General Construction News

Yes Huawei ! it's very beautiful buiding..Thank you so much
and thank you for your information As well...Rafflescity

[RafflesCity]

One Marina Boulevard:
21st August 2003

[huaiwei]

Something different:





Terminal 3's Roof Is First Of Its Kind In The World

Singapore Changi Airport's Terminal 3 will have a flat but intriguing roof consisting of many skylights allowing natural light into the terminal building. The roof will limit the amount of direct sunlight into the building through the use of louvres suspended above and below the skylights, filling Terminal 3 with diffused, ambient light during the day. At night, artificial light bounced off the ceiling creates a soothing and comfortable environment for passengers. This unique feature of Terminal 3 will also be seen by passengers waiting to collect their bags at the baggage claim hall.



Passengers using Terminal 3 can expect to move around with ease and minimum dependence on signages. This is possible as Terminal 3 will adopt a see-through layout concept, making it easier for travellers to orientate themselves. This is part of the four guiding principles adopted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) when designing Terminal 3, namely, clarity, natural lighting, external views and maintainability.



Terminal 3 and its associated works will cost S$1.5 billion. It will add a capacity of 20 million passengers a year, bringing the total capacity of Changi Airport to 64 million passengers till the year 2020. When opened in 2006, Terminal 3 will add another 28 aerobridge gates to Changi Airport, with up to eight that will be designed to handle the new generation of large aircraft, the A380.



A View of construction works in progress:

[huaiwei]

State-of-the-Art Baggage Handling System

When Singapore Changi Airport's Terminal 3 opens in 2006, it will have a S$121 million state-of-the-art baggage handling system that will enhance Changi Airport's position as an aviation hub in the region. The fully-automated baggage system will include a high-speed inter-terminal baggage transfer system and an automated early bag storage facility.

A key feature of the new baggage handling system is a high-speed inter-terminal baggage transfer system. Baggage of transfer passengers making connections at different terminals will be transported individually through underground tunnels at a speed of 7m/s. This means it will take only about three minutes for a bag to be transported from one terminal to the other.

The baggage handling system will also have an automated early baggage storage system, where bags that are checked-in early or transfer bags with long connection times are stored. Besides allowing for automatic bag storage and retrieval, the system is also able to automatically update changes in flight itinerary of passengers and thus discharge the bags to the right connecting flights. The new baggage system will also have an integrated multi-level baggage security screening system to automatically screen bags.

The baggage handling system in Terminal 3 will also be able to support the operations of new large aircraft, such as the Airbus A380. Of the eight baggage claim belts in Terminal 3's Arrival Hall, four are designed to support the new large aircraft.

Work on the new baggage handling system will begin in the last quarter of 2003 and is expected to be completed in 2005.

[huaiwei]

New Automated People Mover system to link Changi Airport's three Terminals

Passengers making inter-terminal flight connections at Singapore Changi Airport will find it a breeze even after Terminal 3 opens in 2006. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is installing a new S$135 million Automated People Mover System to make transfers between the three terminals convenient and seamless.

The new Automated People Mover System will comprise of ten train services linking the three terminals through 6.5 kilometres of elevated train tracks. The new system will have a total of seven train stations: two stations in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 respectively and three stations in Terminal 3.

The new trains will come equipped with LCD screens in the cabins, giving flight information and other airport information. The cabins will also have more vertical stanchions and handholds, as well as designated areas for baggage trolleys, enhancing the convenience of users. There will also be plasma TV displays at the train stations to inform passengers of the arrival time of the next train.

Work on the new Automated People Mover System will begin in December 2002 and is expected to be completed in 2006

[huaiwei]

The new National Library building will serve as an enduring CIVIC INSTITUTION with a distinct character, reflecting Singapore's multicultural heritage, a LEARNING PLACE FOR PEOPLE with an open, hospitable and conducive research and learning environment.

The new National Library building consists of two blocks that are separated by a day-lit internal street and connected by bridges at the upper levels. The larger block contains the collections and sits over an open-to-the-sky naturally ventilated civic plaza, with promises of 'outdoor' events and cafés.

The division of the building into two halves presents the library culture as being more fun, and projects the National Library as an urban motivator for civic activities, and a "place for the people".




