Link here: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/55519/1/.html

Sentosa to have 110-metre tall viewing tower as part of $30m revamp

By Bridgette See, Channel NewsAsia

Come next January, Sentosa will have the tallest public viewing tower in Singapore.

The 110-metre tall sky tower will be Sentosa's latest attraction and part of a $30 million plan to refresh the island's attractions.

Sentosa is spending S$6m on the sky tower which will have a revolving viewing deck which ascends gradually, offering visitors a panoromic 360-degree view of the resort island, the mainland and even the nearby archipelago islands.

The disc-shaped cabin, which goes up and down a column, can carry some 70 people, to a height of about 50 storeys.

The sky tower is being built on a hill near Sentosa's new arrival plaza.

Sentosa says the tower, which will be ready by the Lunar New Year, will be Singapore's tallest viewing tower - at least until the Singapore Flyer is completed.

Standing at 170 metres near the Sheares Bridge, the $200m Singapore Flyer, to be ready by end 2005, will be the world's tallest ferris wheel.

Besides the sky tower, Sentosa is spending another $24m to give three other attractions a make-over - the Images of Singapore, Fort Siloso and the Merlion.

The Surrender Chamber, which has been housed in a former military hospital now known as the Images of Singapore since 1975, will be moved to Fort Siloso, as the consultants think it makes more sense to consolidate all war-related exhibits together.

With the addition of three new interactive displays, the exhibit will also be renamed the Singapore Adventure.

The Merlion will also be turned into an interactive walk-through attraction.

But will such cosmetic changes attract the crowds?

Consultant Jack Rouse said: "Every facility all over the world has the problem of "how do you get repeat visits?" In a fixed environment like Sentosa, you really need to do it by a series of programmed events, some are school-related, tourism-related, corporate-related, and some are tied to seasons of the year. But, in order to be considered as a place to have those booked events, you really need to have a quality place to do it."

Despite these improvements, Sentosa says tickets shouldn't cost much more.

Sentosa's property director Gurjit Singh said: "In fact, with composite ticketing, you'd be paying less for more experiences. Increasing the number of attractions from 4 to 7, increment in paying for all these experiences is marginal."

Oh no! Just when I lamented Sentosa sucks, they have to do this! :D

Ok, gimme the tower, but the rest can be thrown into the garbage bin. Hehehe :cool:

That will be exciting. I hope it will be a decent one.

Originally posted by huaiwei

Oh no! Just when I lamented Sentosa sucks, they have to do this! :D

Ok, gimme the tower, but the rest can be thrown into the garbage bin. Hehehe :cool:

whoalao, you so wasteful. at least give me la ;)

That will be exciting. I hope it will be a decent one.

I hope the rendering comes out soon!! ANd it better be a good one :happy:

Well...we shall see if Sentosa decides to disappoint us YET AGAIN! :D

there really should be a singapore themed - disneyland scale theme park on sentosa instead... that's sure to attract tourists and repeat visits... afterall they just need to reclaim more land....

Reclaim land?? Erm..not really needed, especially when they can simply destroy everything pre-existing on the island! :D

I have a dream...

And it is to bulldoze Sentosa and build Disneyland on top!:D

Here's the rendering from todays Straits Times!

http://www.geocities.com/rr_rb_211/sentosatower.jpg.txt

Looks kinda boring IMO. They could have gone for a more daring design.

Yes, finally.. !! :D Singapore lacks public observation decks.. Apart from the former Compass Rose, I can't think of any other place to get a bird's eye view of the city skyline although i hear there are now roof-top tours of one of Suntec's 4 towers.. anybody with info on this?>

The height of the proposed Sentosa tower of 110m or about 30 storeys is not very high, but it's a start. Didn't expect it to be ready so soon. Hope they don't charge a bomb though. The million $ question: Will SENTOSA still remain 'S'o 'E'xpensive and 'N'othing 'To' 'S'ee 'A'lso? :laugh:

Next on Sentosa: 110m sky tower

SENTOSA'S developers are spending $30 million to spice up three attractions on the resort-island and build a new one - a 110m-tall viewing tower which will provide stunning views of the Singapore skyline and the Southern Islands, including St John's, Sisters' and Lazarus islands. The Sky Tower, to be ready by January next year, will have a large disc-shaped viewing cabin which revolves as it ascends up a column.

The three attractions to be refurbished - Images of Singapore, depicting Singapore's history from the 14th century; Fort Siloso, a preserved coastal fort; and The Merlion - will have new sections, more high-tech special effects and interactive features. For example, the Merlion will have new exhibits of other mythical sea creatures such as mermaids and lake monsters, while Images of Singapore will have a spectacular light show.

