Lavish decorations on shopping malls in Singapore

Deck the malls...
Christmas would not be the same without the lavish decorations on shopping malls
June Cheong, Straits Times 23 Dec 07;

The mall is decked out with 18,000 pieces of decorative ornaments and strings of pearls which incorporate elements of Victorian and Renaissance styles. The elegant decorations cost $400,000 to produce and set up.

HERE comes Santa Claus. In a styrofoam sleigh.

What is Christmas in any cosmopolitan city without the miles of glittery tinsel, twinkling fairy lights, larger-than-life Nativity scenes and thousands of plastic baubles?

It's no different here.

Every November, retailers and building owners across the island compete to attract year-end shoppers with lavish Christmas decorations.

No theme, locale or era is off-limits as long as the festive trimmings encourage shoppers to gawk, stop and spend.

In 2001, for example, Tangs department store in Orchard Road decided to evoke the spirit of old Shanghai. This year, Paragon went with a lavish Whimsical Christmas theme.

Ms Lau Chuen Wei, executive director of the Singapore Retailers Association, says: 'Building decorations are not just for Christmas now but whatever season or occasion we encounter, like Chinese New Year or Valentine's Day.

'It puts people in a good mood and makes them merrier. People are reminded it's Christmas. But whether that translates into hard sales, I don't know.'

The trend for buildings and malls decking themselves in festive finery started in earnest in the early 1980s.

The incentive came when the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched its now-defunct Best Decorated Building competition in 1984 to coincide with its inaugural Christmas light-up.

At the height of its popularity in 1988, the contest drew 30 entries.

But in 2001, there were only 16 submissions and the plug was pulled on the contest the next year. Despite the competition being called off, the practice of festooning buildings for Christmas had caught on and shopping centres around Singapore still spent between $60,000 and $250,000 to decorate their buildings that year.

The competition was briefly revived by Japanese imaging company Konica Minolta and supported by STB in 2003.

But the rivalry and rush for fir and tinsel among hotels and malls remain entrenched.

Some malls, like Central in Eu Tong Sen Street, which opened in January this year, do so to brand themselves into shoppers' consciousness. Central spent more than $300,000 on its Christmas decorations with the theme A Moonlit Christmas, By The River.

Others like Raffles Hotel and Paragon deck up their facades and interiors to channel the 'spirit of spreading love and joy'.

Ms Ina Se, advertising and promotions manager of Paragon, which spent $400,000 on Christmas decorations this year, says: 'Paragon's signature 40ft Christmas tree has been an iconic highlight over the years and is a good photo opportunity for locals and tourists.'

Then there is plain old tradition for that feel-good family photo. The other Christmas tree stalwart belongs to Takashimaya, which has erected a 15m-tall tree at its atrium for the last 10 Christmases.

A robust economy has also loosened the purse strings of retailers and building owners.

A spokesman for Bugis Junction says that it is spending more than $120,000 on decorations this year, 15 per cent more than last year. Bugis Junction bagged STB's Best Decorated Building award in 2000 and 2001.

And it's not just buildings that get into the spirit of transforming Orchard Road into a brighter, livelier place. This year, the three-year-old charity Celebrate Christmas In Singapore spent $800,000 on its Christmas programmes in the Orchard area which include a large-scale Christmas village in front of Plaza Singapura, five stages, seven floats and a Christmas Day concert.

STB also organises its own Christmas light-up along the 5.6km stretch from Tanglin Road to Raffles Avenue, although it declined to reveal production costs. Its theme this year is A Fairytale Christmas.

With so much to dazzle the senses, it is no wonder that an STB survey last Christmas found that almost 5.3 million people visited the Orchard Road area during that period, of which more than 757,000 were foreign visitors. One in five of those came primarily for the Christmas festivities here.

For those who have yet to make a trip to town to catch the lights, here's LifeStyle's pick of the 10 best decorated buildings.



