Setting the stage for expansion: Esplanade plans for more shops, F&B outlets
The Esplanade, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is looking to better appeal to families and the young in the coming years.
SINGAPORE: The Esplanade is setting the stage for its next phase of development, with plans to include more shops, food and beverage outlets and services.
The performing arts venue, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is hoping to expand retail offerings beyond just the arts and introduce more unique brands with their own following.
It is also looking at doing more with the waterfront space, said Ms Rachelle Tan, director of venues and planning at The Esplanade Co, which operates Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay.
“We are looking at maybe more commercial spaces, certainly those that will make better use of the waterfront promenade but also serve as a better linkage between the main Esplanade building and Singtel Waterfront Theatre connecting to the wider Marina Bay precinct and the Civic District,” she told CNA.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the performing arts complex had around 3,500 activities a year, drawing more than two million people.
While it is now working on more events to draw the crowds, tenants are already experiencing an uptick in business.
Among them is Ms Eileen Yap, founder of Singapore Fashion Runway. Many customers “love the uniqueness and a lot of them are art-goers”, she said.
The mall has also been seeing close to full occupancy. One tenant noted that rental is still manageable, despite having gone up between 10 and 15 per cent post-pandemic.
Mr Leon Wan, store manager at vinyl record store The Analog Vault, said the events at The Esplanade do keep the place vibrant.
MAKING ARTS MORE ACCESSIBLE
To mark two decades of The Esplanade, a series of exhibitions, tours and installations have been organised.
These include a projection-mapping show, “Dancing with Light”, where the walls of the Esplanade Courtyard come alive with lights and various performance elements.
A new “Garden Tour” will also allow visitors to experience the waterfront and gardens with a fresh perspective.
The Esplanade has come a long way in making the arts more accessible and shifting the perception of the arts, its chief executive officer Yvonne Tham told CNA938's Asia First.
“It is at the heart of what we are trying to do, to be an arts centre for everyone. That’s why we were set up,” she said.
In the coming years, the Esplanade will be looking to deepen its work with vulnerable communities, so the venue becomes “more inclusive for people with different abilities”, she added.
