The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), in collaboration with LASALLE College of the Arts (LASALLE), unveiled 10 student-designed benches along the Marina Bay waterfront promenade. This is part of the URA’s ongoing “My Marina Bay, My Inspiration” programme to encourage student and community groups to draw inspiration from Marina Bay and to translate it into creative designs for the area.
Besides livening up the spaces along the Marina Bay waterfront promenade, the project provides LASALLE’s students with a platform to showcase their creative talent.
Designs for the street furniture were shortlisted by LASALLE and evaluated by a panel of judges comprising representatives from the URA, LASALLE and professionals from the furniture industry. The final 10 designs selected for fabrication were evaluated based on their originality, functionality, durability and buildability. Funding for the fabrication of the designs was supported by the URA, LASALLE and the private sector.
The benches will be on display for one year at the waterfront promenade. The popular designs could be replicated for permanent use along the waterfront.
Ms Fun Siew Leng, URA’s Group Director of Urban Planning & Design, said, “We are glad to have this opportunity to work with the students from LASALLE on this design project. Marina Bay is a great platform for students to showcase their talents. Through this project, we hope to create small delights for visitors to Marina Bay. We hope that the benches will provide welcomed respite for visitors who can take a pause to enjoy the Bay.”
Ms Adeline Yeo, one of the student designers from LASALLE, commented, “Marina Bay is a dazzling centerpiece of our city’s urban transformation. This collaboration provides us the experience to bring to life our creative expressions in a thriving, energetic and dynamic environment. I am grateful for this opportunity to showcase my work.”
Mr Ang Xinwei, Programme Leader for LASALLE’s Interior Design programme added, “I am looking forward to how the public will react to the different pieces located at the waterfront promenade and hope they bring a little fun to someone’s day.”
The public is invited to vote for their favourite bench design via an online voting competition organised by URA. Each week, two lucky winners will stand to win attractive vouchers sponsored by Marina Bay Link Mall and Verve Pizza Bar. The competition runs from 13 July to 31 August 2012. Please visit http://www.marina-bay.sg/mbinspiration/vote to cast your vote.
The street furniture project is part of a series of three projects in the URA-LASALLE collaboration. The other two projects – undertaken by Level 3 students from LASALLE’s Design Communication BA(Hons) programme – are themed façade decoration designs for the Marina Bay City Gallery, and outdoor posters to reflect Marina Bay’s positioning as a 24/7, thriving and energetic place. The façade decorations and outdoor posters have been installed since July 2012 and will be rotated throughout the year.