http://www.straitstimes.com/Money/St...ry_243423.html

June 2, 2008

Fusionopolis Phase 1 nearly sold out already

The 120,000 sq m complex will be opened in October

By Chua Hian Hou


RICH TENANT POOL: The Asian Food Channel, the Thales Technology Centre and NRG Engineering have already moved into Fusionopolis. Upcoming tenants include the Institute for Infocomm Research. -- PHOTO: JTC

IT HAS yet to be named, but the first phase of Fusionopolis - a complex with two towers and a podium - is almost fully taken up already, ahead of its official opening slotted for this October.

The soaring complex, which comprises two towers - one with 24 floors and the other, 22 floors - and a podium, will be named next month.

The complex is one of 10 buildings that make up Fusionopolis, a 30ha purpose-built infocommunications and media research and development site at the one-north area off Buona Vista Road.

According to a JTC Corporation spokesman, 'nearly all of the 120,000 sq m of space in the complex has been taken up'.

Three tenants have already moved in: the Asian Food Channel, the Thales Technology Centre and NRG Engineering.

Other tenants that will be moving into the complex include some of the nation's top high-tech research institutes, such as the Data Storage Institute, the Institute for Infocomm Research and the Institute of High Performance Computing.

Besides offices and five floors of retail and food and beverage outlets, including supermarket chain Cold Storage's newest Market Place outlet, JTC has set aside space for sports and lifestyle activities.

There will be rooftop pools, fitness clubs and a theatre devoted to experimental art forms - all designed to cater to the needs of those working and living there.

To accommodate staff living in the complex, there will also be 50 serviced apartments. Each 'work loft' will be about 60 sq m in size.

They are part of the architect's vision of creating a 'work, live, play, learn' environment for the complex, which was designed by the late, internationally renowned Dr Kisho Kurokawa.

This design and vision, said the JTC spokesman, will hopefully 'foster synergistic collaborations between the public and private research institutes and energise the vibrant infocomm and media industry'.

Industrial landlord JTC charges rental rates of $4.67 per sq ft for the business park.

Fusionopolis Phase 2A, with 103,000 sq m of floor space, will have dry and wet laboratories, as well as Singapore's largest clean-room facility, when it is completed next year.

Phase 2B, which is also scheduled to be completed by next year, is a 16-storey mixed office and retail building with a maximum gross floor area of 50,271 sq m.

JTC has shortlisted 10 building names following an online competition, and it is expected to announce them next month.

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SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

The complex will offer tenants and visitors not only offices, retail shops and food outlets, but also space specially allocated to sports and lifestyle activities.

There will be rooftop pools, fitness clubs and a theatre devoted to experimental art forms.

For staff living in the complex, there will be 50 serviced apartments, done up as 'work lofts'.