The refurbishment comes amid strong signs of vitality for the island. Last month saw the release of the first plots of land in Sentosa Cove, a 2,600-unit waterfront housing development. Recent reports said NTUC Club will open a 250-room resort there by 2006, ahead of a six-star hotel project to be developed by Pontiac Land by 2007. With the Sars outbreak over, visitors are flocking to the island for some fun, with at least 4.3 million expected this year, up from the 4.1 million last year. The increase is also because the entrance fee was cut from $6 to $2 last year.

Sentosa Leisure Group (SLG) director for property, Mr Gurjit Singh, who took the press briefing yesterday in a brown Hawaiian shirt, said: 'Over the next few months, we're raising the fun quotient and giving people an element of surprise.' When asked whether the $2 admission fee could be scrapped in future, SLG chief executive Darrell Metzger told The Straits Times on the sidelines of the briefing: 'That could be possible.' But a lot depends on visitor traffic over the coming years and how the bottom lines of SLG and its tenants grow, he said. 'Right now, it's not practical to do away with the $2 fee because this is an expensive island to maintain.'

Sentosa's masterplan, unveiled last year, aims to have eight million visitors a year by 2012. Mr Metzger said that some $7 billion will be invested during that time - with $1 billion for the Southern Islands, which were included in the plan, $3 billion for Sentosa Cove and $3 billion for the rest of Sentosa island. Mr Singh said they were looking at charges of $8 for adults and $4 for children for the Sky Tower. Ticket charges for the revamped attractions are still being studied.

Already, some Singaporeans are excited about the changes. Bukit Timah resident Fang Tien-En, 28, a bank executive, said: 'It all sounds good. For fun, maybe I and some of my friends would even queue up the night before that tower is opened.'

ISLAND MAKEOVER

SOME things you can look forward to from the Sky Tower and the three revamped attractions.

SKY TOWER
• Ready by January next year

• Soaring 110m (about 36 storeys), visitors will have commanding views of the Singapore skyline, the Southern Islands, Indonesian islands and Malaysia

• Each ride can have 72 persons inside a large disc-shaped viewing cabin which revolves as it ascends up a column

NEW FORT SILOSO
• Ready by June next year

• A tram will shuttle guests from the foot of the hill to the fort

• Exhibits relocated, new multimedia shows introduced

• Wax figures from the Surrender Chambers inside Images of Singapore will be relocated here

THE MERLION
• Ready by June next year

• Dioramas which introduce other mythical sea creatures such as mermaids, lake monsters, sea serpents as well as movie creatures

• High-tech show telling the legend of the Merlion

IMAGES OF SINGAPORE
• To be renamed 'Singapore Adventure' when divided into three sections by June 2005

• 1st section, The Warehouse of the Four Winds, features a show telling a tale of unity among the Chinese, Indians, Malays and Eurasians

• 2nd section, The Singapore Adventure, features key personalities and events in Singapore's history

• 3rd section, Singapore Celebrates, shows tableaus depicting how Singaporeans celebrate life-long traditions from birthdays and marriages to retirement

But, I really doubt that they will be able to finish it by next January...

It has been long time I did not go to Sentosa... is that tower under construction???

only 101 ah.... mmmm... I was thinking that it can go higher... maybe reach 200m

If you look closely at the tower, you will notice its not your regular tower. It looks more like a amusement park relic to me, albeit blown up in size. In fact, I would think its pretty easy for them to take it down too.

Anyway its being built on a 30m hill, so the total height is therefore 140. Tall enough for an acceptable view I suppose.

I wished they would just build a normal tower. I will probably get motion sickness from all that turning....:dizzy: :puke:

Originally posted by glenj

Yes, finally.. !! :D Singapore lacks public observation decks.. Apart from the former Compass Rose, I can't think of any other place to get a bird's eye view of the city skyline although i hear there are now roof-top tours of one of Suntec's 4 towers.. anybody with info on this?>

Will SENTOSA still remain 'S'o 'E'xpensive and 'N'othing 'To' 'S'ee 'A'lso? :laugh:

The good news is that theyre also building a giant ferris wheel (170m) just behind Marina Square.:angel1:

As for Sentosa, I will give it one more chance after all those refurbishments!:cheers:

Seems like one of the rides in Rollecaster Tycoon.:D

It could have been a better looking ride, I mean viewing tower! :D

It's TOO skinny!

