Bugis+ (pronounced as Bugis Plus), formerly Iluma, is a 10-storey[1] shopping mall located 5 minutes from Bugis MRT station. It is located within the Bugis district of Singapore and opened on 28 March 2009.

Bugis+
Street view of Bugis+
Map
LocationBugis, Singapore
Coordinates1°17′59″N 103°51′16″E / 1.299617°N 103.854408°E / 1.299617; 103.854408
Address201 Victoria Street
Opening date1 June 2009 (as Iluma)
ManagementCapitaMalls Asia
OwnerCapitaMall Trust
ArchitectWOHA
No. of stores and servicesMore than 150
No. of anchor tenants5
Total retail floor area194,306 square feet (18,051.6 m2)
No. of floors10
Public transit access EW12  DT14  Bugis
Websitewww.bugis-plus.com.sg/malls/website/index.aspx

Building

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Designed by WOHA, the facade of the mall plays with the theme of light and illumination, having high-tech features such as a light- and media facade designed by WOHA in conjunction with Berlin based media artists realities:united [de].[2]

The "crystal mesh" facade envelops the convex part of the building and brightly lit billboards will scatter across its flatter sides,[3] unlike those in the Times Square. Its theme was inspired by its proximity to arts venues and tertiary institutions.[citation needed]

History

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The opening of Iluma in 2009, was greeted with much fanfare. However, after several months, tenants started complaining about the lack of patrons, even though it is located just beside the busy Bugis Street.[citation needed]

The management tried to draw in patrons by calling in international artistes such as David Archuleta and Trace Bundy. Despite their efforts, the mall still had low patronage and many tenants were forced to shut down their stores.[citation needed]

In 2011, CapitaMall Trust Management announced that they had acquired Iluma from Jack Investments for S$295 million.[4] As part of the transfer, the mall was revamped in late 2011 and was completed in mid-2012.[5] The mall was renamed as Bugis+.[3] The bridge connecting Bugis Junction, which is also owned by CapitaMall Trust Management, that previously did not provide direct access to Bugis Junction, now provided seamless connection.[6]

In April 2012, CapitaMall announced that the mall will be renamed to Bugis+. On 8 June, Uniqlo, a Japanese casual wear retail chain, opened its biggest outlet in Singapore there.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Jack Investment to open $160m mall in Bugis". The Straits Times. 21 November 2007. Archived from the original on 4 April 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  2. ^ "Interactive Architecture: The Case Studies on Designing Media Façades".
  3. ^ a b "Bugis+ (formerly Iluma)". Time Out Singapore. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  4. ^ "CapitaMall Trust: Integration with Bugis Junction, asset enhancement to support Iluma buy". The Edge Markets. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Uniqlo to open largest Singapore outlet at Iluma". sg.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  6. ^ Migration (17 February 2015). "Golden Bridge coming down: Other retail-cum-pedestrian bridges left in Singapore | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
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