The Float at Marina Bay, stylised as The Float@Marina Bay and also known as the Marina Bay Floating Platform, is a multi-purpose outdoor venue at the
Downtown Core
The Downtown Core is the historical and downtown centre of the city-state of Singapore and the main commercial area in Singapore excluding reclaimed lands with many integrated resorts such as the Marina Bay Sands, one of the most expensive build ...
area of
Marina Bay, Singapore
Marina Bay is a bay located in the Central Area of Singapore, surrounded by the perimeter of four other planning areas, the Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South and Straits View. The area surrounding the bay itself, also called Marina Ba ...
. The venue consists of a steel platform in the
Marina Reservoir
The Marina Reservoir is a reservoir in Singapore formed in 2008 by building a dam across the mouth of the Marina Channel. With the completion of the Marina Barrage on 30 October 2008, the reservoir, which contained mainly salt water, became freshw ...
, and a 27,000-seat
grandstand
A grandstand is a normally permanent structure for seating spectators. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap a ...
along the shore. The floating platform can bear up to 1,070
tonne
The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...
s, equivalent to the total weight of 9,000 people, 200 tonnes of
stage props and three 30-tonne
military vehicle
A military vehicle is any vehicle for land-based military transport and activity, including combat vehicles; both specifically designed for, or significantly used by military and armed forces. Most military vehicles require off-road capabiliti ...
s.
The Float was built in 2007 as an interim venue for events usually held at the
National Stadium
Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadiu ...
in
Kallang
Kallang is a planning area and residential town located in the Central Region of Singapore.
Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the longest river in Singapore. Kallang Planning Area is bounded by Toa Payoh in the no ...
while it was being rebuilt as part of the
Singapore Sports Hub
The Singapore Sports Hub (Chinese: 新加坡体育城; Malay: Hab Sukan Singapura; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் விளையாட்டு மையம்) is a sports and recreation district in Kallang, Singapore. The Sports H ...
project—including sporting events (such as
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
), concerts, arts and cultural performances, and festivities such as the
National Day Parade (NDP). It forms part of the
Marina Bay Street Circuit
The Marina Bay Street Circuit (otherwise known as the Singapore Street Circuit) is a street circuit around Marina Bay, Singapore, encompassing the planning areas of Downtown Core (Turns 4 to 23) and Kallang (Turns 1 to 3).
It is the venue for ...
that hosts
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
's
Singapore Grand Prix
The Singapore Grand Prix; ta, சிங்கப்பூர் கிராண்ட் பிரிக்ஸ் is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The event takes place on the Marina Bay Street Cir ...
, and hosted the ceremonies of the inaugural
2010 Summer Youth Olympics
The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics ( ta, 2010 கோடைக்கால இளையோர் ஒலிம்பிக் விளையாட்டுக்கள் ms, Sukan Olimpik Belia Musim Panas 2010), officially known as the I Summer ...
. Since 2010, The Float has hosted the graduation parade for full-time
National Servicemen who had completed their
basic military training
Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...
.
The Float has also hosted
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
and
Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is the beginning of a calendar year whose months are moon cycles, based on the lunar calendar or lunisolar calendar.
The Lunar New Year as a celebration is observed by numerous cultures. It is also named " Chinese New Year" becau ...
events.
The Float was initially intended as a temporary venue, but the NDP was only held at the new National Stadium once in 2016 and likely 2024—a decision that received mixed reception for its different atmosphere, and increased costs of the event over those held at The Float. In 2017, it was announced that The Float would remain the primary venue for the NDP (outside of those held at
the Padang
The Padang ( Malay for 'field') is an open playing field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore. It includes the Padang Cricket Ground. The Padang is surrounded by several important landmarks, which include Sai ...
every five years), and that The Float will be demolished, reconstructed and renamed to a permanent venue known as
NS Square—which will expand upon The Float with a capacity for 30,000 including a multi-purpose space for community activities, as well as a museum devoted to the national service of the country. Designed by the local
WOHA Architects, construction of NS Square is planned to begin in 2023, with completion expected in 2026.
