The Bugis+ After Ten Years

Land scarcity in Singapore is driving a lot of innovation and lateral thinking in the construction sector, with future-proof building materials becoming essential in order to meet the challenges thrown up by the city’s space constraints.

This emphasis on longevity is illustrated by the Bugis+ (originally Iluma) shopping centre, which is in the heart of Singapore’s Civic and Cultural District. Being so centrally located, the mall’s designers knew that it would have to be fit for purpose for many years after construction, as there would be limited space for it to grow into.

The mall’s designers achieved this as, despite opening in 2009 and facing footfall from 21.5 million annual visitors, this impressive feat of architecture is still meeting today’s market demands without having to worry about the costs, bureaucratic headaches and downtime of expansions or renovations.

The floor area is a showcase of the Bugis+ shopping centre’s commitment to longevity, as it is still the same Mondéco Crystal finish that was first applied a decade ago! Achieving such a long-lasting, high-end finish is no easy feat considering the vast numbers of people that have walked across this surface since it was installed in 2008, as well as the cleaning, scuffs, scrapes, spillages and impacts that it has had to cope with every single day.

Ee Mun Chan, Director of WOHA, said: “The epoxy terrazzo flooring at Bugis+ allowed the creation of a seamless flowing pattern that defines the interior spaces and people’s movement. It is extremely durable and has remained remarkably beautiful after almost ten years."

Bugis+ was designed to be like no ordinary shopping centre, in fact it is a testament to forward-thinking, sustainable architectural principles with a highly distinctive visual identity. The architectural practise WOHA chose Mondéco Crystal for the mall’s ground floor atrium as well as main concourse areas as they knew that it would provide the desired aesthetic as well as operational properties.

Approximately 7,000 m² of the seamless epoxy terrazzo system Mondéco Crystal was used to create a unique floor area that reflected the colours and creativity of the site’s external façade. The floor’s design consists of flowing black, white and grey shapes in an intricate, almost organic pattern.

With over one hundred shopping malls across Singapore including many of the most prestigious venues in the city being only a short walk away down Orchard Road, attracting shoppers in the face of stiff competition has been a constant concern for Bugis+. Using Mondéco Crystal meant that the floor would maintain its bespoke appearance and wouldn’t be spoilt by abrasions, fading and stains, helping Bugis+ to remain a relevant and competitive offering within the retail sector.

Flowcrete Asia’s Mondéco range has become a popular choice among large-scale commercial developments thanks to its design versatility and hard-wearing nature. This combination of properties means that architects can treat the floor area as one giant canvas on which to create stunning works of art, safe in the knowledge that it will withstand any challenges the site may throw at it.

Mondéco floors are installed by laying out the required pattern using aluminium trims and then pouring the coloured resin into the designated spaces in a paint-by-numbers style technique. Designers can choose from a broad palette of colours and can even customise the decorative additives incorporated within the floor to create a specific visual effect.  

Underneath the terrazzo floor, 7,000 m² of Flowcrete Asia’s semi-dry cementitious screed Isocrete K-Screed was applied. This system was ideal for creating a strong screed layer above the substrate and which would provide the Mondéco Crystal finish with a reliable, hard wearing platform to bond to.