*SCAPE building

The *SCAPE building is a community youth space located at 2 Orchard Link in Orchard Road, Singapore. Completed in 2010, the five-storey building spans and was designed by RSP Architects. The structure has a hexagon-clad façade, open circulation spaces, and multiple entrances. In response to calls for a youth community space, a consultation exercise was held in 2005, and two thousand suggestions were gathered from the youths. An advisory panel consolidated these suggestions into six conceptual spaces themed around street culture, music, and technology. RSP Architects' proposal was selected through a 2006 architectural design competition, as it was integrated with the surroundings and emphasised youth-centric spaces. Since its opening in June 2010, *SCAPE has undergone multiple revamps to boost youth engagement. A 2012 revamp introduced HubQuarters as a base for youth organisations offering development programmes, while a 2014 renovation added performance areas and a media hub. Another major redevelopment was announced in 2022 as part of the Somerset Belt Masterplan, which aimed to revitalise the district with new infrastructure, an updated tenant mix, and enhanced accessibility. The Ground Theatre and HubQuarters reopened in 2024, with further upgrades scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. The hub officially reopened on 9 November 2025.

The *SCAPE building is a community youth space located at 2 Orchard Link in Orchard Road, Singapore. Completed in 2010, the five-storey building spans and was designed by RSP Architects. The structure has a hexagon-clad façade, open circulation spaces, and multiple entrances. In response to calls for a youth community space, a consultation exercise was held in 2005, and two thousand suggestions were gathered from the youths. An advisory panel consolidated these suggestions into six conceptual spaces themed around street culture, music, and technology. RSP Architects' proposal was selected through a 2006 architectural design competition, as it was integrated with the surroundings and emphasised youth-centric spaces. Since its opening in June 2010, *SCAPE has undergone multiple revamps to boost youth engagement. A 2012 revamp introduced HubQuarters as a base for youth organisations offering development programmes, while a 2014 renovation added performance areas and a media hub. Another major redevelopment was announced in 2022 as part of the Somerset Belt Masterplan, which aimed to revitalise the district with new infrastructure, an updated tenant mix, and enhanced accessibility. The Ground Theatre and HubQuarters reopened in 2024, with further upgrades scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. The hub officially reopened on 9 November 2025.

Construction

• SCAPE was established in 2004¹ by MCYS as a non-profit organisation that would engage youth and allow them to explore their social interests and creative pursuits. In response to requests for a youth community space, minister Vivian Balakrishnan announced in March 2005 that a site adjacent to Orchard Cineleisure and Mandarin Hotel would be reserved for that purpose. A youth consultation was hosted in July and August, during which more than 2,000 suggestions were collected through surveys, focus group meetings, e-mail and SMS messages. A 22-member advisory panel, led by architect Khairudin Saharom and PromiseWorks youth volunteer Charissa Ee, reviewed the suggestions. Some of the suggestions included substituting the building's escalators for slides, and an outdoor skating rink with a special polymer surface instead of ice. In March 2006, Balakrishnan announced that the planned site would be expanded to to provide more space for youth engagement and self-expression. The advisory panel consolidated the 2,200 suggestions into six conceptual spaces: the Street+Market (promoting street culture), the Warehouse (a sheltered space), the Playground (an outdoor space which would include a skatepark), the Grid (IT and gaming labs), the Cache (a gallery and screening room) and the Studio (for music creation). An architectural design competition for *SCAPE garnered 39 entries, seven of which were shortlisted for the youths to vote on that December. The final design by RSP Architects was selected by a panel of seven judges and was among the youths' three favourites. The judges preferred its organic layout, which integrated seamlessly with the surroundings, and they believed the proposal best positioned *SCAPE as "an iconic space for youths" rather than just "an iconic building". RSP's design included nine additional features, such as a music zone with overhead pods playing the latest hit songs and offering free music downloads, as well as a "night owl hangout" equipped with telescopes for stargazing. In September 2009, it was announced that the building would open in March 2010. Only 30% of the space was allocated to retail or food-and-beverage concessions, while the remainder was dedicated to facilities designed to nurture youth talent and foster a vibrant youth community. During its search tenants, *SCAPE stated that it would prioritise businesses with a social mission that engages with young people. In February 2010, Today reported that the building's completion date had been postponed to June. By that time, approximately 80% of the retail space had been leased. On 7 May 2010, prime minister Lee Hsien Loong launched the 99-Day Celebration to the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games at *SCAPE Youth Space. The *SCAPE building officially opened on 19 June 2010. That October, The Straits Times reported that the youth mall struggled to attract foot traffic and retain its tenants since its opening. Some tenants, including a hair salon and a drinks and rice burgers outlet, shared that they were experiencing significant financial losses and had requested rent reductions. Although numerous events had been held at the venue, they had largely failed to bring visitors into the mall's stores, prompting *SCAPE's management to collaborate with tenants to attract customers. Many retailers, such as Animal and New Balance, had turned to offering discounts to sustain their businesses. In December 2011, *SCAPE announced a new entrepreneurship programme with part of the space reserved for youth-run businesses, but retailers expressed unhappiness with the low patronage, saying that the venue had failed to attract youths.

External links

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372069180 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.