Singtel Waterfront Theatre

Adjacent to the existing Esplanade Theatre, the new Waterfront Theatre sits on a strategic 5,100 sqm site, serving as exciting performance venue, production-house and home to world-renowned performers. Being part of the bustling Marina Bay, it is planned to integrate into the burgeoning precinct, adding value and dimension to Singapore’s dynamic art scene whilst attracting local and international interests. Outdoor areas seamlessly connect the interior to the exterior precast and steel space-frame façade via similar texture and materiality, softening the boundary and extending the waterfront into the building. These transitional outdoor or semi-outdoor spaces are materialized in the open foyer area where the public, audience and artists can interact, engage and perform. The external envelope integrates the picturesque waterfront, with lightboxes reflecting light to invoke the feeling of undulating sea waves in the day, and illuminating the night scene with LED dimmable luminaries. Required by the client’s design brief, the theatre adopts a flexible format seating where a wide range of stage configurations can be explored, promoting an innovative, flexible and experimental space for artists to best showcase their performance in their own unique ways. This allows for more personalized and intimate experiences between the stage and the audience, further building on the relationship with the public through facilitating spontaneous visual and physical experience with its spaces – creating a catalyst for youth performers to explore new forms of art. Crafted to be mindful of the surroundings and respectful of the built environment, the building massing does not compromise the existing wind corridor serving the adjacent open air food court, vital in the tropical climate. The sustainable approach extends also to the social and economic spheres, being the venue crafted to meet the needs of an emerging art scene and targeting a young audience, and designed to meet tight budget requirements.