Bringing the Outside In

The new CapitaSpring skyscraper is not just one of the tallest buildings in Singapore, it's also one of the greenest.

One of Singapore’s newest skyscrapers, CapitaSpring, redefines what a modern building can be. While the building is home to a hawker market, offices and serviced apartments, it is perhaps best known as a biophilic skyscraper. One hundred meters above the ground, and 35 meters tall, is the building’s "Green Oasis", a spiraling botanical promenade.

The Green Oasis houses over 38,000 plants and plays hosts to an amphitheater, a yoga alcove, jungle gyms, ideation nests, work pods and a café. As if not satisfied with that, on the roof the building supports Singapore's highest urban farm. At 280 meters above ground, the "Sky Garden," consists of five different themed gardens which, in part, supply the two restaurants on the roof with fresh produce for a farm-to-plate dining experience.

To ensure that the experience of moving between all these areas was as seamless as possible, we conducted an in-depth traffic analysis using our state-of-the-art traffic simulation software. By examining multiple scenarios, even before a building has been built, we can keep waiting times to a minimum. Now, with real time data, our system continues to analyze and learn the building’s traffic patterns to continually improve its performance.

"Traffic analysis studies the performance of a group of elevators, based on assumptions about the expected traffic situation," explains Anthony Lim, Sales Director for New Installations. "The main focus is on capacity and waiting time. Using benchmark simulations, we can get reliable and comparable performance results which reflect the expected real behavior of a group of elevators under a wide range of traffic situations."

Schindler CLIMB Lift was also used to maximize on-site efficiency and safety. "Unlike traditional hoist lifts that are on the side of the building, Schindler’s CLIMB Lift is installed inside the building," explains Halim Draman, Project Director of the Large Project Team. "Instead of being a temporary fitting it’s a permanent elevator that grows at the same speed as the construction."

The elevator is internal, which means that it could be used around the clock, transporting materials during night shifts. This is usually not possible with hoist lifts. And as it wasn’t exposed to outdoor elements, it could be used in all-weather conditions. This all meant that productivity was sped up and construction could move at a faster pace.

While Schindler CLIMB Lift allows faster transportation of workers and material to the desired destination, saving hours of waiting time across the project’s timeline, Halim also points out another key area Schindler CLIMB Lift helps improve – on-site safety.

Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) certification

On May 20th 2022, we were awarded the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) certification marking another milestone of our focus on sustainablity and green building advancement.

Our Schindler 5500 and Schindler 7000 elevatorshave recieved the SGBC score "Leader" (the highest score possible), while our Schindler 9300 and Schindler 9500 escalators have obtained the SGBC rating "Excellent".

This mean we can help make the process of attaining the Building and Construction Authority (BCA)'s building Green Mark Certification much easier for property owners and developers by providing a range of certified and pre-authozied products.

For more information please visit: www.schindler.com

Smart City Automation

The Avenue South Residences in Singapore are the world’s tallest PPVC residential towers. Learn more about how Schindler used its Robotic Installation System for Elevators.

With the central business district (CBD) to the east and the Singapore Straits beyond Sentosa Island to the south, the Avenue South Residences provides expansive views of the city and beyond. Away from the bustle of downtown, the two 56-story towers soar above their nearest neighbors. At 192 meters tall they are now the world’s tallest residential towers constructed using prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC).

There are a lot of benefits to prefabricating the building’s modules offsite. Less dust and noise pollution and fewer people on-site makes the working environment much safer and healthier than traditional sites. For the Avenue South Residences, it also meant that during Covid the modules could be stockpiled ready to assemble. Like Lego pieces waiting in their box.

The project is also the first in Singapore to use Schindler R.I.S.E (Robotic Installation System for Elevators).

"Have you ever drilled a hole in an elevator shaft before?" asks Dominic Stutz, Schindler’s senior project manager at the Avenue South Residences. "It’s not easy! Your whole-body shakes and there 12 bolts per level."

Several years before moving to Singapore, Dominic had heard about plans to develop a robot that could drill holes when it was first discussed at Schindler. But it wasn’t until he had been assigned to the Avenue South Residences project that he read that robots were ready to do the job.

"I read a post about it and I thought this would be a perfect project to use them. We had a lot of bolts that needed drilling!"

Dominic started to make inquiries about whether it would be possible to use the technology in Singapore, to which everyone was very receptive. It was not long after that the robot, named Lea, was welcomed by an excited team. The main contractors, United Tec Construction, were happy to use the innovative technology. It was their flexibility that helped make it possible to get Lea the robot on-site. Once there even Desmond Lee, Minister of National Development of Singapore, paid a visit to see her in action.

