Inspired by industrial chic elements echoing Funan’s design, the 100 metre UPL will have copper-brass coloured perforated aluminium wall panels, metal mesh ceilings, as well as black aluminium and screed look-alike tiles for the floor and walls. Photo credit to Funan.
Funan has launched its brand new 100-metre Underground Pedestrian Link (UPL) which directly links its Basement 2 to the City Hall MRT interchange station.
The UPL improves the building’s connectivity for both shoppers and working executives as it directly connects to various destinations in Singapore’s Civic District, including Raffles City Singapore and Saint Andrew’s Cathedral.
Beyond offering increased accessibility to the public, Funan intends for the UPL to serve as a new platform for the arts community to showcase their creative works in innovative formats such as digital art or multimedia, reiterating Funan as a paradigm to live, work and play in Singapore’s city centre.
Connecting the public to Funan through innovation
The public can enjoy enhanced digital experiences at the newly built UPL, which features six multimedia projectors and 72 programmable colour-changing lights as they make their way to and from Funan. It is also one of the pioneering UPLs locally to be constructed with a Rectangular Tunnel Boring Machine (RTBM) and used state-of-the-art technology that did not require extensive traffic diversions and lane closures during its construction within the busy Civic District.
To celebrate the UPL’s opening, Funan will be rolling out promotions in partnership with Raffles City Singapore during this festive season. CapitaStar members who spend S$100 in a single receipt at Raffles City Singapore will be able to redeem a S$10 shopping or dining voucher from selected tenants at Funan. They simply need to present their same-day receipt at the Funan Concierge at Basement 2 to redeem the vouchers.
Promotion is valid from 25 December to 31 January 2022, limited to first 1,000 redemptions, while stocks last. Terms and conditions apply.
Mr Adrian Lai, Centre Manager at Funan, said, “As Singapore’s creative intersection, we are always looking for ways to enhance the experience for our shoppers and visitors at Funan, while also actively supporting the local arts community. We are very excited to launch our UPL, which we see as a natural extension of tailoring social and creative experiences for our consumers and make it easier for them to access quality living.”
New platform will spotlight digital art for first exhibition
Singapore artist Muhammad Izdi’s creative interpretation of one of Funan’s six passion themes. Photo credit: Funan
Over the years, Funan has been actively working with artists as part of branding efforts to share creative interpretations of its six passion themes – tech, craft, play, fit, chic and taste. Prior to the mall’s reopening in 2019, Singapore graffiti fine artist Ceno2 was commissioned to create an artwork for the hoardings with his interpretation of Funan’s six themes. The UPL further reinforces Funan’s position to support and champion local artists through new opportunities at the official opening with digital projections by local artist and graphic designerMuhammad Izdi.
The public can look forward to viewing Izdi’s take on Funan’s six themes when passing through the UPL, and how these subjects overlap and work in interaction with each other as seen in the amalgamation and evolution of art elements in the artist’s creations. The key visual for Funan’s upcoming mall-wide activation, Creative Intersections: In the Year of the Tiger, will be unveiled as a teaser ahead of the programme’s launch during Singapore Art Week 2022. First introduced earlier this year, Creative Intersections will return to offer shoppers new ways to encounter art and shopping, with 15 unique artist and brand collaborations in 2022. With this first unveiling, the public will get to experience the newly installed programmable lights and multimedia projectors in action.
Come January, award-winning photographer and artist Shavonne Wong (below) will debut her new collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that will be displayed exclusively as digital projections in the UPL. Showcasing 3D virtual models with a twist, the collection is developed based on the theme “In the Year of the Tiger”, which will thread through all the Creative Intersections collaborations from the UPL into Funan for a one-of-a-kind “shoppable” experience.
“Through our unique approach of infusing art in the everyday for our shoppers, we encourage the public to celebrate our local artists’ creations as we collectively discover new perspectives using innovative formats. With Singapore’s gradual move towards living with COVID-19, we welcome those returning to the CBD as they enjoy the new year with art at Funan,” Mr Lai adds.
More information on Creative Intersections: In the Year of the Tiger will be revealed closer to opening in January 2022.