Let it snow
THE JEWEL BOX
109 Mount Faber Road

-- ST PHOTOS: NG SOR LUAN, DESMOND WEE, SHAHRIYA YAHAYA

Theme: Winter Wonderland

Highlights: A nightly snow show entertains families while the light-up of a 61m-tall white and blue Christmas tree makes for a romantic setting. The choreographed lighting of the tree provides an enchanting spectacle for those seeking a night out with a view.

A spokesman for Mount Faber Leisure Group says: 'The visual landscape of lush conifer trees against a white snowy mountain scene provides a very 'white and wintery' feel.'


Christian scenes
CHRISTMAS VILLAGE
In front of Plaza Singapura

Theme: Christmas Is All About Love

Highlights: The village was created by the charity Celebrate Christmas In Singapore, which was set up in 2004 to organise community events and to 'encourage Singaporeans and foreign guests to spend Christmas here'. The larger-than-life structure features traditional Christian scenes like the three wise men travelling to Bethlehem.

It is part of a $800,000 Christmas extravaganza which culminates in a float parade and concert on Christmas Day. More than 1,000 volunteers from churches here will also put on music and drama performances here until Christmas Day.


Moon river
CENTRAL
6 Eu Tong Sen Street

Theme: A Moonlit Christmas, By The River

Highlights: More than $300,000 was sunk into transforming the mall by the Singapore River into a golden wonderland of baubles and lights which shimmer in the water at night.

Among the highlights are a giant golden Christmas tree comprising baubles of various sizes which 'draw inspiration from bubbles in the water', and ice skating musicals performed by Australian ice- skating champions whom the mall invited here. The creative whizzes behind the project are Mr Andy Goh from outdoor advertising contractor Rich-Art Enterprises and the mall's consultant, Mr John Tong.


Musical fantasy
BUGIS JUNCTION
230 Victoria Street

Theme: Larger Than Life Christmas

Highlights: A giant musical box measuring 3.4m by 3m. Billed as the largest musical box in Singapore, it features a ballerina mannequin on a rotating platform wearing a pearl and diamond tiara worth nearly $14,000 and a diamond-studded corset worth more than $125,000.

The musical box will play Christmas songs throughout the mall's operating hours. A Bugis Junction spokesman says of the more than $120,000 spent on the festive decor: 'The decoration was inspired by the epic fantasy adventure movie The Golden Compass. The idea was to create a fantasy mood for shoppers.'


Whim and fancy
PARAGON
290 Orchard Road

Theme: A Whimsical Christmas

Highlights: The mall is decked out with 18,000 pieces of decorative ornaments and strings of pearls which incorporate elements of Victorian and Renaissance styles.

The elegant decorations cost $400,000 to produce and set up.


Sparkling Christmas
VIVOCITY
1 Harbourfront Walk

Theme: A Sparkling Christmas At VivoCity

Highlights: Beautifully sculpted topiaries of snowmen and reindeer are scattered throughout the mega-mall, and crowning it all is a 101ft-tall artificial Christmas tree at its rooftop Sky Park. Ms Wendy Low, general manager of VivoCity, says: 'This year's theme depicts VivoCity as a 'sparkling' destination in conjunction with its first anniversary.'

Taking 11/2 months to assemble and five days to decorate, the tree is strung with more than 600 baubles and lights and was done by Mr Edward Tang from graphic design firm ModernAge Design & Communications.


Eco friendly decorations
RENDEZVOUS HOTEL
9 Bras Basah Road

Theme: Red And Gold

Highlights: The understated charm of the hotel is underscored by the light Christmas touches of mistletoe and fairylights. The hotel's housekeeping and engineering teams took two weeks and just $5,000 to adorn the lobby. Environmental and cost concerns mean the decorations will be recycled for use in staff areas next year, says a spokesman.


Carrying on with tradition
RAFFLES HOTEL
1 Beach Road

Theme: A Traditional Christmas

Highlights: The 120-year-old hotel prides itself on being elegant, and this applies to its Christmas decorations. The housekeeping department has decked the grand old lady with traditional ornaments like garlands, boughs and bows in red, green and gold. The centrepiece is a 20ft fresh noble fir tree from Oregon in the United States at the lobby. The hotel did not want to reveal how much it spent.


