However, GuocoLand group CEO Cheng Hsing Yao was determined to keep the design simple and to focus on the proportions, materials, detailing and colours. “It’s an understated landmark,” he says. “The simplicity gives it a quiet elegance.”
When Singapore-listed property group GuocoLand (SGX:F17
) chose an understated design for Guoco Midtown, its $2.4 billion mixed-use development on Beach Road, even its appointed architect, Melbourne-based Denton Corker Marshall, was initially concerned about its simplicity.
Guoco Midtown’s design is devoid of the more dramatic flair of its neighbours: The curves of South Beach towers (completed in 2016) by Foster and Partners, the sculptural twin towers of Duo (2018) by Buro Ole Scheeren and the trapezoidal towers of The Gateway by IM Pei.
