Singapore– Robinson Tower, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates’ latest project in Singapore executed in collaboration with Associate Architect A61, has opened with a focus on addressing sustainable urbanism.
Passed in 2014, Singapore’s Landscape Replacement Policy requires that any greenery lost due to development must be replaced with publicly accessible greenery in equal area within the new building. This obligation, coupled with the constrained, V-shaped site, influenced KPF’s design solution for Robinson Tower.
“At its core, this project presented the overlapping challenges of planning Class-A office space on an irregular site with environmental checks,” said Bruce Fisher, KPF design director. “However, these conditions ultimately drove the design’s success, all the while capitalizing on the expanse of Robinson Road’s visual corridor. The dynamic tower frees itself from the canyon of stoic facades, integrating green space at unique vantage points and ultimately cultivating the public realm alongside a boutique, mixed-use program.”
Robinson Tower’s sculptural form comprises two primary volumes — an office tower elevated above a retail podium separated by the podium’s manicured roof space. The elevation of the tower’s massing maximizes marina views for the twenty boutique office floors and activates the podium roof-scape and enclosed rooftop garden. Its offset core doubly maximizes views from the podium and avoids the issue of columns disrupting the public area. At each approach, the tower’s faceted volume dematerializes and reflects the sun and sky differently, gem-like in its shape and stature on the city’s skyline.
Robert Whitlock, KPF design principal, added, “Robinson Tower follows in the footsteps of KPF’s work at Marina Bay Financial Centre, which first introduced the mixed-use model to Singapore. Even though that project was massive in scale, with a park integrated in its plan, this distinctive tower similarly embodies the integration of context, culture, and sustainability with architecture. Our impactful scheme, and its successful execution, taps into KPF’s expertise designing iconic buildings for global cities, as well as for buildings on constrained or otherwise tight sites in dense, urban areas.”