Originally posted by mams

Seems like one of the rides in Rollecaster Tycoon.:D

Haha yes!! I hope they build a launched freefall too!! :D

A full scale rollercoaster for Sentosa would also be good.. Rollercoaster are sure crowd magnets, as proven in rollercoaster tycoon.. heh :) (There's a mini rollercoaster at Asian Village but I'm not sure if it's still there)

Rollar coaster? Ever tried those mobile ones at the local funfairs? :D

13 Jan 2004

SINGAPORE : Singapore's tallest viewing tower at Sentosa will be open to the public by the end of this month.

The $6 million Sky Tower attraction offers a panoramic 360 degree view from 110 metres above the ground.

Construction of the tower on Sentosa started barely three months ago.

The landmark is almost at its peak.

Hoisting them to such great height was not an easy task.

A 500-tonne crane was needed to lift the engine rooms and flag pole to over 85 metres.

Only two of such cranes are available in Asia.

Once the Sky Tower is completed, it will have a large disc-shaped viewing cabin that revolves as it ascends up a column.

At its peak of 110 metres, visitors will experience a panoramic 360 degree view of Sentosa.

They will also enjoy stunning views of the Southern Islands and Singapore's city skyline.

Each ride, which takes about seven minutes, can accomodate as many as 70 people.

Gurjit Singh, Director of Property at Sentosa Leisure Group, said: "Visitors will be able to get a good bird's eye view from 100 over metres up in the air. Being in an attraction that gives you a rotational view as you go up and down, they will be able to see practically everything in a 360 degree circle."

"I think every Singaporean will like to try it. I can tell you it will be a great success."

"I think it will give a great view over Singapore, just like the cable cars do."

"At least it is another attraction for tourists. It is a good idea."

Each ride costs $8 for adults and $4 for children.

Sentosa expects the Sky Tower to attract over 400,000 visitors per year.

It has yet to decide what flag the tower will fly.
______

Who wants to go up there and take pics? :D

Huh? so fast??

Anyway something tells me they are going to end up flying that cheesy sentosa flag...:D

The Merlion Tower is sooooooo short!!!

You might as well go to the 25th floor of a HDB point block ,there you can see further than standing on top of the Merlion Tower!


Is (or was) the SAFTI Tower ever opened for public viewing before?


There is a restaurant on the 60th floor of the UOB Plaza 1 ,much higher than the Equinox.

But the windows atop the UOB Plaza at the restaurant arent conducive for viewing. You need to stand and look, and you cant walk all round. The Equinox at Swissotel has floor to ceiling windows and you can go round.

Having been to both restaurants, I have to agree with what raffi is saying. At least on the equinox u get to see the cbd skyline. UOB only gives u a view of Marina Centre? ;)

SAFTI tower wasent open to "public viewing" per say, but you can certainly go up there if you wanted to.

Yah UOB view is limited but nevertheless it feels great being up there!:cheers:

Heres a view from the new Sentosa Tower!
http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2004-02-12/tower.jpg
NEW VIEW OF SENTOSA: Resort island Sentosa opens its latest attraction, the Sky Tower, on Thursday. The 110m-tall tower gives visitors a 360-degree view of the island - it revolves as it ascends. The ride, which lasts about six minutes, costs S$10 and can carry 72 people at a time.

Im shocked!! Its already open!! :D

doesnt look too nice? got more pics?

Pics of the tower or the view? I only found the pic of the view and I guess its the most recent since the tower opened today.

So fast????

btw, its the tallest freestanding what? in Asia??

Brother....its just a 110m pole!! :D

actually i wouldnt pay 10 bucks to go up there and down... how long is the ride? what do you get for 10 bucks?

Originally posted by heirloom

actually i wouldnt pay 10 bucks to go up there and down... how long is the ride? what do you get for 10 bucks? If you ask me...I wont either. I will only think its worth it if I get to be up there as long as I liked.

12 Feb 2004

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/phpJgPDMB.jpg

SINGAPORE : Singapore's latest tourist drawcard, a 110-metre tower, opened on Thursday on the Sentosa resort island offering a 360-degree view of the island.

"Sentosa's newest attraction has broad appeal to people of all age groups and offers our guests an interesting perspective from the sky," said Sentosa Leisure Group's chief executive Darrell Metzger at the opening ceremony.

Sentosa Leisure Group manages the resort island, which is popular with locals and foreign tourists and is a 15-minute car ride from the main business district.

