Revamped Funan mall features indoor cycling path, co-living residence
Visitors will not only be able to walk into the new Funan mall when it opens next month, they will also be able to cycle in it.
The revamped complex will feature a 200m indoor cycling path that runs through and around it, making it the first in Singapore to offer cyclists and personal mobility device users such access.
To make things more interesting, LED light strips on the cycling path, activated by ceiling motion detector cameras, will light up whenever there is movement on the path.
The indoor cycling path is an extension of the outdoor shared cycling and walking path along North Bridge Road.
At a media preview yesterday, CapitaLand Singapore managing director of retail Chris Chong said the addition of an indoor cycling path is Funan's way of supporting the Land Transport Authority's car-lite movement.
"If we want to support the car-lite movement, we must give shoppers alternatives and choices. By incorporating (an indoor cycling path), we are giving them an option. We've got to walk the talk," he said.
He said the cycling path will mainly serve working professionals in and around Funan who cycle to their offices.
A bicycle hub on the first storey of the new mall has amenities that should appeal to cyclists including four shower cabins, eight lockers and a bicycle pump and repair station. There will be 166 bicycle bays.
Safety should not be a concern for non-cyclists, with the indoor cycling path fitted with speed-regulating safety strips, said the building's developer, CapitaLand Mall Trust.
During mall operating hours from 10am to 10pm, signs will encourage riders to dismount and push within the mall.
The former IT mall closed in mid-2016 for redevelopment, which cost $560 million and will nearly double its floor area to 887,000 sq ft.
The centrepiece is a six-storey predominantly steel structure called the Tree Of Life.
It houses 20 retail pods for brands to showcase their products on a limited period pop-up concept and two open studio spaces that can be combined to accommodate large workshops and classes.
Local jewellery brand Carrie K is among the tenants who have signed up for one of the pods.
Besides six levels of retail stores, the mixed-use complex will have two office towers and a co-living serviced residence called lyf Funan Singapore.
A 5,000 sq ft urban farm operated by urban farming outfit Edible Garden City is located on the seventh storey.
It will be open to the public, who can dine at Noka, a farm-to-table restaurant adjacent to the urban farm.
A green rooftop garden, decked out with lounge chairs, offers visitors the view of Marina Bay and Fort Canning from either end of the building.
Mr Chong said: "The new Funan is about enriching the shopping experience and enriching our shoppers' lifestyles."
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