IOI Central Boulevard Towers, the newest addition to Singapore’s skyline, is set to be completed soon. This landmark mixed-use development by IOI Properties Singapore at 2 Central Boulevard will offer more than 1.29 million sq ft of premium Grade-A office space, along with dining and lifestyle amenities.
This state-of-the-art development has been awarded the BCA Green Mark Platinum award, the Universal Design Mark Gold award and the WiredScore Platinum Certification.
It embodies IOI Properties’ commitment to sustainability, featuring green building practices and innovative design, aimed at enhancing both environmental performance and tenants’ well-being.
Tenants and visitors at IOI Central Boulevard Towers can look forward to approximately 30,000 sq ft of dining and retail spaces, along with childcare facilities and a lush skypark with views of Marina Bay.
According to IOI Properties Singapore, the Singapore arm of the Malaysia-listed IOI Properties Group (IOIPG), the development is designed to provide convenience and enhance the overall experience for its occupants with its variety of future-ready features, amenities and communal spaces.
See also: IOI Central Boulevard Towers: Sole new CBD Grade-A office complex to be completed in 2024
IOIPG is well-acquainted with developing iconic landmarks in Singapore. It formed a joint venture with City Developments in 2011 to develop South Beach, a mega mixed-development comprising premium hotel JW Marriott Singapore South Beach, a commercial tower, retail shops and residences in downtown Singapore.
Completed in 2016, the South Beach development exemplified its commitment to sustainability and heritage preservation through the restoration of four conservation buildings. Among these restored structures were the former Non-Commissioned Officers’ Club building and a section of the former Beach Road Camp.
See also: IOI Central Boulevard Towers: Workplace of the future
The preservation and integration of these historical buildings seamlessly blended Singapore’s architectural heritage with contemporary urbanism, while also reducing embodied carbon during construction.
This approach not only reduced the environmental impact of new construction but also honoured the historical significance of the site, creating a unique and sustainable urban space.
Eight years on, IOI Properties Singapore continues its dedication to green building practices with IOI Central Boulevard Towers.
In this special feature in Planet Edge, discover the nuts and bolts of the new development, including the innovative green features that have been incorporated ahead of its opening.
Marina Bay’s newest sky park
IOI Central Boulevard Towers features two impressive buildings: a 16-storey East Tower and a 48-storey West Tower, both atop a seven-storey podium. Embracing biophilic design, the development showcases 120,000 sq ft of lush green landscaping, creating a harmonious blend of urban architecture and nature.
At the heart of this green oasis is the Central Green, a 60,000 sq ft sky park on the seventh floor. With a variety of air-filtering plants that enhance air quality and natural ventilation, Central Green is a “tropical respite” for tenants and visitors.
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Described as the largest metropolitan sky park in Marina Bay, the park spans a remarkable 160m in length, equivalent to three Olympic-sized swimming pools. It offers a serene escape, with meeting pods, cosy nooks, walking paths and lush scenery that are thoughtfully designed to promote relaxation and well-being.
Central Green also caters to those who crave some adrenaline rush with a 200m jogging track meandering through the verdant landscapes. Nestled among the greenery is Sospiri by the ilLido Group, which offers a new dining experience with panoramic views of Marina Bay.
Pedestrian-oriented destination
Tenants at IOI Central Boulevard Towers can lead an active, car-free lifestyle with 327 bicycle lots and comprehensive end-of-trip facilities, including changing rooms with showers for tenants to freshen up after cycling or jogging to work.
Designed to support those who commute by foot, bicycle or other non-motorised means, end-of-trip facilities provide a convenient and comfortable transition to their work day.
Link bridges seamlessly connect IOI Central Boulevard Towers with Asia Square Towers and One Raffles Quay, facilitating pedestrian access across the entire Central Business District (CBD) including the Raffles Place, Marina Bay, Shenton Way and Downtown MRT stations.
This connectivity supports the city’s car-lite initiative, encouraging sustainable commuting by promoting public transport over private vehicles, while enhancing convenient travel for tenants and visitors within the CBD.
For drivers, the two-storey car park also includes three electric-vehicle charging points, with plans to expand this to 40 by 2030.
Solutions for the modern workforce
According to IOI Properties Singapore, the high-performance sustainable facades at IOI Central Boulevard Towers are designed to create a comfortable indoor environment.
By utilising double-glazed low-emissivity glass, the towers will save 380,038 kilowatt-hours of energy annually, which is equivalent to powering 89 fourroom HDB flats.
