New Funan mall to feature retail innovation, new live-work-play paradigm

THE new Funan mall, when ready in the fourth quarter of 2019, will be a platform that "inspires retail innovation" and offers a "new paradigm" for living, work and play, said CapitaLand Mall Trust.

The developer will unveil at the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday that the new mall will simply be called "Funan" - it was originally Funan DigitaLife Mall - as a tribute to the site's legacy and an acknowledgement of the public's affection for the name.

Funan will go beyond selling IT products to "incorporating the tech experience throughout the entire integrated development". For one thing, it will offer online-to-offline (O2O) retail services to target on-the-go mobile-first customers. These include a drive-through, click-and-collect and hands-free shopping service, where customers can choose to either pick up their purchases at Funan's concierge when they are done, or have their shopping bags delivered to their homes. The service is said to be a first in the Central Business District.

Funan will have a total gross floor area (GFA) of 887,000 sq ft. Occupying more than half the GFA at 500,000 sq ft will be the mall, a six-storey retail component which comprises four levels above ground and two basement levels. Three towers will sit above, including two six-storey premium Grade A office towers from Level 5 to Level 10 with a GFA of 266,000 sq ft, and a nine-storey block housing 279 co-living apartment units from Level 4 to Level 12 with a GFA of 121,000 sq ft.

Funan will feature a "mobile-first digital platform" that is linked to a smart car parking and smart access system, said to improve productivity, energy efficiency and security. It will also offer full amenities and end-of-trip facilities for cyclists, including bike shops, bike cafés, lockers and shower facilities. Funan said this is to support the country's move towards a car-lite society and to promote healthy living.