Floating “Crystal Pavillions” alongside iconic National Landmarks
A pair of asymmetric steel-framed glass buildings with irregular angled facades emerges from the
heart of Singapore’s Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade.
Country
Singapore
Category
Commericial (Retail)
Floor Level
2-3 storeys (Internal)
Site Area
2,323sq m Louis Vuitton | 1,486sq m Avalon
Building Type
Stand-Alone Floating Structure
Project Team
Safdie Architects | AEDAS | AGFD
INTRO
Designed by Safdie Architects as part of the Marina Bay complex, the “Crystal Pavillions” surfaces at both ends of the Marina Bay Outdoor Event Plaza.
Both “Crystals” are home to Louis Vuitton’s, luxury fashion brand concept store & the world-famous nightclub, Avalon.
(Update: 2020, Avalon was converted to Apple’s Concept Store.)
CONCEPT
Gems
The Gems’ geometric forms animate the views from the promenade, reflecting views of the sky, city, and water during the day, and transforming to glow as dramatically lit beacons by night.
Access
Both Gems are directly linked to the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) retail mall through the Promenade Bridges or Underwater Tunnels.
Hat
Much like a faceted-stone, frameless double glass units (DGU) encases the gems. The seamless glass roof planes were designed to camouflage rain gutters along the side of the gems for proper drainage.
The gem’s planes extend down from glass to stainless steel submerged in water, forming a “skirt” base, capturing Safdie Architect’s “floating” design intent. High-performance specialist fixings were developed by both Facade engineers & AGFD to secure the pavilions’ facade integrity & stability as it absorbs significant impact from changing tide levels in the Marina Bay.
OUR VALUE-ADD
As Façade design consultants, we led the construction team to develop & execute the Architect’s high design requirements for the Pavilion’s skin.
From Hat to Skirt, the team ensured tight-knit tolerances between all surfaces and joints to complement the Gems’ pristine structure.
AWARDS
Award of Excellence,
AIA New York State
2013
ACEC Gold Award, American Council of Engineering Companies
2012
GreenMark Gold, Building Construction Authority (BCA), Singapore
2012
Presidents Design Award, Singapore
2011
