VivoCity


VivoCity is a large shopping mall in the HarbourFront precinct of Bukit Merah in Singapore. It was designed by the Japanese architect Toyo Ito. Its name is derived from the word :wiktionary:vivacity|vivacity. According to Mapletree chairman Edmund Cheng, VivoCity "evokes a lifestyle experience that is modern, stimulating and accessible to everyone, a place bubbling with energy and flowing with vitality". In December 2016, VivoCity was recognized by Forbes as one of the top shopping malls in Singapore.

History

VivoCity was built on the site of the exhibition halls of the former World Trade Centre in June 2003. It has of gross floor area and of retail space, larger than Suntec City and Ngee Ann City. It was designed by the renowned Japanese architect Toyo Ito. Mapletree Investments, a subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, is the developer of the S$417 million complex.

Official opening

The shopping mall opened officially on 1 December 2006 after a topping-out ceremony on 18 April and a soft launch on 7 October that year. The official opening included a six-minute fireworks display, a concert by American band String Theory for the general public, and a Stefanie Sun concert at the mall's amphitheatre at the Sky Park on the third floor. The guest of honour of the event was chairman of Temasek Holdings and former cabinet minister S Dhanabalan. During its first month of opening, it attracted 4.2 million visitors, equivalent to the population of Singapore, and attracted 7.28 million visitors in total before the grand opening. The String Theory concert included a giant harp with strings stretching to the third floor of the mall. The concert was held at The Promenade and lasted ten days, from 1 to 10 December. Barricades were put at the boardwalk blocking the front portion of the boardwalk which is facing the Keppel Harbour. CISCO auxiliary police were deployed for the opening, with the food court on the third floor and the whole Sky Park closed to the public for the day. Parts of the car park were closed for the invited guests as well. A giant projection screen was put at the main entrance of the mall; this screen was to show the concert of Stefanie Sun.

Countdown and tenancy changes

VivoCity served as the official venue for the live televised countdown to the new year, instead of Sentosa as in previous years.
The 2007 Countdown, held from 31 December 2006 to 1 January 2007, was held at the rooftop amphitheatre and included performances by well-known homegrown artists from Mediacorp Channel 5 and 8, as well as the Top 11 finalists of the second season of Singapore Idol.
The 2008 Countdown, held from 31 December 2007 to 1 January 2008, which showcased Taufik Batisah, Daren Tan Sze Wei and the Deal Or No Deal girls in addition to artists from Channel 5 and 8. Before the actual countdown party, fans were treated to a 50-minute showcase for the solo and group winners of the Channel 5 talent competition "Live The Dream", as well as performances by the other finalists of that competition.
The 2009 Countdown, from 31 December 2008 to 1 January 2009 was held. This time it was for the artists from Channel 8 and U instead of those from Channel 5. Since then, Channel 5 will hold its Countdown from The Float at Marina Bay.
It also held the following countdowns for the year of 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, but since 2013 it was stopped.
In July 2018, VivoCity launched a new Basement 1 extension mall spanning 3,000 square metres, which houses ten brands across fashion, athleisure and lifestyle categories. Notable brands includes FILA, adidas, New Era, and Xiaomi. The new B1 extension is accessible via a new escalator lobby, Lobby R, situated right next to the Kopitiam food court.
Giant, Cold Storage and Guardian previously leased a space under Vivomart brand before moving out on 17 February 2019. The space is now occupied by FairPrice Xtra on 16 July 2019.
In January 2019, the library@harbourfront, was also opened, permanently replacing TEMT and briefly replacing Daiso and The Pet Safari, out of which they were closed down by March 2018. The Library @ HarbourFront replaces the Bukit Merah Public Library, and it is located at level 3. It is the biggest library to be located within the mall. The name keeps in line with the tourist libraries such as Chinatown, Orchard and Esplanade, together with the flagship library at Bugis. Daiso eventually reopened in the mall on 15 January 2020 but as a smaller outlet located at level 2 while The Pet Safari moved to the area where Timezone was operating with the arcade moving down to level 2 beside Daisoo

Facilities

VivoCity's iconic architecture sets it apart from the traditional box format of many existing retail developments in the region as it includes event spaces, al fresco dining by the 300 m long Promenade and a large roof-top amphitheatre. The Sky Park has been a popular place for all walks of life since its opening. The Play Court and the open spaces in the mall are popular with families and children. The Promenade and the entrance area with the water features a popular place for children to play in. The wading pool on the third floor is where many children play at besides the Play Court downstairs. The Sky Park has an Amphitheatre and was where the grand opening was held. It is also a place popular to view Sentosa. Some hold picnics in the mall's outdoor space as well. VivoCity's design allows it to accommodate over 300 tenants, including many new-to-market brands and retail concepts.
As one of the venues of the inaugural Singapore Biennale in 2006, several commissioned art pieces from established designers around the world were unveiled in VivoCity. It is the only venue of the Singapore Biennale where the exhibits are permanent. An international student design contest was recently held to find a design for incorporation into the architecture of VivoCity; it received 365 submissions.
There is a car park with a total of 2,179 lots and a loading and unloading bay. The car parks are located in basements 1 and 2 as well as from levels 2 to 7. There is also a Rooftop carpark on top of level 7. Also, there is a coach and tour buses bay in the mall.
An outdoor pedestrian bridge on level 2 linking to St James Power Station. Additionally air-con walkways also connects to the HarbourFront Centre.

Transportation

The terminal of the Sentosa Express monorail is located on level 3 and is known as VivoCity station. It was officially opened on 15 January 2007. There is a bus stop in front of VivoCity, connecting it to Resorts World Sentosa. The linkway at basement 2 and level 1 connects to HarbourFront MRT station and HarbourFront Bus Interchange.
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