Occupancy-based controls for temperature and ventilation further minimise energy use, leading to an estimated 19.1% energy savings compared to the industry baseline for vertical transport systems.
Beneath this landmark development lies a future-ready, green and efficient facility. IOI Central Boulevard Towers is connected to the Marina Bay district cooling network, the world’s largest underground district cooling system.
IOI Central Boulevard Towers joins notable buildings, such as Marina Bay Sands, Asia Square Towers and Marina Bay Financial Centre, in benefitting from SP Group’s innovative solution.
This centralised system distributes chilled water 24/7 to various buildings through an underground network of insulated pipes. This method allows buildings to consume less energy, resulting in annual emissions savings of up to 19,439 tonnes, equivalent to removing 17,672 cars from the road each year.
Buildings can rely on a centralised cooling system without the need to invest in or maintain individual chillers, and this frees up space that would otherwise be required.
IOI Central Boulevard Towers also incorporates energy-saving lifts and escalators equipped with AC Variable Voltage Variable Frequency motor drives.
Regenerative lift drives can reduce energy use by up to 45%, and a sleep mode feature further enhances energy savings during off-peak hours. According to IOI Properties Singapore, these elevators are 50% to 70% more efficient than conventional ones.
Green certifications
IOI Central Boulevard Towers has optimised the use of concrete in its construction, prioritising safety and productivity. Pre-cast concrete was used for 75% of the floor area, and 80% of the superstructure concrete by volume was low-carbon concrete.
To reduce water consumption, the development features three-tick Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme-rated water fittings, water meters, leak detection systems and automatic irrigation with rain sensor controls.
Water consumption is monitored via a dashboard, with expected annual savings of up to 55,642 cu m, equivalent to 22 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
These sustainable designs, construction practices and innovative green technologies have earned IOI Central Boulevard Towers the BCA Green Mark Platinum certification. As a Green Mark Platinum-certified building, it demonstrates 30% energy and water savings, sustainable practices and innovative green features.
The development also received the Universal Design Mark Gold Award for creating an inclusive working environment for people of all ages and abilities.
It also achieved WiredScore Platinum for meeting exceptional standards for wired infrastructure and wireless network resilience, and is the first building in the CBD to receive this certification.
Shawn Chang, general manager of property development at IOI Properties Singapore, emphasises the project’s commitment to sustainability. “IOI Central Boulevard Towers is future-proofed with market-leading sustainability, health and wellness features; and these accolades are a testament to our commitment to creating a better future for generations to come.”
Sustainability at the core
David Tibbott, managing director for asset management, says: “Our sustainability objectives are closely aligned with that of our tenants. This development showcases IOI Properties Singapore’s dedication to creating sustainable, top-tier offices that meet the evolving needs of today’s businesses, including major tenants like Amazon and Morgan Stanley.”
At the group level, IOIPG is committed to developing a sustainable future, guided by its comprehensive Sustainability Strategic Framework and its sustainability roadmap. IOIPG is actively working towards decarbonisation and planning for long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction.
The group has conducted embodied carbon assessments for its residential developments in Malaysia, like its high-rise residential project, Gems Residences in IOI Resort City, Putrajaya; and Marvela, a double-storey project in Bandar Putra Kulai, Johor.
These carbon footprint assessments will help strengthen the group’s GHG inventory by addressing Scope 3 emissions, enabling it to strategise and plan for products with lower embodied carbon by considering alternative materials and construction methods.
For the group’s property investment and leisure and hospitality segments in Malaysia, the energy reduction target is 8% by FY2025 and 10% by FY2028, using FY2020 as the baseline; while the carbon emissions intensity reduction target is 15% by FY2025 and 18% by FY2028, with FY2020 as the baseline.
To achieve these goals, the group installed motion sensors, energy-efficient lighting, individually controlled lighting circuits for flexible configurations and retrofitted chillers in their managed buildings.
Rooftop solar panels have been installed at sales galleria, retail malls as well as several other properties. These include Malaysia’s largest mall, IOI City Mall, which boasts 8,910 photovoltaic solar panel modules generating 15,646 gigajoules of solar energy a year as of FY2023, and a highly efficient thermal energy storage system.
Since 2022, IOIPG has adopted the Task Force on Climate Related Disclosures’ (TCFD) recommendations and implemented its TCFD Roadmap, actively addressing related transition and physical risks as well as opportunities.
These include strategies and commitment to prioritise energy efficiency and renewable energy for both development products and the buildings the group manages, wherever feasible.
