Marina Bay to Welcome Another Mega Mixed-Use Development: Key Highlights of the Marina Square Transformation

Marina Square Set for Its Largest Revamp Yet: Comprehensive Transformation into Malls, Luxury Residences, Hotels, and Offices

With a 40-year heritage, Marina Square is poised to undergo the most extensive redevelopment in its history.

This initiative goes beyond a conventional mall refurbishment or tenant mix refresh; it entails a complete master-planned rejuvenation of the entire 9.2-hectare Marina Square site. Spanning an area equivalent to approximately 13 football pitches, the future precinct will integrate retail and dining, sports and wellness facilities, luxury residences, serviced apartments, hotels, Grade A offices, event spaces, and expansive greenery.

Upon completion of the redevelopment, Marina Square will transition from a traditional shopping mall into a vibrant, large-scale waterfront integrated development where people can live, work, stay, play, dine, and engage in community life.

Overall completion is targeted for early 2031, with select amenities opening progressively in phases.

Shopping Mall to Close on 31 March 2027

To facilitate the extensive construction works, the Marina Square shopping mall will officially close its doors on 31 March 2027.

The developers had previously evaluated options to keep parts of the mall operating or to phase the closure. However, given the structural interconnectedness of the mall's various wings, a full closure was deemed the most prudent approach to ensure safety and construction efficiency throughout the transformation.

The three adjacent hotels linked to the mall—Pan Pacific Singapore, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, and Mandarin Oriental, Singapore—will remain fully operational throughout the construction period.

The developers will coordinate closely with hotel operators to maintain seamless guest access points and minimise any disruption caused by ongoing works.

Gross Floor Area to Increase by Approximately 15%

This partial redevelopment plan for Marina Square has already received written permission under the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) Strategic Development Incentive (SDI) scheme.

Post-redevelopment, the total gross floor area (GFA) across the precinct will expand from approximately 3.4 million sq ft to 3.9 million sq ft—a growth of around 15%, excluding additional bonus floor space allocated for balconies and indoor recreational spaces.

While several new towers will be introduced, the scheme is not a wholesale demolition. Selected existing structures alongside the three hotels will be retained, stitched seamlessly together with the new towers, reimagined retail podium, and revitalised public realm.

This signifies that Marina Square’s future will not simply be a bigger mall, but a holistic, self-contained integrated urban community.

Three New Towers to Join the Precinct

The highlight of the transformation is the addition of three brand-new towers: a luxury residential tower, a serviced apartment block, and a mixed-use tower housing a hotel and prime office space.

The first is a 49-storey luxury residential tower housing 204 exclusive units.

The residences will primarily comprise three-, four-, and five-bedroom configurations, topped with penthouses. Tailored largely for owner-occupiers—whether as a primary residence or a prestigious second home—the layouts are designed to capitalise on the tower's height and prime orientation, capturing panoramic vistas of Marina Bay, the Esplanade, and the city skyline.

Unit sizes, price points, and official launch dates have yet to be unveiled. Nevertheless, as a premier waterfront integrated project fronting Marina Bay, the development is positioned firmly within the ultra-luxury segment.

The second tower is a 24-storey serviced apartment building offering 260 units.

These serviced residences will cater to corporate executives, extended-stay business travellers, and guests seeking flexible accommodation, injecting a steady baseline of long-term staying demand into the precinct.

The third tower is a 19-storey commercial building integrating a hotel and Grade A office spaces.

The tower will house a new 304-key hotel spanning Levels 4 to 10. Level 11 is dedicated to communal amenities and a landscaped sky terrace, while Levels 12 to 19 will feature premium Grade A office floor plates.

Offering regular floor plates of around 20,000 sq ft per floor, the offices will command unblocked views across Esplanade, Marina Bay, and parts of the Civic District.

Hotel Inventory Expands to 2,137 Rooms

At present, the three existing hotels within the Marina Square cluster provide a combined total of 1,833 guest rooms.

With the addition of the new hotel, the precinct’s total hospitality inventory will reach 2,137 keys, further cementing Marina Square’s standing as a leading hospitality and tourism landmark in the heart of the city.

Rather than duplicating existing hospitality offerings, the new hotel is slated to complement the existing three properties, broadening the choices available to diverse business delegates, tourists, and event attendees.

Looking ahead, visitors can stay, hold conferences, work, shop, dine, and participate in leisure activities within a single development, cultivating a complete integrated ecosystem.

Transitioning from an Inward-Facing Mall to an Outward-Facing Destination

Built in the 1980s, the current Marina Square exemplifies the introverted, enclosed shopping mall design of its era, with most shops, circulation routes, and activities tucked inside, offering minimal engagement with surrounding streets and public spaces.

The transformation will see over 76,000 sq m of retail space undergo an asset enhancement initiative (AEI) anchored by an 'inside-out' design philosophy.

The existing ground-level parking will be converted into active street-facing communal spaces, complete with a 24-hour public thoroughfare. This will significantly improve pedestrian accessibility between Marina Square, the neighbouring hotels, MRT stations, the Esplanade, and adjacent commercial hubs.

The retail footprint will also be recalibrated—moving away from merely stacking retail tenancies to curating an experiential mix spanning F&B, sports, wellness, and lifestyle offerings.

The future mall will place greater emphasis on 'why people visit in person' rather than merely 'what they can buy'.

From Department-Store Dominance to Experiential Retail

When Marina Square first opened in 1986, it was one of the largest shopping malls in Southeast Asia.

