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If you're passing through the Central Business District (CBD) in Singapore, you'll likely come across the new CapitaSpring building, one of the tallest in the area.

Located at 88 Market Street, CapitaSpring is a 51-storey, 280m-tall integrated development which boasts a hawker centre, offices, serviced apartments with a pool, two gardens and an observatory deck.

The building was completed in 2021, and about 93 per cent of its 673,000 sqft of workspace and retail net lettable area has been taken up. Tenants have also started moving in progressively since last November.

CapitaSpring is jointly owned by CapitaLand Development, CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust and Mitsubishi Estate Co. Ltd.

Hawker centre

The second and third floors of the building will house the new Market Street Hawker Centre, which was previously located at Golden Shoe carpark, and also known as the Golden Shoe Hawker Centre.

The hawker centre comprises 56 stalls, and is scheduled to open in April 2022.

Currently, stallholders are operating at the Market Street Interim Hawker Centre at Cross Street.

Serviced apartments

CapitaSpring includes not just offices and retail spaces, but serviced apartments.

Citadines Raffles Place Singapore has opened as the new flagship for the Citadines Apart'hotel, and occupies eight floors of the building.

It is said to "offer the comfort of a serviced residence and the flexibility of a hotel".

The Citadines' 299 units include studio, one- and two-bedroom units, as well as loft apartments.

Guests can enjoy amenities such as an indoor gym, fitness park, 400m running track, 25m-long pool, jacuzzi, and a shared kitchen.

Green features

CapitaSpring is also touted as a biophilic skyscraper, with several green features.

It is a recipient of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Award, one of the highest green building accolades in Singapore.

Another building that has been awarded the same award is PARKROYAL on Pickering, which has a lush facade of vertical greenery.

In total, the development boasts more than 80,000 plants from over 130 species, with more than 63 per cent of it being native plants. This means less pesticides and water is required for maintenance.

Spiralling botanical promenade open to the public

At 100m above ground is the Green Oasis, a mid-air botanical promenade which spirals from Levels 17 to 20, with a total height of 35m.

Over 38,000 plants from 70 species have been planted at the promenade.

Residents, tenants, and the public can walk through the promenade to enjoy the view and greenery, and take in some fresh air.

The area also includes various amenities such an amphitheatre, ideation nests, and work pods. A cafe next to the garden, Sol & Luna, will open on Feb. 10.

According to CapitaSpring, cool air is recycled from the air-conditioned office spaces above the Green Oasis, and water condensate from the building's air-conditioners is also harvested and recycled for non-drinking uses.

Green Oasis will open to the public on Feb. 10, from 7:30am to 10:30pm.

Rooftop farm and observatory deck

Members of the public can also access CapitaSpring's Sky Garden, where they can admire the 360-degree view of the surrounding CBD and Marina Bay.

This area located on the 51st floor of the building is Singapore's tallest publicly accessible observatory deck.

A small farm is also situated on the rooftop — CapitaSpring partnered Edible Garden City to build this urban farm at level 51, making it the "tallest urban farm" in Singapore. The farm spans around 5,000 sqft, and has five themed gardens.

Edibles grown include Daikon radish, turmeric, okra, and several varieties of spinach.

Vegetables and spices grown at the farm will be harvested and used in 1-Group's two F&B concepts on the rooftop, which offer a farm-to-plate dining experience.

The Sky Garden will be open to public in the second quarter of 2022.

Promoting active mobility

There are various amenities at CapitaSpring to promote active mobility.

165 bicycle lots and fully-equipped end-of-trip facilities have been implemented.

Enhancements have also been made to the streetscape. These include widening the walking pavements and creating a 600- metre cycling path around the building’s perimeter to form part of the Central Area cycling network connecting Raffles Place to the country’s larger cycling network.

These features support the Singapore Green Plan 2030, one of the goals of which is to reduce carbon emissions by promoting the use of public transport and active mobility modes such as cycling.

As part of Singapore's push towards electric vehicles (EV), CapitaSpring provides four EV parking lots and two fast chargers.

Top photo by Ashley Tan