History
As the former National Stadium at Kallang would be demolished to build the Singapore Sports Hub, a new venue for NDP is needed. In 2004,
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
Teo Jing Siong, the chairman of the organising committee of the 2007 National Day Parade, had to source for a new venue for the National Day Parade. Various venues such as
Jalan Besar Stadium
Jalan Besar Stadium, officially the Jalan Besar ActiveSG Stadium, is a association football, football stadium located in Kallang, Singapore. The stadium is part of the Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre, a community sports facility that i ...
, the
Singapore Turf Club
The Singapore Turf Club was founded in 1842 as the Singapore Sporting Club to operate the Serangoon Road Race Course at Farrer Park Field. It is the only horse-racing club in Singapore and is part of the Malayan Racing Association. The first r ...
and
Marina South
Marina South is a planning area located within the Central Area of the Central Region of Singapore. It is largely home to Gardens by the Bay as well as the Marina Barrage. The name has also been used to refer to the larger peninsula the plannin ...
were considered before the organising committee decided to create a floating platform for the NDP and use Marina Bay as a venue. The floating platform would have the city
skyline
A skyline is the outline or shape viewed near the horizon. It can be created by a city’s overall structure, or by human intervention in a rural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the land.
City skylines ...
as a backdrop for the parade. As the new National Stadium and Singapore Sports Hub were planned to be constructed over eight years with the floating platform hosting the NDP in the interim, it was determined by the government that the platform was a
cost effective
Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is a form of economic analysis that compares the relative costs and outcomes (effects) of different courses of action. Cost-effectiveness analysis is distinct from cost–benefit analysis, which assigns a monetar ...
solution.
In 2005, the organising committee worked with the
Urban Redevelopment Authority
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is the national urban planning authority of Singapore, and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Government of Singapore.
Mission
The authority was established on 1 Apri ...
(URA) and the
Singapore Sports Council
Sport Singapore (SportSG) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth of the Government of Singapore. It is the lead agency tasked with developing a holistic sports culture for the nation.
History
Sport Singapore was ...
on the design of the floating platform to be used for NDP and also other major events.
In March 2006,
Sembcorp Marine
Sembcorp Marine Limited an Singaporean company. It is listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). It was a subsidiary of Sembcorp until 2020, when the companies demerged following Sembcorp Marine's poor financial performance.
Sembcorp Marine's pr ...
started construction of the floating platform after the design was approved. By April 2007, the platform and seating
gallery
Gallery or The Gallery may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Art gallery
** Contemporary art gallery
Music
* Gallery (band), an American soft rock band of the 1970s
Albums
* ''Gallery'' (Elaiza album), 2014 album
* ''Gallery'' (Gr ...
were completed and officially opened by Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong (; born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as Prime Minister of Singapore and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party since 2004. He has been the Member of Par ...
.
Reconstruction as NS Square
The Float was originally intended to operate through 2012, after which it was to be dismantled. In 2017, it was announced that The Float would be expanded and redeveloped as a permanent venue known as NS Square.
It will be a similar floating structure but with more facilities and a museum devoted to the
national service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The l ...
.
It is slated to have a seating capacity of about 30,000. In the second quarter of 2020, it is estimated a design proposal will be chosen for implementation.
The proposal is expected to include a field that can be converted into a performance area, a waterfront sports facility, and a space for common exercise consisting of an unenclosed hall and studio spaces.
It will be designed by the local
WOHA Architects, with construction beginning in March 2022 and an expected completion in 2025.
In 2022, Defence Minister
Ng Eng Hen
Ng Eng Hen ( zh, s=黄永宏, p=Huáng Yǒnghóng; born 10 December 1958) is a Singaporean politician and former oncologist who has been serving as Minister for Defence since 2011. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has bee ...
announced that the original plans to construct NS Square was delayed by a year due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The 2022 National Day Parade was also held at the Float. The facility will now be completed in 2026, with construction beginning in March 2023.
Design
The main considerations for the platform's chief planner and developer,
Defence Science and Technology Agency, were the size of the platform, the load it could bear and also reconfigurability of the platform for various requirements of different events.
The platform is made of small platforms of
pontoons with each comprising hundreds of parts. Initial design requires 200 such pontoons but a system of connectors between the pontoons reduced it to 15. The pontoons would interlock each other similar to a
jigsaw puzzle
A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often irregularly shaped interlocking and mosaiced pieces, each of which typically has a portion of a picture. When assembled, the puzzle pieces produce a complete picture.
