Nestled in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District, CapitaSpring emerges as a benchmark in high-rise mixed-use development. Rising to 280 m with 51 floors, the tower offers a blend of Grade A offices, serviced residences, retail, and public social spaces. This project showcases how verticality and urban density can combine with lush greenery and community precincts to create a new model for city-centre regeneration.
Vision & Strategic Positioning
CapitaSpring originates from the ambition of CapitaLand Development and Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. to transform a former car park and hawker site at 88 Market Street into a landmark building in Singapore’s financial core. Strategically, the project aligns with Singapore’s broader objectives of densification, sustainable urbanism and high-quality work-live-play precincts. The inclusion of abundant greenery, public amenity and a robust tenant mix allows CapitaSpring to position itself as both a premium workplace environment and a community-oriented destination.
Master Plan & Core Components
CapitaSpring comprises approximately 93,000 m² of gross floor area, spanning a podium with hawker centre and retail, serviced residence (by Citadines), and premium office floors. The podium replicates and preserves the historic function of the site by incorporating a hawker centre and pedestrianized Market Street frontage. The developers engaged architecture practices Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Carlo Ratti Associati, together with consultants such as Arup for environmental and façade design.
Key components include:
- A high-rise tower rising from the podium, with office floors above the serviced residence to capitalise on views and premium workspace demand.
- The “Green Oasis” — a four‐storey, ~35m-tall atrium filled with tropical planting, allowing a vertical garden to permeate the building’s core.
- Sky gardens and terraces at multiple elevations, culminating in one of Singapore’s highest urban farms on the rooftop.
- Retail and hawker spaces at street level, serving both building occupants and the public.
Development & Investment Potential
The building’s completion in 2021/2022 marked the delivery of a new premium tower in the CBD. Tenant commitment has been strong: for example, J.P. Morgan opened a major regional office in CapitaSpring in 2022. From an investment perspective, the quality of the asset, its sustainable credentials, and location within Singapore’s limited core land market support long-term value creation. Recent news indicates that CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT) intends to acquire the remaining stake in CapitaSpring, reflecting strong institutional interest.
Sustainability & Innovation
CapitaSpring is exemplary in its sustainability and biophilic design. The landscaped area exceeds 140 % of its site area, supported by over 80,000 plants. building holds the BCA Green Mark Platinum certification and Universal Design GoldPLUS certification. Façade design, daylighting, computational fluid dynamics and thermal modelling were used to optimize occupant comfort, energy use and integration of greenery. From an innovation perspective, the building responds to hybrid-work demands with flexible floorplates, varied amenity zones, and wellness-oriented spaces.
Challenges & Considerations
While CapitaSpring sets a high bar, some challenges merit attention:
- The conversion of a high-profile site in a dense CBD context required complex engineering (e.g., integrating sky gardens, vertical voids, and façade systems) which increases capital cost and construction risk.
- Post-pandemic shifts in office occupancy and hybrid workmean future demand uncertainty for premium office space. While this asset has strong commitments, market-wide risks persist.
- Maintenance and operations of intensive green spaces, sky gardens and vertical landscape systems may entail higher cost and management complexity.
- While the building is highly publicly-accessible in parts (hawker centre, retail), the balance between private tenant zones and public urban activation merits ongoing scrutiny to ensure the social value is realised.
Urban Impact & Legacy
CapitaSpring contributes meaningfully to the urban fabric of Singapore’s CBD. By replacing a car park and disconnected uses, it introduces a vertical neighbourhood of work, living and leisure. The building restores a portion of Market Street as a pedestrianized public realm and embeds communal spaces at height — shifting the ground-plane outward and upward. The project also reinforces Singapore’s reputation as a “garden city” and signals how tall buildings can be reconceived not simply as isolated towers but as integrated urban ecosystems. The award of the 2024/25 International High-Rise Award to CapitaSpring underscores its global recognition and potential legacy.
Summary
CapitaSpring exemplifies how premium real-estate development in a dense urban core can combine commercial viability, high-quality architecture, biophilic design, and public amenity. Its strategic location, high-end tenant mix, sustainability credentials and innovative design make it a compelling benchmark for future skyscraper development in Asia and beyond. While market and operational risks exist, the building’s long-term outlook is supported by its adaptability and forward-looking positioning.
Project Facts & Figures
- Location: 88 Market Street, Singapore 048948.
- Height: approx. 280 m; 51 floors above ground.
- Gross Floor Area: ~93,000 m².
- Developer: CapitaLand Development / Mitsubishi Estate.
- Architects: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) & Carlo Ratti Associati
- Sustainability: BCA Green Mark Platinum; Universal Design GoldPLUS.
- Unique features: Over 80,000 plants; landscaped area exceeds 140 % of site.
- Major tenant: J.P. Morgan Singapore office opened 2022.