The S$6 million Sky Tower has a circle-shaped air-conditioned cabin capable of carrying 72 people on a seven-minute ride 130 metres above sea level for a 360-degree view of the city-state and offshore islands.

Sentosa is undergoing a US$3 billion facelift to boost its appeal and aims to attract at least eight million visitors annually by 2012. - AFP

I wonder how much Calsberg paid for advertising rights! :D

ummm that is ugly... looks like a cheap 60s ferris wheel... anyone got interior pics? like the seats or something... the first pic didnt look big enough to accommodate 72 ppl..

If its ugly, lets pacify ourselves by reminding ourselves that it is a temprary structure! :D

it is? 6-7 million is an awful lot to spend on a temporary thing? might as well spend 20 million and get it permanent and 'correct' and worth people's 10 bucks.

Well...the Eiffel Tower was supposed to be temporary too right? But how much did they end up spending on it? ;)

The problem is people finally got to appreciate the Eiffel, but this one? Hm........ ;)

eiffel is 320 m... this is umm only 110m... and the comparison is really abit ridiculous haha the sentosa sky tower vs eiffel tower

Originally posted by heirloom

eiffel is 320 m... this is umm only 110m... and the comparison is really abit ridiculous haha the sentosa sky tower vs eiffel tower Its purely for entertainment purposes! :D

But seriously lah...the first tower I think of which is supposed to be "temporary" is the one in Paris! ;)

It's an eyesore, but at least it's a functional one!

$10 for six minutes is reasonable, I'd pay to go up there.

Yes it sure loooks ugly, worse than the rendering especially with that ad on it. Still I'll like to go up once for the view:cheers:

Originally posted by savethewtc

It's an eyesore, but at least it's a functional one!

$10 for six minutes is reasonable, I'd pay to go up there. Approximately US$6 for a 6 minute view is considered reasonable? Just remember the returns you get per dollar is not even constant, since we wonder if the time includes it going up and down! :D

For a bird's eye view of S'pore, visit Sky Tower

By Glenys Sim

SENTOSA opened its latest tourist attraction, the 28-storey high Sky Tower, yesterday, with adult visitors paying $10 for a 360-degree view of Singapore island. Sitting in a disc-shaped cabin, their initial view was that of a forest. As the cabin glided slowly up a column, dense clumps of buildings came into sight.

As the cabin revolved, the sea port with its cranes and containers became visible. The chatter among reporters, given a preview of the attraction yesterday, grew louder as familiar landmarks were spotted. On a clear day, the eye can see as far as the Indonesian Riau islands and Desaru in Johor.

Because the cabin moves at a hardly discernible pace, only the changing scenery would make one realise that it was revolving as it climbed upwards for 110 metres. The ride is quite unlike that on Britain's London Eye, which has often been compared to a giant ferris wheel.

Said Mr Geoffrey Toppings, 67, a British tourist who also took a ride yesterday: 'Unlike the Eye, this one rotates and so you don't have to walk around to see everything. It's brilliant and worth the $10.' Children aged three to 12 pay $6.

After the media tour, Mr Darrell Metzger, the chief executive of Sentosa Leisure Group, told reporters that Sentosa hopes the $6 million attraction and others planned in the $30 million makeover of the resort island will attract 4.5 million visitors in the next financial year starting this April 1.

This is a target higher than the record 4.2 million visitors Sentosa looks set to achieve this financial year, despite Sars and terrorism fears.

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2004-02-13/P3A_0213.jpg

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2004-02-13/P3B_0213.jpg
As the cabin glides 110m skywards, visitors can enjoy a 360-degree view of Singapore and the surrounding islands. -- PHOTOS: JOYCE FANG

it looks like an old bus from the inside... the windows look huge from outside but seem to be very a bit too high from the inside?

Originally posted by heirloom

it looks like an old bus from the inside... the windows look huge from outside but seem to be very a bit too high from the inside? I would have tot height would be the all-important factor in this regard? Nothing is too high! :D

Hmm..the view looks very promising..definitely worth a try at least once!

I just realised something...if the thing rotates, and you just need to sit down to enjoy the view...then maybe we can easily take 360 degree panos without much of an effort?? :colgate:

:rofl:

You know where you need to go:angel1:

But $10 is stil hefty, plus u still need to pay for the stupid admission charge to the island....bah!! :bleep: :D

Originally posted by huaiwei

I would have tot height would be the all-important factor in this regard? Nothing is too high! :D

nono.. i mean the windows look like they're very high.. like umm the base of the window is someone's neck.. not very nice for viewing?

