,
which are multi-storeyed to minimise the
building footprint for greater conservation of
existing trees, to also have views towards the
mangroves of Sungei Tampines at the west.
The richness of site opportunities gives rise to the
design of a wide range of environments within
the development. Other design strategies aim to
make the development as inclusive as possible,
by creating an elevated all-weather landscape
deck at the second storey which promotes safe
and pleasant pedestrian conditions by separating
the human and vehicular traffic flows. This
landscape deck is also connected to the first
storey via gently sloping ramps, keeping to the
tenets of universal design.
On the macro level, a main north-south
planning axis is established after accounting
for existing components that were to
be retained from the client’s brief. Major
elements and zones were then oriented along
this main axis, defining the main circulation
system and view corridors linking up the
With a consistent focus on providing affordable
family-oriented activities in a resort-style
setting, the enhancements to the infrastructure,
new clarity of the circulation networks and
improved amenities to cater to increasing
demands, the new Downtown East will be the
leisure destination of choice for Singaporeans.
DP 15