one North

one-north
Name transcription(s)
• Chinese	纬壹
• Malay	satu-utara
• Tamil	ஒன்று வடக்கு
A building under construction at one-north
Country	Singapore

One North, formerly known as Buona Vista, is a 200 hectares (490 acres) Singapore business park developed by JTC Corporation for the R&D and high technology cluster, comprising biomedical sciences, infocomm technology (ICT) and media industries. Though the development was first conceptualised in the National Technology Plan 1991,^[1] it was only launched officially in 2001 by former Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan Keng Yam with the basis of creating a "global talent hub" and a knowledge-based economy.^[2]

one-north, which was master planned by Zaha Hadid Architects, is located at Buona Vista and near educational and research institutes like National University of Singapore (NUS), INSEAD, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and the Singapore Science Parks. In 2012, ESSEC Business School also set up its Asian campus in one-north, for a total investment of S$40 million.^[3] The district has easy access to social and recreational facilities due to the close proximity to Holland Village.

Besides being a "science hub" as Dr Tan described one-north at the launch, another aim is to create a community where expatriates and locals can gather to live, work and relax together in one-north.^[4] As such, one-north will not be a government project only, but also one where private sectors contribute to provide the social and recreational amenities for the people working and living there.

Biopolis

Biopolis is a biomedical R&D hub at one-north. It houses public research institutes and private research organisations.

Biopolis Phase 1 is developed by JTC Corporation (JTC) at a cost of S$500 million. Phase 1 of the Biopolis comprises a cluster of seven buildings with a built-up area of 185,000 sqm (2 million sq ft). Phase 1 is home to more than 2,000 scientists, researchers, technicians and administrators. The research community is supported by infrastructure and services catering to biomedical R&D activities.

Phase 2 of the Biopolis comprised two research buildings, with a built-up area of 37,000 sqm (400,000 sq ft).

Phase 3 of Biopolis broke ground in April 2008. The research facility extends basic research activities into translational and clinical research as well as medical technology research.

The Star Performing Arts Centre

Star Performing Arts Centre

The Star Performing Arts Centre (Chinese: 星宇表演艺术中心) is located in a mixed use complex called The Star which comprises the performing arts centre and a shopping mall, The Star Vista (Chinese: 星悦汇). The Star PAC was completed in Oct 2012 and designed by Andrew Bromberg of Aedas Architects.

The concert hall was officially opened on 1 November 2012, with an inaugural concert by David Foster.^[5] It is owned by the business arm of New Creation Church^[6] and is their main worship venue.

The 38,000-sq m performing arts centre, from Level 3 to Level 11, occupies almost two-thirds of the building with a 5,142-seat performance venue. Aside from the main indoor concert hall, it also features a 770-seat function hall, an outdoor 300-seat amphitheatre, multipurpose rooms and a roof-top reception area.^[7]

Concerts from International Artists

Fusionopolis

Occupying 30 hectares of land within one-north, Fusionopolis is envisioned to be an R&D hub for infocomm technology, media, physical sciences and engineering industries.

Fusionopolis Phase 1, developed by JTC Corporation, is the first work-live-play-learn development in one-north. Opened in October 2008, it houses public agencies such as A*STAR, MDA and SPRING as well as private companies to foster collaborations across industries, research institutes and businesses.

Fusionopolis Phase 2A will yield 103,600 sqm of business park and R&D space, when completed. Phase 2A houses dry and wet laboratories, clean rooms and vibration sensitive test-bedding facilities.

Fusionopolis Phase 2B is a 50,000 sqm development by a private developer which will provide business park and laboratory space to house agencies and companies that would form collaborations with those from Phases 1 and 2A.

Block 71

Block 71 Ayer Rajah Crescent, a decades-old flatted factory within Ayer Rajah Industrial Estate, was repurposed in 2010 by the Media Development Authority to be part of one-north. Externally, as the oldest building in one-north, it lacks architectural consistency with the rest of the development. Internally, however, it is one of Singapore's high-tech hubs, with dozens of digital startups and VC funds sited directly across the street from Fusionopolis and the one-north MRT. In March 2014 the landlord announced that the concept would be expanded to Block 79 (previously the JVC building) and Block 73 (new modular temporary construction).

Rochester Park

Signboard of Rochester Park

Black and white colonial bungalow at Rochester Park

Launched in early 2006, Rochester Park, a part of one-north, is a heritage site located off North Buona Vista Road, featuring several double-storey black-and-white colonial bungalows, a symbol of Singapore's colonial past.

The estate has a long history with the 40 black-and-white bungalows built in the 1940s to accommodate the British military soldiers stationed at Pasir Panjang Military Complex and their families.^[8] After the British military pulled out of Singapore in late 1971, the bungalows were handed over to the Singapore government who rented them out mainly to non-Singaporeans.^[8]

Today, to provide cultural and recreational facilities for the people in one-north, Rochester Park has been revitalised into a dining and lifestyle retail hub. The old black-and-white colonial bungalows in Rochester Park have been conserved under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's conservation guidelines and are now leased to food and beverage and lifestyle retail tenants.

Rochester Park 11

Rochester Park 11 has 11 bungalows turned into a dining and lifestyle retail hub consisting of restaurants, galleries, and spas.^[9] Nine units are taken up by restaurants and bars and a holistic healthcare centre.

Restaurants

North Border Bar and Grill in the background

• One Rochester
• North Border Bar and Grill offers south-western American cuisine.
• Da Paolo Bistro Bar's serves Italian fare in a European setting.
• Graze provides Western and Asian fare.
• Min Jiang specialises in Chinese cuisine

Rochester Park 20

Rochester Park 20 is still in the midst of development but has set aside 20 of the bungalows to become a serviced villa resort with retail facilities.^[10]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to one-north.

• One-north on the JTC Corporation website