Like Father, Like Son
The counterpart to Kenzo Tange’s One Raffles Place Tower One in Singapore’s Central Business District has now been completed. Designed in a partnership between Kenzo’s son Paul Noritaka Tange of Tange Associates and SAA Architects, the sparkling form erupts from the urban scene, taking the diagonal planes of its crystalline external arrangement from the spacing of the windows in its partner building. One Raffles Place Tower Two is a highly sustainable building, successfully achieving the Singapore Building and Construction Authority Green Mark Platinum Award, the highest rating for sustainable design in the region. A number of green building materials have been utilized in the structure, with energy-saving light fittings, photovoltaic panels, efficient central air conditioning systems and motion sensors reducing the energy demands of the building. SAA and Tange Associates have taken the dense urban location into account during the design process as Yeo Siew Haip, SAA Managing Director, explains: “We believe that architecture goes beyond aesthetics. The design should add value to the urban environment. With its strategic location in the existing Central Business District One Raffles Place Tower Two injects a new form of urban energy at streetscape level. The overall design strategy for One Raffles Place Tower Two is to produce a landmark that not only rejuvenates Singapore’s changing cityscape but also create a pleasurable working environment for its users.” The commercial tower continues to impact the Singapore skyline after nightfall as its façade is illuminated by an LED lighting system. The large panes of glass which define the structure’s 38 storeys light up in horizontal fashion, creating a new beacon for the Central Business District which the architects hope ‘further catalyses the transformation of the existing downtown core into a vibrant global business hub’.
SAA Architects