Back then, the mall was anchored by major department stores, supermarkets, cinemas, arcades, and family restaurants. In an era dominated by e-commerce and shifting consumer behaviour, relying solely on conventional anchor tenants to drive footfall is no longer as effective.

Consequently, the repositioning pivots heavily towards sports, health, dining, social engagement, and communal experiences.

The mall’s rooftop is slated to become a landscaped sports club equipped with pickleball and padel courts. The project may also bring in specialised operators in sports rehabilitation, preventative health, and longevity wellness to reinforce the athletic and lifestyle narrative.

In future, visiting Marina Square will be less about routine shopping and more about sports, active events, dining, wellness experiences, and quality time with family and friends.

A 43,000 sq ft Sheltered Event Space

The development also plans to unveil a sheltered event plaza of around 4,000 sq m (approx. 43,056 sq ft) fronting the Esplanade.

This versatile, all-weather venue can accommodate badminton, basketball, and table tennis tournaments, or serve as a starting and finishing hub for running, cycling, or triathlon events.

Beyond athletics, the grounds will host community festivals, public showcases, and large-scale gatherings.

This initiative underscores the developer’s ambition to establish Marina Square as a multi-generational destination where children, parents, and grandparents can enjoy sports, dining, and social leisure across different times of the day.

60% to 70% of the Site Dedicated to Greenery

Even with the addition of residential, hotel, serviced apartment, and office spaces, lush biophilic landscaping remains a foundational pillar of the master plan.

Between 60% and 70% of the entire site area will be set aside for landscaping and lush open green spaces.

An elevated garden loop will be introduced to link various themed gardens across the site. The peripheral areas of the mall will also feature newly landscaped, pet-friendly public plazas.

Along Raffles Avenue, an area of around 6,500 sq m above the Stamford Canal will be transformed into a public park featuring greenery, children’s play zones, and community gathering grounds.

New pedestrian walkways at both ground and elevated levels will substantially enhance connectivity to MRT stations, the Esplanade, neighbouring developments, and the broader Marina Centre precinct.

Preserving Architectural Heritage over Total Demolition

Marina Square and its three interconnected hotels were originally designed by the acclaimed American architect John Portman.

These buildings are celebrated for their monumental atriums, stepped terraced balconies, and dramatic interior volumes, epitomising 1980s mega-hotel and mixed-use architecture.

While the developer considered redeveloping the entire 9.2-hectare footprint from scratch in the early planning stages, extensive deliberations led to the decision to retain the core architectural heritage while introducing complementary new structures.

This balanced approach honours Marina Square's distinctive architectural legacy while avoiding the environmental waste of full-scale demolition, giving historic structures a vibrant new lease of life.

A Major Wave of Transformation Across Marina Bay

The transformation of Marina Square is part of a broader precinct-wide rejuvenation.

Multiple landmark developments surrounding Marina Bay are progressing concurrently, with completions lined up between 2027 and 2031.

Directly across from Marina Square, The Float @ Marina Bay is being redeveloped into NS Square. The new venue will house a permanent stage and a 30,000-seat grandstand for the National Day Parade as well as national and community events, targeted to open as early as late 2027.

Marina Bay Sands is also embarking on a major expansion valued at around US$10 billion. The development will feature a 55-storey luxury hotel tower offering 570 suites, a 15,000-seat entertainment arena, and approximately 200,000 sq ft of MICE space, targeting completion in June 2030 and opening in January 2031, subject to planning approvals.

Meanwhile, Gardens by the Bay will expand its Bayfront Wetlands by around 5 hectares, introducing enhanced green spaces, elevated boardwalks, and a dedicated indoor-outdoor teamLab museum, slated to open progressively from late 2028.

These developments align closely with Marina Square's timeline, signalling that by 2030, the entire Marina Bay district will emerge revitalised across tourism, entertainment, residential living, commerce, and civic life.

Will the 'Marina Square' Name Be Kept?

The developers have not finalised whether the precinct will continue to be called "Marina Square" after its transformation.

On one hand, the Marina Square name carries 40 years of brand equity and nostalgic value for generations of Singaporeans.

On the other hand, the upcoming scale, architectural ambition, and positioning reach well beyond that of a conventional retail mall. With the introduction of prime residences, serviced apartments, a new hotel, Grade A offices, sports amenities, and expansive public parks, a reimagined identity may better articulate its world-class integrated status.

Ultimately, the naming decision will rest on balancing historical heritage with the project’s future-forward positioning.

From a Legacy Mall to an Integrated Waterfront Community

The most profound shift awaiting Marina Square lies not in the volume of shops it adds, but in how the entire precinct’s purpose is being redefined.

Residences will introduce a permanent residential population; serviced residences and hotels will cater to prime business and leisure travellers; Grade A offices will anchor professional talent; and the mall will generate vibrant footfall through dining, wellness, sports, and experiential offerings.

Public parks, event plazas, an elevated green loop, and modernised pedestrian networks will seamlessly integrate the development with Esplanade, MRT stations, NS Square, and the greater Marina Bay waterfront.

When these dynamic components come together, Marina Square will no longer function as just a shopping mall, but as a vibrant, 24/7 multi-generational waterfront destination.

With the mall closing on 31 March 2027 and overall redevelopment completing by early 2031, select amenities will open in stages.

By then, this beloved landmark that has accompanied Singaporeans for four decades will return to the Marina Bay skyline in an inspiring new form—seamlessly blending commerce, residential living, hospitality, enterprise, sports, and urban community.