Union Square

Union Square is a landmark mixed-use development in Singapore, conceived as a Strategic Development Initiative to rejuvenate a key district at the gateway to the CBD. Replacing the former Central Mall, the project transforms the site into a contemporary urban destination integrating Grade-A offices, residences, retail, dining, and public spaces, while achieving a 67% uplift in Gross Floor Area through efficient spatial planning.

The architecture is defined by a sensitive response to context, scale, and movement through the city. Twin slender towers step down in height to preserve key view corridors between adjacent urban parks, framing long views towards the Singapore River, the city skyline, and surrounding hillscape. This calibrated massing avoids visual bulk while contributing a refined, elegant silhouette to the skyline. The façades reinterpret the rooflines of traditional Singapore shophouses, translating familiar forms into a contemporary language of glass, metal, and natural stone that bridges heritage and modernity.

At ground level, the development prioritises placemaking and permeability. A pedestrianised Merchant Road extends the surrounding urban fabric into the site, leading to a central plaza and amphitheatre that form the social heart of the development. Retail and dining spaces spill into landscaped terraces, activating the public realm and encouraging everyday interactions. Conserved heritage buildings are revitalised and carefully integrated with new architecture, reinforcing continuity with the heritage while accommodating new uses.

Landscaping is woven throughout the development, from podium gardens to elevated terraces, creating a layered green environment that enhances comfort, biodiversity, and microclimate. Sustainability is embedded in the design, targeting Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy certification, incorporating precinct-wide district cooling, renewable energy generation, PPVC & DfMA Construction, and low-carbon materials.

Union Square redefines the urban experience through the convergence of city and nature, heritage and innovation, serenity and vitality – an architectural intersection of Singapore’s ever evolving landscape.