International architectural and design consultancy SPARK, alongside ARUP, has brought an eye-catching, youth-focused mall and education hub to the heart of Singapore’s Selegie Arts District. Situated between the adjacent School of the Arts Singapore (SOTA) and several long-standing shopping malls, this vibrant refurbished space serves as a new beacon for the surrounding area.

Called GRiD, the project centered on the purpose of increasing asset value through social interaction, increased accessibility, and the celebration of self and community. The building was deliberately designed to stand out, with its neon-clad façade and supersized graphics. GRiD reimagines the corner that it sits after replacing what the architects described as an “unproductive 4-storey void.”

The new structure has a Tetris-like arrangement of stacked retail and dining volumes and terraces. The voided spaces encourage direct connections to the basement leisure and food outlets through an approximately 16-foot-wide triple-height social staircase. This component will also serve as a place for relaxation and a site to watch live performances.

Other additions include new washrooms, public study and work zones, new entrances, vending machines, and lockers. Together, they aim to convert the former utilitarian space into a positive place for social interaction.

GRiD takes on a post-industrial material palette that embodies the spirit of grunge and freestyle expression. The building’s distinctive graphics and neon logos, crowned by the giant, slot machine-style GRiD logo at the front, guides users throughout the building. 

This reimagined building has set out to become a new happening place for Singapore’s artistic student community by providing new spaces for meeting, thinking, and collaborating.

Explore more project images in our gallery below.