September_1970 — Page 13

Main entrance, showing glass lift shaft in the centre and undulating walls of the 'Barbarella' behind the glass partition on the right

the frustrations were largely due to dealing with outdated regulations and an inherent resistance to things un- familiar.

The design

Essentially the building consisted of three towers of unequal size and height rising above a common podium. These towers were to complement each other yet function seperately.

The main shopping complex how- ever was accommodated within the podium which was envisaged as a series of vast concrete platforms. These plat- forms decreased in size and were ter- raced backwards as they rose one above the other until they formed the base of the towers which were them- selves a continuation of these plat- forms in lesser dimensions. The inten- tion was to express the idea of a series of platforms tiered one above each other and then rising to form inde- pendent towers for the different func- tions of the complex.

The smaller of the towers was even- tually sacrificed in order to add the two additional storeys to the main hotel block in the revision of the de- sign.

Internally the podium has a large

ORCHARD

Site plan

ROAD

CUSCADEN

ROAD

ORANGE

GROVE RD

TANGLIN

Far East BUILDER, September 1970

ROAD

NASSIRA

ROAD

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