In th ...
. The connectors were designed to be light but strong. The platform took one month to be assembled.
The platform's foundation consisted of six pylons fixed to the seabead to hold it in place while rubber rollers were used to stabilise the platform as the platform is affected by the tides and currents in Marina Bay. The platform was connected to land by three linkways and there are special integrated joints for the linkways keep them from rocking.
To fit in the city skyline as a backdrop of platform, the seating gallery's height was restricted. Due to existing buildings and the area's development plans, the number of seats for the gallery was capped at 27,000. The platform also has an internal
drainage
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess of water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic conditio ...
system, cabling structures and
lightning rod
A lightning rod or lightning conductor (British English) is a metal rod mounted on a structure and intended to protect the structure from a lightning strike. If lightning hits the structure, it will preferentially strike the rod and be conducte ...
s.
Events
Since its completion in 2007, the Marina Bay Floating Platform has hosted several major events, such the annual National Day Parade, New Year's Eve countdown event,
2010 Summer Youth Olympics
The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics ( ta, 2010 கோடைக்கால இளையோர் ஒலிம்பிக் விளையாட்டுக்கள் ms, Sukan Olimpik Belia Musim Panas 2010), officially known as the I Summer ...
and the
FIA Formula One World Championship
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
. The first major event that was held at the floating stadium is the National Day Parade in 2007.
This was followed by the
Singapore Fireworks Celebrations held on 17 and 18 August 2007.
On 25 August 2007, the stadium was used to launch the six-week-long Waterfest Singapore 2007, which showcases
stunt
A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery spec ...
s and performances by a
water ski
Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a Surface water sports, surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a Cable skiing, cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or ...
team and
wakeboard professionals.
On 2 September 2007, the platform was the start and finish point for the
Aviva
Aviva plc is a British multinational insurance company headquartered in London, England. It has about 18 million customers across its core markets of the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. In the United Kingdom, Aviva is the largest general ...
Ironman 70.3 Singapore
triathlon
A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the t ...
.
From 15 September 2007 to 16 April 2008, The Float was closed for
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
works in preparation for the
Singapore Grand Prix
The Singapore Grand Prix; ta, சிங்கப்பூர் கிராண்ட் பிரிக்ஸ் is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The event takes place on the Marina Bay Street Cir ...
in September 2008. In November 2008, The
Singapore Cup
The Singapore Cup is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic Singaporean football. Established in 1998, it is the foremost football cup competition in the country.
It is open to clubs in the Singapore Premier League.
Since ...
final between
SAFFC
Warriors Football Club is a Singaporean professional football club that played in the Singapore Premier League, the top division of football in Singapore. Before changing their name on 20 January 2013, they were previously known as the Singapo ...
and
Woodlands Wellington FC
Woodlands Wellington Football Club is an inactive professional football club which played in the S.League, the top division of football in Singapore. They are based in Woodlands at the 4,300 seater Woodlands Stadium, where they have played sinc ...
was supposed to take place at the stadium. However, problems relating to the metal beams casting a shadow on the pitch forced the match to be played at the
Jalan Besar Stadium
Jalan Besar Stadium, officially the Jalan Besar ActiveSG Stadium, is a association football, football stadium located in Kallang, Singapore. The stadium is part of the Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre, a community sports facility that i ...
instead. The first football match to be played on the platform was a Sunday League ESPZEN amateur match between Tuan Gemuk Athletic and VNNTU FC.
In December 2007, URA considered letting the public access the gallery view the New Year's fireworks at Marina Bay. From 2009 to 2015, the floating platform is used for countdown parties.
In August 2010, The Float hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the inaugural
2010 Summer Youth Olympics
The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics ( ta, 2010 கோடைக்கால இளையோர் ஒலிம்பிக் விளையாட்டுக்கள் ms, Sukan Olimpik Belia Musim Panas 2010), officially known as the I Summer ...
. On 2 October 2010, the stadium became the first public venue for the graduation parade of the recruits from the
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...