Perspective from corner of Victoria Street and Middle Road


Perspective from corner of North Bridge Road and Middle Road


Perspective from corner of North Bridge Road and Middle Road


Information Centre at Atrium


Cafe and Event Plaza


The Main Entrance

[huaiwei]

Knowledge is fast emerging as a key driver of wealth. In the 21st century, the challenge is in our ability to do things faster and in more creative and innovative ways. Creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship will be the key factors that impact competitiveness and success.

The new Library will thus be designed as a unique modern state-of-the-art Library that meets the challenges of the 21st century with the power to inform, educate and entertain. The Library will serve as an ideal library with modern facilities and a unique and rich collection that nourishes the citizenry with information and knowledge that inspires discovery, exploration, adoption and learning.

In this context, the Library will serve as a centre for research especially on business, science, culture and heritage attracting scholars from all over the world to produce excellent research output. It will support planning and decision-making and inspire the young and old, the generalist and specialist, in the pursuit of their personal and professional aspirations.

As an enduring civic institution with a distinct character reflecting Singapore's multicultural heritage and its aspiration to be a learning nation, the Library will capture the past as a legacy for future generations, allow people to enjoy the present and experience the future.

Our dream is for the new Library to support the advancement and well being of Singapore and its people in the knowledge economy through convenient access to information. At the same time, we hope to serve as a gateway between the East and the West, facilitating information flow and exchange across borders. Strong connections will be established with libraries and information providers around the world to provide access to a rich array of information. The high tech high touch nature of the library is designed to attract people into the physical library spaces and at the same time encourage them to experience the wonders of the physical world in a virtual library space.



The tagline for the new National Library is:

KNOWLEDGE · IMAGINATION · POSSIBILITY

The tagline embodies the spirit of the new National Library: a place where users tap a wealth of knowledge, ignite their imagination and experience a world of possibility. Knowledge affects the person at every level: at the individual level, organizational level, community level and national level. Knowledge triggers the imagination. Imagination kindles hope, and hope inspires possibility.



In line with the National Library's vision of being a gateway to international information resources, new and expanded services and collections will have to put in place to support this vision. With the rapid growth in collections and services, there is a need for a building with more space to house the expanded resources.

At the same time, the site of the present National Library building at Stamford Road had been earmarked for other development purposes, requiring a new site to be identified to re-locate the building.

[huaiwei]

Feedback from Civic Groups

NLB believes that the development of the new National Library building should be in the spirit of a place for the people, a library for all. From its collections to its services and facilities, the library should be developed with the needs of all Singaporeans in mind.

To this end, in May 1999 NLB set up seven civic groups representing the disabled, older persons, young people, community self-help groups, and the business, arts and research communities to gather feedback on the kinds of services and facilities they would like to have in the new library.

In addition, members of the public were also invited to give their feedback through NLB's website, as well as through the completion of feedback forms placed at the libraries.

The feedback gathered from the civic groups was used as an important input in shaping the library building and its services. This ensures that the new National Library building will be a bonafide place for the people as it is developed based on the needs of the people.

Final Report of the Civic Groups for the New National Library Building (completed 4 Jul 2000) - Summary of Findings

Objective
To gather feedback from representative civic groups on the kind of services and facilities the public would like to have in the new National Library.

The Seven Civic Groups
The seven civic groups had in total 68 members with each group comprising 5 to 23 members. Members were from all walks of life and were selected by individual groups' chairpersons to represent the broadest spectrum of the community that each group belonged to.

Disabled
Mr Alex Lee
Former CEO, National Council of Social Services

Older Persons
Mr Gerard Ee
Chairman, National Committee for International Year of the Older Persons

Young People
Assoc Prof Vivian Balakrishnan
Medical Director,
Singapore National Eye Centre

Community / Self-help
Mr Sumardi Ali
Chief Executive Officer,
Yayasan Mendaki

Business
Mr Patrick Daniel
Editor,
Business Times

Arts
Assoc Prof Bernard Tan
Board Member of National Arts Council and Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Researchers
Mr Arun Mahizhnan
Deputy Director,
Institute of Policy Studies

The seven civic groups were formed in May 1999.

Methodology
Varied approaches were used to obtain feedback from the seven civic groups. Some of the groups conducted surveys while others held discussions with their members and related organizations and agencies. The Young People's Civic Group invited student representatives from schools all over Singapore to a school hall for a presentation on the new National Library building, and used the occasion to gather feedback from the students.

Summary of Feedback and Possible Action Areas

Collections

The public would like to see greater breadth and depth in the collections. They asked for more materials specific to the needs of different communities, for example, audio books and large print books for the disabled and elderly persons, as well as enhanced collections for the different ethnic groups in Singapore. There was also interest in expanded electronic resources, such as e-books, digitized materials and electronic databases.

In addition to expanded collection breadth and depth, the public would like the National Library to:

• Be a repository of national memory, housing unpublished local materials and records (eg original local manuscripts, posters and old programmes for plays).
• Engage Advisory Committees to help NLB select relevant materials.
• Collaborate with other bodies such as arts institutions and museums for co-operative access to resources.
• Be a centre for personal collections of prominent Singaporeans.

Possible action areas identified from the feedback include the following:

• Provide access to up-to-date, authoritative, timely and relevant multi-lingual information resources in all formats to a wide range of users.
• Focus on Singapore, Arts and Business in terms of collections at the New National Library, supplemented by a core encyclopaedic collection.
• Seek expert inputs in collection development from other institutions, organizations and individuals.
• Work closely with suppliers and vendors, including non-commercial publishers.
• Obtain feedback from focus groups such as the civic groups and the language advisory panels.

Services

In the area of services, the groups articulated the following possibilities:

• The new National Library to support other learning institutions such as Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore and polytechnics by purchasing relevant reference books to cater to their clientele's needs.
• Collaborate with other associations such as the Singapore Association for the Deaf and National Volunteer Centre to provide services.
• Provide special services for specific communities such as page turning devices and voice synthesizers for the disabled.
• Provide grants, materials, resources and related facilities to organizations rendering community or learning services.
• Leverage customers as a resource:
  - Customers as service providers eg "Young Friends Club" where -the younger generation can mentor older persons.
  - Liaisons with practitioners in developing services and collections.
  - Provide training in information searching skills.
• NLB to act as a medium of exchange between parties, eg between the business community and the academia.
• Provide specialist services with focus on specific areas such as Singapore history, the arts, etc.

Possible action areas for services include the following:

• Offer distinctive services in addition to the core services of information research and reference, eg creation of a virtual library collection like the "American Memory" project by the Library of Congress, establishing the National Library as a research hub in ASEAN and an information gateway to provide connectivity to major libraries and institutions in the regions.
• Formulate strategies to promote the service philosophy of the new National Library as a "Place for the People" and a "Library for All", eg:
  - Offering free access to materials via an open-shelf concept for the bulk of the collections.
  - Putting in place state-of-the-art technologies to provide effective and sophisticated service delivery mechanisms.
  - Linking with other networks throughout the world through co-operative arrangements with other major libraries.
  - Collaborating with external organizations and businesses to leverage their resources, expertise and strengths.

Programmes

Suggestions arising from the feedback gathered from the groups include:

• Partnerships with other organizations (eg schools, National Archives, societies) and libraries in the development, promotion and organization of programmes.
• Courses, talks and events covering a wider range of topics.

Taking into account the feedback collected, the direction of programming in the new National Library will be three-pronged:

• Promotion of library collections and resources.
• Community outreach to draw people to the library.
• Partnerships with other organizations.

Ultimately, programmes developed will complement the research and reference focus of the National Library and reflect the broadest possible expression of our national culture.

Facilities

Access, both physical and virtual, were core issues. Suggestions included the following:

• Internet access to be readily available and at affordable rates.
• Ease of access within the library by the disabled with provision of disabled-friendly elevators and aisles for the physically challenged, talking lifts for the visually challenged, and flashing light alarms for the learning impaired.
• Ease of access to the library with provision of shuttle services for older persons and the disabled.
• Facilities to promote interaction and collaboration in conducive environments, eg discussion rooms, comfortable outdoor rooms, informal meeting spaces such as cafes, tea-houses.
• Facilities for private study and contemplation, eg cybercafes, private study booths or study rooms, enclosed reading spaces under trees and near to water in landscaped terraces.
• Facilities to promote the arts, eg Black Box, auditorium, and art galleries.

These have been taken into consideration in articulating the design principle to the architects.

[huaiwei]

The new National Library will house the reference and research collection with focus in areas such as business, the arts, and the national languages, special and donor collections and Singapore Heritage Library and Singapore Collection.



The new National Library will offer a myriad of facilities:

• A regional library
• Conference and meeting rooms
• Open plaza for performances, events, programmes
• Exhibition hall/gallery
• Computer training lab
• Retail spaces such as café and library shop
• Generous open landscape throughout the building for outdoor interaction and reading
• Car park

Information Filter
The Information Filter on the ground level functions as the first point of call for the information seeker requiring help.

