AXA Tower, also known as 8 Shenton Way and formerly The Treasury and Temasek Tower, was the 16th-tallest skyscraper in the city of Singapore, at 234.7 m (770 ft), and the tallest cylindrical building in the world. In 2023, it became the tallest building to ever be voluntarily demolished.
| AXA Tower | |
|---|---|
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 | |
| Former names | Singapore Treasury Building Temasek Tower |
| Alternative names | 8 Shenton Way |
| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Commercial |
| Address | 8 Shenton Way, Singapore 068811 |
| Country | Downtown Core, Singapore |
| Coordinates | 1°16′33″N 103°50′50″E / 1.2758°N 103.8472°E |
| Named for | AXA |
| Completed | 1986 |
| Closed | 2022 |
| Demolished | 2023 |
| Owner | MGP Raffle Pte Ltd |
| Height | |
| Roof | 234.7 m (770 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 52 |
| Lifts/elevators | 22 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | The Stubbins Associates Architects 61 Architects Team 3 |
| Developer | Singapore Ministry of Finance |
| Main contractor | MGP Raffle Pte Ltd |
| References | |
| [1][2][3] | |
Background edit
Built in 1986 for the Singapore government's Ministry of Finance as the Treasury Building, with 52 storeys it at once became one of the most prominent buildings in the city's business district. Singapore's present Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, had his office in the building, while he was Minister for Finance from 2001 to 2004.
The Advertising agency BBDO Worldwide later had its Asia Pacific Headquarters in the building, and the 14th floor housed the Embassy of Belgium.
Architecture edit
The structure consisted of steel beams cantilevered from a cylindrical concrete core, allowing full 360° views at the perimeter, unobstructed by perimeter columns. The tower housed sixteen double deck elevators supplied by Otis.
Owners edit
When the Ministry of Finance relocated to The Treasury on High Street, the building was transferred to Temasek Holdings, a government-owned corporation, and renamed as Temasek Tower. It was later acquired by CapitaLand. In April 2007, when the building was still known as Temasek Tower, CapitaLand sold it to MGP Raffle Pte Ltd,[4] and it was renamed as the AXA Tower.
On 6 May 2020, Alibaba Group agreed to buy a 50 per cent stake in AXA Tower, valuing the property at S$1.68 billion.[5][6]
Redevelopment edit
At the beginning of May 2022, AXA Tower was closed to the public for demolition with all tenants having relocated.
On 7 July 2022, plans were approved by the Urban Redevelopment Authority for a consortium consisting of Alibaba, Perennial Holdings, and local partners, to redevelop the site of the AXA Tower into a new 63-storey building with a height of 1,001 feet (305 metres), making the new building the tallest skyscraper ever approved in Singapore. The mixed-use building, Skywaters Residences, will be mostly made up of office, hotel, and residential spaces, with an observation level and some retail spaces. It is planned to be completed by 2028.[7][8][9] The developers have since engaged Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the firm responsible for the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, to design the new building.[10]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Emporis building ID 106391". Emporis. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
- ^ "AXA Tower". SkyscraperPage.
- ^ AXA Tower at Structurae
- ^ "Completion of the divestment of Temasek Tower" (PDF). CapitaLand. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "Alibaba to buy 50% stake in AXA Tower". CNA. 7 May 2020. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "Perennial-SPH consortium to sell half-stake in AXA Tower to Alibaba". The Straits Times. 6 May 2020. Archived from the original on 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ Rashiwala, Kalpana (3 August 2022). "Alibaba, Perennial-led group to build Singapore's tallest building, at 305 metres". The Business Times. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ Burgos, Jonathan (4 August 2022). "Alibaba, Singapore Tycoons Win Approval To Build Lion City's Tallest Skyscraper". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ Andres, Gabrielle (5 August 2022). "Singapore's tallest skyscraper to be built by Alibaba and local partners". CNA. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ Lim, Joyce (19 August 2022). "US firm behind Burj Khalifa to work with local architects to design Singapore's tallest building". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 23 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
External links edit
- 8 Shenton Way at MGPA