Dosent look like it in that picture...unless, of coz, if you are kinda short? :D

if you look at the pic again you can see the bottom of the window is up to the fat angmoh woman's neck

Originally posted by heirloom

if you look at the pic again you can see the bottom of the window is up to the fat angmoh woman's neck But I dont see any fat angmoh woman...

seeeee? http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2004-02-13/P3A_0213.jpg

Looks like all of them are male?

ummm the one 'closest to you' is femalei think..

Originally posted by heirloom

ummm the one 'closest to you' is femalei think.. Err.....even then, dont u understand perspectives in the picture? He/she is in the foreground, the window is in the background................:bash:

I hate the ad.Hope they'll remove it.

The pod is so crammed!

Originally posted by redstone

I hate the ad.Hope they'll remove it.

The pod is so crammed! Ahh....lets jus wait for clearer pictures first before we comment about the interior shall we? ;)

Originally posted by huaiwei

Err.....even then, dont u understand perspectives in the picture? He/she is in the foreground, the window is in the background................:bash:

well it stilll looks too high...

Originally posted by heirloom

well it stilll looks too high... Just admit that you are short lah....:D

:bash:

LOL..whatever it is, huaiwei shouldnt have a problem in that department!:colgate:

Originally posted by RafflesCity

LOL..whatever it is, huaiwei shouldnt have a problem in that department!:colgate: precisely why I fail to appreciate heirloom's concerns? :D

Oh well..people come in all shapes and sizes!:colgate:

Then again, I still feel its a perspective problem....the picture clearly shows that the height of the window is higher when seen in the background! :D

oh well maybe there is... someone should go pay the 10 bucks and tell if its worth it and it the windows are too high for me or nto.

Originally posted by heirloom

oh well maybe there is... someone should go pay the 10 bucks and tell if its worth it and it the windows are too high for me or nto. But it dosent make sense for me to do it since my height is hardly representative of the rest of you? :D

UGH stop showing off your height!:bash: how tall are you anyway? you can just draw a line at the 158 cm mark on your shirt, and maybe 20 cm down to mark the end of my head, and see if i'm too short for the 10 bucks to be worth its vlaue

Originally posted by heirloom

UGH stop showing off your height!:bash: how tall are you anyway? you can just draw a line at the 158 cm mark on your shirt, and maybe 20 cm down to mark the end of my head, and see if i'm too short for the 10 bucks to be worth its vlaue Wahahaa!! I tot my height is open knowledge by now..........

i dunno leh?

Originally posted by heirloom

i dunno leh? Make a guess? Hahaha!!

huh... imagine how many posts i can accummulate just by guessing.... 178.00000239?

Originally posted by heirloom

huh... imagine how many posts i can accummulate just by guessing.... 178.00000239? What a lame attempt...its more then that. :D

I estimate huaiwei to be 1.8m tall.

Anyway the Sentosa Sky Tower can be spotted very faintly from top of the Swissotel.

Come to think of it....heir can make a better estimate now sine he has seen me in real life :D

true but different people might give different estimates relative to their viewpoints :D

Wahaha....whatever the case, I am waiting for his estimate :D

ummmmmmm 185?

I was so amazed... within few months... or weeks... they actually finished building the tower....

I was so amazed... within few months... or weeks... they actually finished building the tower....
Just imagine it as an oversized theme park machine, and you will realise why it is done so quickly! :D

Any shots of the Sky Tower?

It looks really amazing from the HabourFront.

But I hate the green ad at the pod.And it is too crammed.

you already been there?

Me?

No.

The closest I've been is viewing it from the HabourFront Centre.

I wonder who will be the first guinea pig...:D

will anyone in this thread actually dare to try the reverse bungy jumping thing?

will anyone in this thread actually dare to try the reverse bungy jumping thing?
I once said I wont, and I my decision has not changed one bit. :D

Here's the viewing tower taken from Harbourfront centre (6/7/04):

http://img73.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ylstan03/Miscelleneous/DSCN16171.jpg

Looks very surreal.

hrm.. looks tall. ok i might pay to go on it.

Looks much slimmer and better in that pic! But still its too plain...

Hope they'll strip the ugly green ad off the pod.

I think paying S$10 for this is a bit expensive.....:yes:

didn't know 110m could look that tall :!

I dunno but I kind of find it redundant since you already have the Cable Car view and the Sentosa merlion, plus we are already building the Singapore Flyer.

ANyway its plain obvious that this tower alone is not gonna totally rejuvenate Sentosa.