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Construction starts on NS Square at Marina Bay The grandstand at NS Square will seat about 30,000 people, allowing more spectators at the National Day Parade each year. SINGAPORE: Construction on the NS Square venue in Singapore's downtown centre started on Tuesday (Mar 19), with an expected completion date by 2027. The redevelopment of a floating platform at Marina Bay into NS Square was announced in 2017 and initially slated for completion at end-2025, but faced delays during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once completed, NS Square will become a national landmark for all Singaporeans, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said at a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday. “NS Square aims to be a place for NSmen and their families to enjoy the peace and prosperity of a Singapore which they have protected over the years,” he said. “It will be another jewel to add to the already impressive skyline around Marina Bay ... and one given over to NSmen and their families to show our country’s deep appreciation.” When completed, NS Square will house a permanent stage and grandstand for large-scale annual events like the National Day Parade and Marina Bay year-end countdown. Its circular grandstand bowl with cantilevered structures spanning up to 25m will be a first in Southeast Asia, according to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). The seats, which curve around the stage, will accommodate about 30,000 people – more than the 27,000 that The Float @ Marina Bay used to hold. The space can also be configured for different events such as concerts and sports competitions, or used for recreation and weekend markets, said MINDEF. Other public amenities include eateries and a water sports centre for canoeing, kayaking and dragon-boating. The centre will also have an elevated swimming pool. A waterfront promenade will wrap around the stage, forming part of a continuous loop around Marina Bay that will be open year-round, said MINDEF. As a tribute to all past and present national servicemen and their families, NS Square will also have a gallery themed around National Service. It will display hardware from the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force, and have an immersive exhibition space and viewing gallery of the city skyline. The construction tender for NS Square was awarded to Expand Construction last year, while the design consultancy tender was awarded to WOHA Architects in 2020. The facility incorporates sustainability features like solar panels on the roofs, which will also be planted with greenery for rainwater retention and to keep the building cool. More than 80 per cent of the development will be ventilated naturally or mechanically. Air-conditioning in remaining areas will come from the Marina Bay district cooling network, which uses an energy-efficient centralised chilled water system. Concrete and steel from the demolished floating platform will be recycled for NS Square’s construction, and some plastic bucket seats from the former seating gallery will also be repurposed. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/ns-square-marina-bay-waterfront-grandstand-4204801 good that they are recycling stuff from floating platform. so will NS Square have eMart ?

The Float@Marina Bay, where the National Day Parade (NDP) is often held, will be named NS Square, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his 2020 National Day Message. PM Lee reveals how Float@Marina Bay, renamed as NS Square, will look like in 2025 It is likely to be completed by end 2025, though the timeline may be adjusted because of Covid-19. The Float@Marina Bay, where the National Day Parade (NDP) is often held, will be named NS Square, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his 2020 National Day Message. PM also revealed how the NS Square would look like when it is completed. In 2017, PM Lee announced the redevelopment of the Float into a permanent space to serve as the primary venue for NDP. PM Lee said that the space will commemorate National Service (NS), and the central role that NS plays in Singapore. NS Square central focus of new downtown PM Lee described how NS Square will be designed: "The development will be aligned on a central axis, with The Promontory on the opposite side of the Bay. The platform will become a red dot, shining bright in our city. NS Square will be the central focus of our new downtown". The government has awarded the design consultancy tender to a team led by WOHA Architects. Redevelopment works are scheduled to start in March 2022 and completed by end 2025. The project scope and timeline may be adjusted because of Covid-19. The venue will feature various community sports facilities, such as a swimming pool and water sports centre, as well as a new waterfront promenade. PM Lee noted that when NS recruits complete their Basic Military Training (BMT), they gather their families and friends at the Float and hold their passing out parade there. Hence, the government will build a gallery there to showcase Singapore's NS story, and honour the contributions of national servicemen past and present. "NS Square will also be a community space for everyone, young and old, to enjoy", he said.

The Float @ Marina Bay will be demolished in 2022 to make way for the new NS Square, slated for completion in 2025. Before its demolition, the site will host two more NDPs, next year and in 2021. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/new-ns-square-planned-for-completion-in-2025