To mark the final day for the 31-year-old Funan DigitaLife Mall in Singapore, senior management of the owner, CapitaLand Mall Trust Management, hosted a thank-you party for about 400 guests including tenants, loyal shoppers and mall staff.
At Funan’s main atrium, the event celebrated milestones of the mall’s three decades as it embarks on a new chapter of being redeveloped into an experiential hub.
To cater to shoppers who wanted to take last photographs and videos of the mall, its final-day opening hours were extended until 11pm.
To involve consumers in Funan’s transformation, CapitaLand and The Straits Times launched the #BeyondIT crowdsourcing campaign, which invited the public to imagine the mall’s future. More than 1000 ideas were received in about six weeks, participants representing shoppers aged from seven to 77 years.
“We are heartened and inspired by the public’s enthusiastic response to shape the transformation of Funan into a mall of the future,” says CapitaLand CEO Wilson Tan. “Funan has become the icon it is today because of the passion of its people, including shoppers, tenants and staff. The new Funan will continue this lineage and strive to be a dynamic mall that enables and supports the passions of the communities it serves.
‘Until we meet again’
“Technology has always been a big part of Funan, and we will build on that legacy, moving from just selling IT products to enriching people’s lives with technology.
“This is not a ‘goodbye’, it is simply ‘until we meet again’. We thank everyone who has been a part of Funan, and look forward to welcoming them back with even more exciting offerings in the new Funan. See you in three years’ time.”
Singapore graffiti artist Ceno2, known for his classical inspiration from such painters as Michelangelo and Rembrandt, presented his graffiti art interpretation of the #BeyondIT ideas to party attendees. The artwork will be placed on the hoarding of the new integrated development on the Funan site.
In line with the revitalisation of the civic and cultural district where the mall is located, Funan will almost double its size from 482,000 sqft (44779 sqm) to 870,000 sqft as an integrated development.
Ideas submitted for the redevelopment include a black-box theatre with adjustable seats to accommodate different types of performances, running and cycling tracks along the mall’s perimeter, and an app that helps drivers remember where they parked their cars in the mall. Four key themes emerged from the #BeyondIT campaign – experiential retail, smart shopping technologies, lifestyle hub and sustainable living. Ideas for an engaging and interactive experience in the new Funan include a virtual-reality experience corner and a cinema featuring a 360 degree screen.