With Lea put to work in the shafts, the installation team could work at a faster pace as they no longer had to manually drill and set the anchor bolts, a physically demanding, and time-consuming task. It also meant they had to spend less time in the shaft, which helped to improve safety.

"Schindler R.I.S.E is a perfect example of Schindler's commitment to developing smart cities of the future through advanced digital and urban mobility solutions," says Michael Li, Managing Director of Schindler Singapore. "With a rapidly growing population and a scarcity of land there is a growing need for taller buildings and faster transportation to be built. Innovations like Schindler R.I.S.E help us to accommodate such demands by achieving new levels of productivity, worker safety, and quality improvement."

Overall, ten of the Avenue South Residence’s towers elevator shafts were drilled using Schindler R.I.S.E. Dominic summed up the work by saying, "Lea did an outstanding job, not only impressing the VIPs and the local media, but also advancing safety and efficiency on the building site." For more information please visit: www.schindler.com

Mariusz Waras M-CITY acclaimed art collection

Renowned artist Mariusz Waras, known as M-CITY, has set an unprecedented benchmark by unveiling his globally acclaimed art collection, "DICTADOR M-CITY GOLDEN CITIES," estimated to be worth an astounding one billion dollars. The vibrant city-state of Singapore, famous for its thriving art scene and cosmopolitan allure, serves as the perfect backdrop for the premiere of this worldwide Dictador Art Distilled expedition.

This is not the first time M-City's work can be seen in Singapore. In 2018, he participated in the Art from the Streets exhibition at the ArtScience Museum with Banksy, Faile and D*Face. The "DICTADOR M-CITY GOLDEN CITIES" collection is testament to his mastery, featuring inspiring works that blend urban elements, architectural intricacies, and a touch of golden opulence. Notably, the exhibition includes two paintings created specifically for Singapore, one that was completed live during the opening.

This showcase, born from the longstanding collaboration between M-CITY and Dictador, will captivate art enthusiasts globally, with Paris being the next destination. An exciting highlight is the inclusion of one painting in The Grand Charity Auction, an event hosted by The Omena Art Foundation, adding elements philanthropy and community engagement to the showcase.

Dictador, renowned for challenging conventions, elevates its ambition, offering an exclusive experience for elite art connoisseurs. Participants can create personalized blends of aged rum during a visit to Dictador's Cartagena distillery. Each bottle, adorned by M-CITY with a 24-carat gold depiction of a significant city map, redefines exclusivity. The edition will close at a billion dollars and prices for the first few bottles sold start at US$ 1,500,000.

Innovation Nation

Singapore is a showroom for how Schindler is using innovative technologies at every stage of the escalator and elevator lifecycle.

There are not many developed countries around the world that have buildings taller than their highest natural points, but Singapore is one of them. Sitting at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, very close to the equator, the island nation is known for being hot, humid, and highly urbanized.

Singapore is a model for urban planning and has often been referred to as the "best-planned city" in the world. But as an island there is a finite amount of land which can be built on, so building new projects takes ingenuity and imagination. As a result, buildings are either getting taller or deeper, making vertical mobility increasingly important. Singapore is a stage for innovation.

"People always want the latest technology. Who wants last year’s smartphone?" Asks Anthony Lim Sales Director at Schindler. "That’s why in the elevator and escalator (E&E) business we always have to think five years into the future. Installations don’t happen overnight, but adaptability is built into the way we work so that we can always provide clients with state-of-the-art tech."

Former Managing Director of Schindler Singapore, Qiu Hai, who is now the President of the Escalator Division in China, described Singapore as "a nation of innovation. It’s truly an engineer’s dream. The government is a big supporter of software technology, but also knows that to build an innovation hub takes strong infrastructure. Singapore is a reference point to the world in terms of technology."

The city is also a showroom of our latest technologies that can be seen at every stage of the E&E lifecycle. Whether it is understanding how people will move through a building before it is even built using our in-depth traffic analysis, pioneering new ways of installation or our commitment to energy efficient products, examples can be found all over the city.

Our CleanMobility solutions help to address today’s challenges in a changing world, and our transit management system plays a key role in shaping the sustainability of buildings across the city. All of this is supported with responsive and personalized maintenance, based on real-time data, which adds reliability and transparency to our operations while providing excellent passenger experience.

But there is also a human element to technology. Singapore’s assorted background of cultures means the country not only has a fantastic array of culinary delights but also diverse and dedicated workforce. Michael Li, who took over as Managing Director in 2022, is a big believer in this. "Our key strength is our culture and our people. Our reputation in Singapore wasn’t built by luck, it’s the result of decades of reliability and collaboration with local developers," he explains. "Our aim is to provide value and innovation throughout the entire lifecycle of elevators and escalations. And at the heart of everything we do is sustainability." For more information please visit: www.schindler.com