Nightlife hotspot Clarke Quay to get daytime offerings too with S$62 million revamp

SINGAPORE: Nightlife hotspot Clarke Quay is getting a S$62 million makeover later this year with the aim of turning it into a daytime destination as well. 

The new CQ @ Clarke Quay will offer day trade activities and retail offerings including breakfast and lunch options, said CapitaLand in a news release on Tuesday (Jul 26).

CapitaLand, which owns and manages the property, said the year-long project will begin in the third quarter of this year. 

CQ @ Clarke Quay will continue to operate during this time, as work will be carried out in phases, it added.

CapitaLand said 70 per cent of CQ @ Clarke Quay's net lettable area has been precommitted to tenants and leases in advanced negotiations.

New tenants include music store Swee Lee, a FairPrice Finest outlet with in-store dining, and a beauty salon and pottery-themed cafe Catching the Waves. 

Spa and massage chain Natureland and restaurant Seafood Paradise have also signed up.

Existing key tenants Zouk Group and 1-Group will also expand their day-to-night offerings, said CapitaLand, adding that it is working with tenants to make CQ @ Clarke Quay pet friendly. 

Slingshot - a thrill ride that catapults riders 70m above the Singapore River - will also be located on the property, CapitaLand said. 

In addition, the property's warehouses will be restored and given a new paint of heritage colours, a nod to Clarke Quay's history. 

Read Bridge will also be given a facelift with upgraded steps that double as seats and a new accessibility ramp with lookout points. 

Heritage panels, cast iron manhole covers and bronze plate tiles narrating the history of the Clarke Quay precinct will also give visitors a glimpse into the area's past. 

The new CQ @ Clarke Quay was conceptualised by local firms Meta Architecture and Formwerkz Architects. 

Meta Architecture's principal architect Adrian Lai said the property is "the only part of the Singapore River promenade that is made up of a district of five blocks of conservation-listed heritage warehouses that are all different to each other". 

"Visitors have a real chance to get a glimpse of Singapore's history as a thriving trading port through this round of rejuvenation." 

GREEN FEATURES

About 34 per cent of the project's total cost has been "dedicated to green features", said CapitaLand, including a new canopy that can reduce solar heat gain by up to 70 per cent while still letting daylight in. 

This will "increase the daytime thermal comfort of the property’s inner streets", it added. 

An omni-directional fan will also be installed to improve air circulation. The fan will use 50 per cent less energy compared to the current single-directional fan. 

It is also equipped with an evaporative mist cooling system, which can lower the environmental temperature by about 2 degrees Celsius without creating water droplets on surfaces.

CapitaLand said that after the revamp, CQ @ Clarke Quay's green building rating is expected to be upgraded to Green Mark Gold Plus.