‘Supertall’ Singapore tower by Burj Khalifa designers: What to know

SUPERTALL BUILDING: A new tower known as 8 Shenton Way is currently in the works in Singapore. It will be the first "super-tall" skyscraper — a word for structures taller than 300 meters (984 ft) — that will soon rise on the island nation.

DESIGNERS: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the US architects behind Dubai's Burj Khalifa, designed 8 Shenton Way. The building will be a new landmark soaring above the Southeast Asian city-state from 2028. Digital renderings of the building was unveiled at a press conference in the city-state on October 27, 2022.

INSPIRATION: In terms of design — SOM executives said 8 Shenton Way is “inspired” by bamboo forests. Digital models depict a succession of cascading rectangular forms capped with rooftop terraces, according to the designers.

SUSTAINABILITY: Using a combination of latest energy-saving techniques, 8 Shenton Way is touted to be Singapore’s first super-tall building with top sustainability credentials. According to the plan SOM announced recently to local media, it will feature offices, a hotel, and 34 floors of luxurious residences, and a penthouse.

GREEN, RETAIL SPACES: It is labelled as "biophilic" skyscraper, filled with up to 80,000 plants. Over 107,000 square feet of elevated green space will be part of the project — plants are picked with bird and butterfly attraction in mind. The public will have access to more than half of the site's planted areas. The design shows a ground-level public plaza and shopping mall.

NATURE: SOM design principal Nic Medrano told local media: "We aim to build places that are comfortable, where people want to be, and are healthy." He said that all inhabitants will be able to "access nature" within "three or four levels.” The tower's skin will have horizontal and vertical fins that will reflect sunlight, keeping the building cooler in Singapore's tropical environment.

DISTRICT COOLING: Because it will be connected to Singapore's district cooling system — an underground network of pipes that uses chilled water to cool buildings — cooling the new skyscraper will be significantly “greener”, designers said.

SUSTAINABLE TOWER: Energy efficiency is at the top of 8 Shenton Way’s design principle. The tower will be one of Asia's "most sustainable" skyscrapers, and will use 55% less energy than is necessary to receive the highest sustainability grade from the local government. Mustafa Abadan, a partner in SOM, explained that a variety of — including a facade constructed of terracotta, reinforced bamboo, and heat-efficient glass — will result in the cumulative energy savings. 

HEIGHT: Once completed, 8 Shenton Way will rise to a height of 305 metres (1,001 feet) — about one-third one-third Burj Khalifa. The spherical AXA Tower, which opened in 1986, is currently being demolished to make way for the new skyscraper, according to SOM’s design principal Nic Medrano. The supertall building will be the tallest in Singapore's Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood.

CONSTRUCTION: With demolition work already started, the new building will reuse part of the existing foundation — a move that SOM’s Nic Medrano said would "save material... and lower the carbon footprint of the building from the get-go.”