Café, Library Shop and Retail
The café will have an informal and lively atmosphere that promotes interaction amongst library patrons. It would play an important role in enriching the ambience of the library as a conducive place for reading, leisure, continual self-improvement, relaxation and reflection. The culture and atmosphere to be promoted should be eminently informal. Users should be able to mingle, interact with their friends and to hangout in the Café. This should be a place to be in and be seen in. The café could also become a venue for intimate programmes such as poetry recitals, book club meetings, etc.

There will be a retail component that will be linked to the core business of the library: information and research services; the promotion of reading; the expansion of the nation's learning capacity.



The site is bordered by Victoria Street on the northwest, Middle Road on the northeast, North Bridge Road on the southeast and Bain Street on the southwest.

The site lies on the periphery of the civic and cultural district and is at the edge of the planned entertainment district. It is within walking distance from both the City Hall and Bugis Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations. It has good accessibility and is well served by buses plying the busy traffic corridors of North Bridge Road and Victoria Street.



Area
The exact site area is 11,304 square metres while the gross floor area is about 58,783 square metres.

Number of Levels
It is a 16-storey building with an observatory pod on the rooftop. There will also be three basement levels.



Launch of Community Projects - 11 Aug 2001
Ground Breaking Ceremony - 30 October 2001
Completion of Construction - December 2004
Opening of National Library@SINGAPORE - September 2005



The roots of the National Library go back in time to the 1820s:

1823 Singapore's first library started as a private subscription library in the Singapore Institution founded by Sir Stamford Raffles (subsequently renamed the Raffles Institution).
1862 The Library moved to the Town Hall (now Victoria Theatre).
1874 The Government took over the Library and renamed it "Raffles Library and Museum". This was moved to a new building along Stamford Road (the present National Museum).
1955 The Library was separated from the Raffles Museum.
1958 The Library was renamed Raffles National Library.
1960 Existing Library at Stamford Road was opened and renamed "National Library".

The National Library at Stamford Road has seen a number of changes and extensions over the past 40 years.

1964 The Southeast Asian Room was opened by Mr S. Rajaratnam, Minister for Culture.
1965 A new Business, Scientific and Technical Section of the Reference Division was opened.
1971 Extension to Southeast Asian Room and 5 library stacks was completed.
1983 The National Library celebrated its Silver Jubilee. The Arts Resource Centre in the Reference Division of the Central Library at Stamford Road was opened.

In 1997, two years after the National Library Board was formed as a Statutory Board, the building was closed for upgrading. It re-opened in 1998, becoming the first public library in Singapore to have a café within its premises. Its courtyard has also become synonymous with a wide range of programmes, such as poetry recitals, book launches, cultural events and talks.

[RafflesCity]

The National Library looks awesome!
Have you taken any construction shots of it?

[huaiwei]

Not yet. In fact, all along I tot it was just a 10 storey building not worth my time to take pictures. Then strangely, the website says its 16 storeys. I will hv to go down to the site to see the info board for myself!

You have not seen the site youself?

[RafflesCity]

I have, but the last time it was just all fenced up. I'm wondering if theres any progress.

[huaiwei]

There definitely is. In fact, you can see the progress on the live webcam here!

http://202.172.240.235/wc-videoall.html

[RafflesCity]

Cool webcam! That will come in handy when I am bored

btw theres a tall apartment building u/c next to Novena Square, and a couple of others near Newton too.

[huaiwei]

Yeah I noe....but I cant hotlink the pictures because more and more developers are using flash instead. Grrr....

[huaiwei]

From a post by raff in another thread about the T3 project:

A rendering and information from SOM's website

This new airline terminal completes a multi-phase masterplan that began in the 1970's. The form of this phase is intended to be compatible with the existing terminal while simultaneously yielding a unique experience.

In evaluating the design requirements for T3, it became evident that there needed to be a clearer hierarchy of spaces within the terminal. In order to achieve this goal, SOM designed a feature roof that spans the Ticketing Hall and Departure Hall. Comparatively, the surrounding landscaped roofs covering the concourses and ancillary spaces linking the existing terminals are lower and less articulated.