Basic Military Training Centre
The Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) is a military training facility of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). It comprises five schools organised into three camps, of which two are based on Pulau Tekong, an island off the northeast coast of mai ...
. Previously, the graduation parade was held on
Pulau Tekong
Pulau may refer to:
*Pulau virus (PuV), a novel strain of Nelson Bay orthoreovirus species
*Pulau River, a river of West Papua and Papua New Guinea
See also
*List of islands of Malaysia – "Pulau" means "island" in the Malay language
*Pulao (di ...
itself.
Since then, the stadium has been a venue for the graduation parade, alternating with the
National Stadium
Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadiu ...
.
On 23 November 2012,
SM Entertainment
SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...
artists including
Kangta
Ahn Chil-hyun (born October 10, 1979), known professionally as Kangta (stylized sometimes in all caps and formerly as KangTa), is a South Korean singer, composer, songwriter, record producer, actor and radio personality. He is well known as a ...
,
BoA
Kwon Bo-ah (; born November 5, 1986), known professionally as BoA, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actress. One of the most successful and influential Korean entertainers, she has been dubbed the " Queen of K- ...
,
TVXQ
TVXQ (stylized as TVXQ!), an initialism for Tong Vfang Xien Qi (), is a South Korean male pop duo consisting of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. They are known as in Japanese releases, and are sometimes referred to as DBSK, an abbreviation of ...
,
Super Junior
Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent ...
,
Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piece ensembl ...
,
Shinee
Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and th ...
,
f(x), and
EXO
Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...
performed to a crowd of 18,000 fans as part of their
SM Town Live World Tour III
''SM Town Live World Tour III'' was the 2012–13 worldwide live concert tour by SM Town. The tour commenced with one show in Anaheim, California on May 20, 2012 and continued in Hsinchu, Tokyo, Seoul, Jakarta, Singapore and Bangkok.
Backgr ...
concert.
The
Singapore National Day Parade
The National Day Parade (NDP) is an annual parade held in Singapore to commemorate its independence. Held annually on 9 August, it is the main public celebration of National Day, consists of a parade incorporating contingents of the Singapore ...
(NDP) has been held at The Float since 2007, except in years it is held at
the Padang
The Padang ( Malay for 'field') is an open playing field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore. It includes the Padang Cricket Ground. The Padang is surrounded by several important landmarks, which include Sai ...
(every five years beginning in 2010), and in 2016, when it was held at the
new National Stadium.
With the announcement of the platform's redevelopment as NS Square, it was stated that The Float would remain the preferred venue for the parade when not held at the Padang.
Gallery
File: Ndp-2007.JPG, The Float at Marina Bay hosting Singapore's 42nd National Day Parade on 9 August 2007.
File: Marina Bay Floating Platform, May 07.jpg, The Float at Marina Bay in 2007, with the Singapore Flyer under construction in the background.
File: Singapore Marina-Bay-at-night-01.jpg, The Float at Marina Bay hosting the 2015 River Hongbao for Chinese New Year, with Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands (abbreviation: MBS) is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. The resort is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and at its opening in 2010, it was deemed the world's most expensive standalone casino prop ...
in the background.
File: BMT passing out parade 100115.jpg, Singapore Armed Forces Basic Military Training passing out parade ceremony
File: Singapore (SG), The Float @ Marina Bay -- 2019 -- 4460.jpg, The floating platform of the stadium, with Singapore's skyline in the background.
File:Singapore (SG), Bay Grandstand -- 2019 -- 4495.jpg, Grandstand of The Float at Marina Bay in 2019.
File: Singapore (SG), The Float @ Marina Bay and Bay Grandstand -- 2019 -- 4546.jpg, The Float at Marina Bay in 2019
See also
*
List of stadiums in Singapore
The following is a list of stadiums in Singapore.
Public stadiums
These stadiums are run by the Sport Singapore.
Demolished stadiums
Future Stadiums
These stadiums are managed by government or government-aided schools. Some may be used ...
References
External links
Marina Bay official websiteStadium Guide profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Float At Marina Bay
2007 establishments in Singapore
2022 disestablishments in Singapore
Downtown Core (Singapore)
Marina Bay, Singapore
Sports venues in Singapore
Sports venues completed in 2007
Venues of the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics