A total of 64 teams had responded to the Government's call for ideas on revamping the Rail Corridor, including two special interest areas in Choa Chu Kang and the former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.
Channel NewsAsia 20 May 15;
SINGAPORE: The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced on Wednesday (May 20) that five teams have been shortlisted to participate in the second stage of the ‘Rail Corridor – An Inspired and Extraordinary Community Space’ Request for Proposal (RFP). The selected teams are:
The RFP was launched on Mar 18, inviting design professionals to develop a concept master plan and concept proposals to revamp the Rail Corridor. A total 64 teams submitted proposals.
The five teams selected for the second stage were chosen by an evaluation panel, and as much of the Rail Corridor experience will be defined by its greenery, they paid particular attention to the teams’ architectural capabilities, specifically in landscapes.
"The quality, diversity and creativity of the participating teams and their proposals are very impressive,” said URA chief executive Ng Lang, who is chairperson for the evaluation panel.
Principal architect Raymond Woo agreed: “The response to the RFP is impressive. The selected teams were thorough in their design approach. They have different emphases yet were able to demonstrate a common intention, which is to provide a longitudinal green lung through the centre of Singapore."
In Stage 2 of the RFP exercise, the team chosen for its concept master plan will carry out a preliminary design and feasibility study for a 4km-long signature stretch of the Rail Corridor, spanning the former Bukit Timah Railway Station to the Hillview area.
Members of the public will be able to see a showcase of submissions by all participating teams at an exhibition from October to November, and they will be invited to give feedback on the proposals.
- CNA/hs
Five teams shortlisted to transform Rail Corridor
Cheryl Faith Wee The Straits Times AsiaOne 22 May 15;
Five teams made up of local and international architects are in the running to transform part of Singapore's Rail Corridor.
In March, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) called for proposals for a masterplan and concept for the land.
The 24km-long route, which stretches from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar, was previously land used by Malaysia's KTM railway before it was returned to Singapore in 2011.
In total, 64 teams, including tie-ups between local and international firms, sent in submissions in March and April.
The URA announced the five shortlisted yesterday.
They include a tie-up between local firm DP Architects and Dutch design and landscaping firm West 8.
Another shortlisted team comprised local company MKPL Architects and China-based Turenscape International. The other teams featured firms from Hong Kong, Japan and the United States that are partnering Singapore architects.
Director for the Centre for Sustainable Asian Cities at the National University of Singapore, Dr Malone-Lee Lai Choo - a member of the evaluation panel - said: "We want the Corridor to be an outstanding urban asset and are therefore open to innovative concepts... ideas that demonstrate freshness of approach and potentially exceptional design qualities that will enhance our urban landscape."
The teams have until Aug 21 to come up with detailed designs for a concept and masterplan for the Rail Corridor. These will be on display in a public exhibition in October and November.
One of the shortlisted teams will eventually get to work on the preliminary design for a 4km-long stretch of the Rail Corridor, between the former Bukit Timah Railway Station and the Hillview area.
Landmarks along this stretch include two steel truss bridges across Bukit Timah Road, Dunearn Road and Upper Bukit Timah Road next to Rail Mall.
Mr Siew Man Kok, 53, chairman and director of MKPL Architects, said: "We are in the midst of a competition so we cannot reveal our plans, but you can expect something very interesting.
"The Rail Corridor is a unique project because it is a rustic strip of land that runs through Singapore, in such a big contrast to the rest of it."