A system of louvers both above and below the feature roof baffles the tropical sunlight admitted through the skylights. These louvers limit the amount of direct light on the terminal floor and allow the space to be filled with diffused, ambient light. The careful positioning of louvers gives the ceiling a soft, organic character. The lightweight, perforated aluminum composite panels benefit the acoustics of the space while reflecting both natural and artificial light. The louvers are supported by a system of cables that also helps stabilize the roof trusses.

The total structure consists of 220m long by 4m deep steel truss-supported roof with cable bracing and tension-net point-fixed glass fa�e. The light modulation system contains 1,100 skylights and 215,000 cable-supported perforated aluminum louvers. Due to its size, scale and articulation, the roof's effect is quite atmospheric.

[huaiwei]

New Supreme Court Building



Our vision for the new Supreme Court building is to create a courthouse that will equip Singapore's legal system for the demands of the 21st century and enable the Supreme Court to take on the increasing challenges and to further enhance our quality of service to the public.

Architectural design

To achieve our vision, Lord Norman Foster, world-renowned architect, and his team of architects from Foster and Partners, have been appointed to design the new building. A distinguished and eminent Design Advisory Panel gives guidance and advice at each stage of the project. The building's architectural vocabulary and the design of its public spaces will convey an image of dignity, history, judicial symbolism, transparency, accessibility and the dispensation of justice - qualities representative of Singapore's legal system.

The new Supreme Court building is due for completion at the end of 2004. It will house courtrooms ranging in size from 120 m2 to 250 m2, together with associated offices and related spaces, such as an auditorium, a library, as well as commercial space. The design of the building will be flexible enough to allow for future advances and expansion of courtrooms, administrative or commercial usage. The building will be connected to the historical Supreme Court by an underground tunnel.

The surrounding urban fabric plays a major role in determining the form of the new Supreme Court building. The design takes its cue from the scale of the adjacent buildings in order to ensure a seamless urban integration and to promote interconnectivity with neighbouring sites such as the Parliament House, the City Hall, The Treasury and The Adelphi.

Instead of creating a single monolithic form, the new Supreme Court building has been broken down into separate blocks, in order to create public routes through the site. The blocks are separated by two light wells, and a central atrium, which contains escalators providing access to the criminal and civil courts. The atrium brings filtered daylight into all the public spaces together with voids cut into the ground floor to allow daylight to reach into the subterranean accommodation.

The four central blocks house the criminal and civil courts. Flanking these are four administrative blocks, which are stepped back at ground level to create a sheltered passage along the street front. The administrative blocks and the commercial accommodation are unified by a large roof supported on pillars that create a colonnade around three sides of the building.

The Court of Appeal will occupy the highest part of the building, and is symbolically raised above the legal and civil courts in a dramatic metal disc that responds to the dome of the existing Supreme Court building. The two-storey disc contains a public viewing platform, with dramatic views across the city and Marina Bay.

The ground floor contains a restaurant, and a library, a café and a fitness centre on the lower ground floor. The two basement levels contain car parking and plant equipment, holding cells for accused persons and an auditorium.

As the building is overlooked by tall buildings, its roof - or fifth elevation - is visually very important. The roofs of the office blocks will be planted with 3-metre-high trees with flat outstretched boughs to create a continuous blanket of greenery.



Information Technology within building

Within the building, state-of-the-art technology will feature strongly. There will be extensive wireless facilities throughout the courthouse with electronic presentation facilities in the courtrooms and conference rooms. A multi-media recording system will allow for the recording of court proceedings by way of a digital video recording system to produce a 3-tier audio, visual and textual record of proceedings together with infrastructure and technologies to support real time transcription of notes of evidence of court proceedings. Information kiosks will be fully interactive, with video walls and television monitors at public areas to provide easy access to information, high-speed network for broadband/video-streaming applications and extension of video-conferencing facilities to the desktop. There will be mobile commerce infrastructure to support mobile information services and mobile transactions, together with new business applications like data warehouse of case repositories with data mining capabilities and other intelligent systems.

Finally, the building will have a sophisticated environmental management system as well as state-of-the-art and user-friendly security features.

[RafflesCity]

The new supreme court looks really futuristic!
Very Norman Foster indeed...and a nice contrast to the old one.

[huaiwei]

Originally posted by RafflesCity

The new supreme court looks really futuristic!
Very Norman Foster indeed...and a nice contrast to the old one.

For some reason I hate that disk. I tot I saw it on the Expo MRT station too??

[renell]

79 replies. nice job, especially for a 3-man group.
so is One Raffles Quay the only scraper going up?