The Star: A Stellar Fusion of Retail and Culture

Andrew Bromberg of Aedas Unveils a Dynamic Architectural Masterpiece

With a design inspired by the balance of positive and negative spaces, The Star is a testament to the power of innovative architecture. Faceted glass fissures dissolve large masses, creating a dynamic composition that blurs the boundaries between public and private realms. The building is an organic object, inviting public discovery through a series of ramps, escalators, terraces, and public gardens. It's as if the civic activities have shaped the inside of the complex.

The Star's unique properties lie in its multi-faceted, permeable, and dynamic design. The development comprises The Star Performing Arts Centre with a 5,000-seat auditorium and The Star Vista with an open-air mall. Together, they provide a premier entertainment, lifestyle, and retail experience to the community. The design celebrates the rich and diverse happenings inside the building, making it stand out from other architectural designs.

The realization of The Star's design involved the use of a high-performance triple-glazed glass system with a fiberglass interlay to significantly reduce solar heating and provide a translucent appearance. The structure from Level 3 onwards consists of about 11,000 tons of structural steel. The façade materials were fabricated in China, demonstrating a global collaboration in the creation of this architectural masterpiece.

The Star is not just an architectural marvel but also a social building. Its design aims to provide a welcoming social interface for the local neighborhood through the publicly accessible forecourt and retail areas. A series of climate ameliorated outdoor spaces accentuate natural air movement, protecting visitors against Singapore’s tropical rain and sun while providing physiological cooling. Canopies are installed to provide shelter from direct sun and rain, making it a comfortable open-air space in a tropical city.

The design for The Star faced several challenges, including blurring the boundaries between public and private realms as well as retail and cultural components. To avoid confining and air conditioning public spaces as in many other parts of Singapore, the form of the building is shaped to collect prevailing northerly and southerly breezes and accelerate through the outdoor spaces. This innovative solution showcases the creativity and ingenuity of its designer, Andrew Bromberg of Aedas.

The Star's innovative design and unique properties have not gone unnoticed. It was awarded the Golden A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2014. This prestigious award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.