Two Singapore malls share honours as the best-dressed for Christmas on Orchard Road.
The Orchard Road Business Association (Orba) says the public vote for the title went to The Centrepoint, while the judges opted for Ion Orchard.
Malls were judged for both the day and night effects of their Christmas decorations, as well as the use of interactive features to create an engaging experience for shoppers.
“We thank all the participants of the best-dressed building contest for their tremendous efforts in dressing up their facades and adding to the festivities on Orchard Road,” says Orba chairman Mark Shaw.
The Centrepoint has a Christmas clockwork kitchen theme, with a larger-than-life kitchen manned by gingerbread men. Visitors can climb into a gumball glasshouse, and there is also a candy-cane throne and giant chocolate fountain.
Returning to the contest after a year’s break, the mall received 5326 of the 29,845 votes cast online.
“The Christmas clockwork kitchen concept is about bringing out the child in all of us,” says GM for retail properties Stephanie Ho of Frasers Centrepoint Malls, which runs The Centrepoint.
Meanwhile, winning the judges’ vote for the second year, Ion Orchard features a 20m Tiffany tree adorned with more than 2000 crystals, orbs and pearls, plus Tiffany blue boxes.
Visitors can enter the Tiffany box at the base of the Christmas tree and take photos in an interactive photo booth.
Photo ops
There is also an outdoor Christmas maze complete with larger-than-life reindeer, toy soldiers and penguins. “All these make for terrific photo opportunities along with the Orchard Road Christmas Light-Up,” says CEO Chris Chong of Orchard Turn Developments, which runs Ion Orchard.
Ten malls participated in the annual contest this year. The eight other malls, which each received a merit award, are Forum The Shopping Mall, Orchard Central, Orchard Gateway, Paragon, Plaza Singapura, Tanglin Mall, Tangs at Tang Plaza and Wheelock Place.
Members of the public who voted went into a draw to win $150 worth of shopping vouchers.
Meanwhile, other Christmas promotions and activities are being offered Orchard Road shoppers.
