Regionally-Oriented Global Operations

Evolving City-State - Singapore

Regionally-Oriented Global Operations Evolving City-State - Singapore

Since its independence in 1965, Singapore has been promoting high-rises to make the most of the land.
Under strong government’s leadership, it has been continuing to expand vertically.
After half a century it has become one of the most advanced city-states in the world.

Entry to Singapore Market

Shimizu opened an office in Singapore in 1973. Our very first project was the construction of a shipyard facility for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. After working mainly on projects for Japanese companies, we received an order to build Goldhill Square from a Singaporean developer in the 1980’s. This was our first project to construct a high-rise building outside Japan. We then started to work on more projects for Singapore government and companies.
Over the half century Singapore has developed rapidly. Shimizu was always there to resolve challenges and to respond to their expectations. We earned valuable experience to be a competent and successful business operator even outside Japan.

Goldhill Square (Current: United Square)

Owner
Goldhill Development Pte Ltd
Size
B1F/32F
TFA 88,127 m2
Completion
September 1982

PC Method – HDB Large-Scale Housing Project

Singapore attained self-governance in 1959, and one of the significant issues for the government in nation building was the provision of enough housing. They established the Housing & Development Board (HDB) in 1960 and pressed ahead with adopting the industrialized building method developed abroad which made it possible to provide a large amount of housing units in a shorter construction period. We thoroughly studied how best to build housing complexes with lower cost and in a shorter construction period. In 1981, we became the first Japanese general contractor to receive a design-build order for a large-scale project that consisted of 15,000 units.

We adopted the PC (precast concrete) method and built a PC plant close to the construction site to fabricate PC panels for floors, beams and walls. We implemented the in-situ concrete casting that requires many workers only for reinforced concrete columns and thus, managed to shorten the construction period and reduce material and labor costs.
At the request of the HDB, we continued to operate our PC plant until 2000, and supplied 20% of the total PC used in Singapore. We were also involved in educating and training construction engineers in Singapore.

Image courtesy of the Housing & Development Board

HDB Large-scale Housing Project

Owner
Housing & Development Board (HDB)
Total Units
15,000
Construction Period
from 1982 to 1987

Landmark in Orchard - Ngee Ann City

Ngee Ann City, located in the middle of Orchard Road, was also constructed by Shimizu. It opened in 1993 as one of the largest commercial complexes in Southeast Asia.
The anchor tenant is Takashimaya, who has been operating there since the opening. This shopping center still hosts world-class luxury brands and popular fashion brands, and is frequented by many people.
Its stately appearance stands out in the main street of Singapore as a major landmark.

Ngee Ann City

Owner
Ngee Ann Development Pte Ltd
Size
B3F/27F, 2 bldgs.
TFA 258,063 m2
Completion
January 1993

Orchard Road and Shimizu

268 Orchard (2014)

In the 1960s, Orchard Road was a leafy suburb. Construction of high-rise hotels began in the 1970s. When we started the construction of Ngee Ann City, it was in the midst of rapid development, transforming itself into a downtown area.
After that, we constructed a series of buildings such as The Heeren (1996), TripleOne Somerset (2009), and Scotts Square (2011). In the 2010s, we worked on several projects in succession, including façade renovation of Wisma Atria (2012), Shaw House A&A (2013), and 268 Orchard (2014).

The main buildings we have worked on so far in Orchard Road are shown on the right. We were blessed with the opportunities to participate in many projects. Today, Orchard Road is one of the most prominent main streets in Southeast Asia. We may be one of the few foreign companies who witnessed its transition from up close.

Symbol of the Asian Financial Center - Republic Plaza

Republic Plaza is one of Singapore's tallest skyscrapers. It was completed in 1995 as the tallest building in Singapore. It dominated the sky of the most advanced city-state until 2016.
It was designed by Kisho Kurokawa. Three-point surveying from outer space was adopted to construct the high building without any tilting. The structure is full-fledged steel frame which was a cutting-edge technology at the time, enabling a shorter construction period.
The building received the World’s Best Architecture Award by FIABCI (the International Real Estate Federation) in 1997.

Republic Plaza

Owner
CDL Properties Pte Ltd
Size
B1F/66F, TFA 124,726 m2
Height 280 m
Completion
October 1995

Core of the Strategic Development Cluster - Fusionopolis

one-north houses industries such as information and communications technology, media, biomedical sciences, startups and engineering. It was master planned and developed by JTC Corporation, a Singapore government agency.
Central to one-north is Fusionopolis, a hub for research, development, and technology. Designed by Kisho Kurokawa, it has offices, serviced apartments, retail outlets, an auditorium and connectivity with an underground train station.
3D technology was used in its construction to visualise the building from all angles so that possible issues could be solved in advance.
With a vibrant ecosystem, one-north epitomises the seamless integration of work, live, and play, enhancing the vibrancy of Singapore's knowledge economy.

Fusionopolis

Owner
JTC Corporation
Size
B6F/24F
TFA 120,000 m2
Completion
March 2008
Certification
Green Mark Gold PLUS

Giant Office Complex - Mapletree Business City (MBC) I & II

Located in the Alexandra Precinct, Mapletree Business City (MBC) is one of the largest integrated developments in Singapore. As the main contractor of the development, we completed MBC I in 2010 and MBC II in 2016. They are Grade A office and business park spaces of approx. 306,603 m2, consisting of one office tower and seven business park blocks.
For Singapore, which relies on imports for most of resources, improving the productivity of the construction industry is an important issue. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has been aggressively introducing BIM (Building Information Modeling).

We have actively implemented BIM for this construction. For the standard floors of MBC I, we developed a high-density 4D BIM in which a time-axis was added to a regular 3D BIM. We managed the construction by comparing the stationary observation images captured by cameras with actual situations.
For MBC II we introduced a “full BIM”, coordinating designs of architecture, structure, and MEP. We established a workflow where processes were thoroughly examined using BIM and 3D printers first, then shop drawings were prepared, and finally the actual work was initiated. We also set up an on-site plant to prefabricate stairs and rebars. In 2015, the building won the “Platinum Award”, the highest accolade of the BCA's BIM Award.

MBC I, 2010
MBC I (2010, left) & MBC II (2016, right)

Mapletree Business City (MBC) I and II

Owner
Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd

○MBC I

Size
2 podium carpark levels, one office tower,
three business park blocks
Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 181,719 sqm
Completion
March 2010
Certification
Green Mark Platinum

○MBC II

Size
2 podium carpark levels, four business park blocks
GFA of 124,884 sqm
Completion
April 2016
Certification
Green Mark Platinum
LEED CS Gold

Into the Future with Singapore

In half a century we have engaged in various projects, including high-rise buildings, condominiums, commercial complexes, airport, MRT, plants, factories, hospitals, and interior works. Since 2002, we have been providing lecturers to the BCA Academy and serving as a member of the Precast Advisory Committee, in addition to providing advice in response to requests from relevant ministries and agencies.
Singapore is a place where ultra-large and sophisticated projects are always happening, and where general contractors from around the world compete. It is also a place where our overseas business divisions can take on the challenge of cutting-edge projects and grow.
We will continue to evolve together with Singapore.

268 Orchard (2014)
Pan Pacific Orchard Hotel (2023)

The information posted here is the current information on January 17, 2025.
Please be aware that this information may have changed by the time you view it.