The glitter-ati
THE CENTREPOINT
176 Orchard Road

Theme: A Season Of Glitter And Sparkle

Highlights: Gold leaves and fairy lights wrap the pillars and windows outside the mall while giant pots of Christmas trees speckled with shiny bows and baubles float above shoppers inside.

Mr Raymond Chan, senior manager of advertising and promotions at The Centrepoint, says: 'We added a touch of glitter and sparkle to create and set the mood for shoppers and children alike. We wanted to create a warm ambience and spread the spirit and good cheer of this magical season.'

It took decoration contractors Q's Advertising and Rich-Art Enterprises one week to put up the festive ivy and sparkling lights, which will be recycled and converted for use in future campaigns.


Storytelling by lantern
TANGS ORCHARD
310 & 320 Orchard Road

Theme: The Christmas Story

Highlights: The brainchild of Tangs' marketing and visual merchandising team, the store's Christmas decorations were made locally and took three weeks to set up.

The highlight is a whimsical, graphic depiction of the Nativity story told via an automated rotating lantern. As the various scenes scroll in front of the lantern and screen, the story of the birth of Jesus unfolds. The store's glass panels are also decorated with a stunning stained glass effect.

Ms Lin Pei Hua, senior manager of marketing and communications at Tangs, says: 'Such decor is normally seen only in churches and this represents Tangs' very own story of what Christmas means to a Christian store like Tangs.'


Five quirky photo spots

TIRED of bugles and baubles dotting the Orchard Road landscape? LifeStyle points you to five quirkier spots across the island where you can pose for that magical Christmas photo.

Takashimaya (above)
391 Orchard Road

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And this applies to cheesy poses with the requisite Christmas tree. If you're not sick yet of smiling wanly against a backdrop of fake fir while harassed shoppers bustle in front of you and ruin your shot, aim for the 15m-tall tree.

We recommend an extreme top-down or bottom-up angle. Traditional, yes, but then classic never went out of style.


Anchor Point
370 Alexandra Road

Fairies and pixies take centre stage at this suburban mall whose tribute to Christmas is an impressive two-storey feature wall. With winged fairies and giant potted plants stacked upon one another in dark, wooden shelves, the wall is an enchanting blend of bookish grandeur and secret gardens.

Plus, you can take a picture with good old Santa Claus without the lap-sitting.


Lucky Plaza
304 Orchard Road

Kitsch, tacky and borderline eerie. Six white reindeer? Check. A Santa-less sleigh? Check. The large setpiece, strung up above Lucky Plaza's too-small taxi stand, chills as much as it thrills with its misaligned proportions. American film director David Lynch could not have dreamt up a better Christmas display than the folks at Lucky Plaza.


Singapore Discovery Centre
510 Upper Jurong Road

The 'edutainment' centre gets jiggy with Christmas to appeal to children and the inner child in everyone. Outside is a two-dimensional, 10m-long backdrop of a castle shrouded in snow. So far, so retro. Inside is a cosy Santa corner replete with Santa and fake fireplace.


Singapore Airlines aircraft
In the friendly skies above you

The national carrier is not just a great way to fly but also a festive one. The entire current fleet of 98 planes is decked with mistletoe and holly bunches come Christmas and the $50,000 operation takes two weeks.

A Singapore Airlines spokesman says: 'This process is not an easy one at all, given the tight security at the airport and the very tight schedules the aircraft have when they're not flying.

'Very often it's about close coordination, dispatching a team very quickly and making sure they get the decor up in the shortest possible time.'

RELATED ARTICLES

Hong Kongers Say Bah Humbug to Christmas Lights
PlanetArk 20 Dec 07

$25k Christmas decorations for one Singapore private home
The glow of Xmas at home for $25k
Tiffany Ong, Straits Times 22 Dec 07;