New Funan mall lets cyclists ride through it

Revamped complex will have 200m cycling path, with safety measures for non-cyclists

Ms Fionna Lee (above right), 26, a senior executive at CapitaLand, cycling on the path in the new Funan mall, which opens next month.
Ms Fionna Lee (above), 26, a senior executive at CapitaLand, cycling on the path in the new Funan mall, which opens next month. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Ms Fionna Lee (above right), 26, a senior executive at CapitaLand, cycling on the path in the new Funan mall, which opens next month.
Ms Fionna Lee, 26, a senior executive at CapitaLand, cycling on the path in the new Funan mall, which opens next month. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Stairs leading up to the Food Garden, where shoppers at the new Funan mall can experience a variety of edible plants through smell, touch and sight. Deck chairs at the rooftop garden, which offers visitors a view of Marina Bay and Fort Canning from e
Stairs leading up to the Food Garden, where shoppers at the new Funan mall can experience a variety of edible plants through smell, touch and sight. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Deck chairs at the rooftop garden, which offers visitors a view of Marina Bay and Fort Canning from either end of the building. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Stairs leading up to the Food Garden, where shoppers at the new Funan mall can experience a variety of edible plants through smell, touch and sight. Deck chairs at the rooftop garden, which offers visitors a view of Marina Bay and Fort Canning from e
Shoppers can lounge at the mall's amphitheatre, which is made of natural timber. It seats 150 people. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Visitors will not only be able to walk into the new Funan mall when it opens next month, but they will also be able to cycle in it.

The revamped complex will feature a 200m cycling path that runs through and around it, making the mall the first in Singapore to offer cyclists and personal mobility device (PMD) users such access.

To make things more interesting, LED light strips on the cycling path, activated by a series of ceiling motion detector cameras, will light up when there is movement on it.

The mall's cycling path is an extension of the outdoor shared cycling and walking path in North Bridge Road.

At a media preview yesterday, CapitaLand Singapore's managing director of retail Chris Chong said the addition of an indoor cycling path is Funan's way of supporting the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) car-lite movement.

"If we want to support the car-lite movement, we must give shoppers alternatives and choices. By incorporating (a cycling path), we are giving them an option. We've got to walk the talk," he said.

He said the cycling path will serve mainly working professionals in the area who cycle to their offices during morning peak hours.

A bicycle hub on the first floor of the new mall has amenities which will appeal to cyclists, including four shower cabins, eight lockers and a bicycle pump and repair station. There will also be 166 bicycle bays.

Safety should not be a concern for non-cyclists, according to the building's developer, CapitaLand Mall Trust. There will be safety features - for example, the cycling path will be fitted with speed-regulating safety strips.

During the mall's operating hours from 10am to 10pm, signs will also be put up along the path to encourage riders to dismount and push within the mall.

The former IT mall closed in mid-2016 for redevelopment, which cost $560 million and will nearly double the floor area of the complex to 887,000 sq ft.

The centrepiece of the revamped mall is a six-storey predominantly steel structure called the Tree Of Life. It houses 20 retail pods for brands to showcase their products on a limited-period pop-up concept and two open studio spaces that can be combined to accommodate large workshops and classes.

Local jewellery brand Carrie K. is among the tenants that have signed up for one of the pods.

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Besides six floors of retail stores, the mixed-use complex will comprise two office towers and a co-living serviced residence called lyf Funan Singapore.

A 5,000 sq ft urban farm operated by urban farming outfit Edible Garden City is located on the seventh floor. It will be open to the public, and visitors can dine at Noka, a farm-to-table restaurant just next to the urban farm.

A rooftop garden offers visitors a view of Marina Bay and Fort Canning from either end of the building.

Mr Chong said: "The new Funan is about enriching the shopping experience and enriching our shoppers' lifestyles. At the end of the day, when our visitors come to the mall, we hope they walk away more knowledgeable about the stuff they see and experience here."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 22, 2019, with the headline New Funan mall lets cyclists ride through it. Subscribe