Funan to open doors on 28 June

It will open two months ahead of schedule with a 92% commitment for its retail leasing.

After undergoing a three-year redevelopment, Funan is set to open its doors to the public on 28 June 2019, an announcement revealed.

Of the more than 180 brands housed in Funan that are clustered round six passion themes Tech, Craft, Play, Fit, Chic, and Taste, around 30% are new-to-market brands, new concept stores or flagships and more than 60% of the brands originate from Singapore.

Also read: Funan could bring in $16.5m of rental income to CapitaLand Mall Trust

Examples of its new-to-market brands include consumer tech company Dyson, which will unveil its first standalone beauty-only concept store in Singapore at Funan. British folding bikes manufacturer Brompton Junction will debut its Southeast Asia’s flagship store at Funan. Moviegoers will also be able to experience Golden Village’s latest seven-screen multiplex, which will feature two new seating concepts – Deluxe Plus and Gold Class Express.

Golden Village Funan will also feature Virtual Reality pods in its foyer, showcasing popular games and cinematic content for customers. Local theatre group Wild Rice will also raise the curtains at its state-of-the-art theatre and studio in Funan.

FairPrice Finest will also introduce the latest version of its digital shopping experience at Funan, where customers can easily shop and pay through their phones, whilst Kopitiam will launch its latest concept KOPItech, where patrons can place their orders via one of the 17 self-service kiosks or through the Facebook messaging app.

Home-grown labels include artisan jeweller Carrie K.’s first standalone boutique, and fashion label Love, Bonito’s largest outlet in Singapore. Footwear brand Another Sole will also launch its first menswear collection at its Funan boutique. Native online brands debuting their first brick-and-mortar outfits include fashion retailer ALL WOULD ENVY and creative confectionery Nasty Cookie.

Specialty coffee roaster Papa Palheta, the group behind Chye Seng Huat Hardware, will be launching Singapore’s first employee-store PPP Coffee. Foodies can also enjoy the farm-to-table concept right in Funan, thanks to an Urban Farm on Level 7. Operated by Edible Garden City, farmers will work with chefs to curate, grow and harvest pesticide-free produce, supplying the produce straight to restaurants in Funan.

According to Tony Tan, CEO of CapitaLand Mall Trust Management, Funan’s opening will relaunch the mall as a social space where people spend their time experiencing, discovering and shopping.

“We are pleased that Funan is opening in end June, two months ahead of its original schedule. To date, Funan has achieved about 92% in commitment for its retail leasing and we expect more leases to be signed in the coming months. The robust demand for Funan’s retail space comes on the back of a strong pre-leasing commitment of 98% for its twin office blocks,” he highlighted.

Also read: Funan's office blocks secure 98% pre-leasing commitment

Meanwhile, Funan’s Tree of Life houses 20 retail pods that will be launched regularly to give shoppers new experiences. Brands showcasing at the Tree of Life include tenants Carrie K. and Another Sole, as well as tech tenants ATLAS EXPERIENCE and audio-technica. Also setting up in one of the retail pods is Tech360.tv, which will film ‘live’ first-look gadget reviews, allowing shoppers the chance to go behind-the-scenes during the production of tech product reviews. This is the first tech media studio in a mall.

Hobbyists who have built up a community online can also host their own workshops in Funan, as there will be a dedicated pod for individuals to book and curate their own pop-up stores. Tenants may also book the pod to host their community engagement programmes.

In addition, extending from the base of the Tree of Life at Basement 2 to Level 1 is Climb Central, which will operate the highest climbing facility in the Civic District. A fixture at pop-up events around Singapore, popular food truck THE TRAVELLING C.O.W has also committed to a long-term parking space at Funan, taking one of the two Volkswagen Kombi vans at Level 2 of the Tree of Life.

Returning brands will comprise tech retailer AddOn Systems, which will operate Singapore’s Lenovo Flagship Store, whilst e-sports enthusiasts will celebrate the return of GamePro Shop, which will organise e-sports tournaments. COURTS is also returning to Funan with its first Internet of Things (IoT) store, featuring simulated smart home concepts where consumers can visualise their dream home fully connected.