STB launches tenders for pop-up booths, provides funding to rejuvenate Orchard Road

[SINGAPORE] A tender to build, design and manage pop-up booths, and a new Orchard Road Rejuvenation Initiative were among a series of projects announced by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) on Friday (May 8).

These are part of ongoing plans to transform the precinct which will enhance Orchard Road’s street-level appeal and inject new concepts and experiences, said STB chief executive Melissa Ow at the Tourism Industry Conference.

The agency said: “Driven by STB, Urban Redevelopment Authority and National Parks Board, these enhancements demonstrate sustained commitment to revitalising the precinct and strengthening its position as a premier lifestyle destination.”

Enhancing street-level vibrancy

On street-level experiences, STB said it will launch a tender this month for the design, build and management of up to three pop-up spaces, along the Orchard Road pedestrian mall between Wisma Atria and Ngee Ann City.

The booths will run until end-2028, and be rented to local and foreign brands for a period of one to six months per brand. The first round of pop-ups is expected to open by the end of this year.

They will feature “new-to-market brands, trendy brands test-bedding new concepts or offering limited-time experiences, or up-and-coming local brands looking to inject differentiated retail and F&B (food and beverage) experiences”, STB said.

The agency added that it will work with the appointed managing agent to identify and curate the rotation.

STB also announced the launch of the Orchard Road Rejuvenation Initiative in mid-2026, which may provide funding support for eligible pilot events to “enliven” Orchard Road in three key areas.

It is open to stakeholders such as mall operators, hotel operators, event organisers and associations for initiatives in Orchard Road, and will run for two years.

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First, precinct stakeholders can embark on building facade enhancements, such as creating interactive building surfaces or installing architectural lighting that transforms building exteriors into visual experiences.

Second, they can introduce experiential concepts and artwork installations in common gathering spaces such as mall atriums or privately owned public spaces, including immersive retail experiences, interactive art or event programming.

Finally, they can set up night-time initiatives, such as illumination projections, night markets or extended operating hours activities.

Shortlisted proposals may receive funding support through the initiative, STB said.

Visitors to the precinct can also expect “artistic precinct markers”, as well as benches designed by professional designers and design students, to be installed by the second half of 2026.

New and improved spaces

Meanwhile, on building fresh spaces, STB reiterated the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Committee of Supply announcement that it will launch a tender in the coming months to transform 37 Emerald Hill – the site of the former Singapore Chinese Girls’ School – into a mixed-use development.

It is expected to feature a unique hotel concept as well as community and public spaces honouring the site’s heritage, among others.

STB will work with Singapore-based property investor and developer Pacific Eagle Real Estate to redevelop Tanglin Shopping Centre into a mixed-used development comprising retail, office, wellness and cultural uses.

More plans ahead

The Grange Road Events Venue, Live Nation’s 3,000-capacity event venue in partnership with Lendlease Global Commercial Reit and supported by STB, is being constructed.

While Live Nation will curate a regular pipeline of events such as concerts, international touring acts and community events, the venue will be available to host conferences and exhibitions, seasonal fairs, activations and other experiential events, STB said.

Its programming will also be matched with STB-led events, it added, naming the Grand Prix Season Singapore and Christmas on a Great Street as examples.

STB also noted the redevelopment of Faber House into NoMad Hotel, scheduled to open by end 2026; the end-2027 construction completion for the transformation of the Somerset Belt into a youth precinct; and plans to pedestrianise a 500-metre stretch from Buyong Road to Handy Road, creating an expanded Istana Park that will be three times its current size.

Discussing “a final piece of transformation of Orchard Road”, Ow noted that Seton Close in Tanglin features four heritage bungalows set within 1.9 hectares of land, which has now been rezoned for hotel use.

“The site presents an opportunity to develop a unique, low-density hospitality concept,” she said.