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Benoy mixes modern LED technology and ION Orchard’s heritage to create a unique retail environment
Designed by globally renowned Benoy architects, the retail-led ION Orchard is located at the crossroads of Singapore’s prime retail district. Opened in July 2009, the 61,300 sq m retail mall represents a significant expansion of Singapore’s public sphere providing both internal and external spaces, including 3,000 sq m of events space and a 500 sq m art gallery. Inspired by the site’s antecedents as an orchard, Benoy has tied the development to its location. The design for this mixed-use scheme makes direct reference to the contours and lines of fruit and nuts; the retail canopy draws on the metaphors of ‘skin’ and ‘foliage’ while the tower design is based on the concept of ‘shoots and stems' growing up out of the canopy below. Media expression is an important component of the project’s design; integrating the latest LED display technology to transform the façade into a communicative face. This new media ‘skin’ allows the architectural façade to become a showcase of digital artwork, a stage for contemporary artists and shared international events. Meanwhile, retailers are able to project animated advertisements on double height retail facades.
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