History
The idea of a floating platform was conceived by the organising committee of the National Day Parade, 2007. In 2004, Colonel Teo Jing Siong, the chairman of the committee, was asked to source for a new venue for the National Day Parade as the National Stadium would be demolished to make way for the new Singapore Sports Hub. Teo had considered Jalan Besar Stadium, the Singapore Turf Club and Marina South before settling on Marina Bay, partly because of the city skyline that would form a backdrop for the parade. The Singapore Government evaluated that the temporary stadium is a cost effective solution in lieu of the closure of the National Stadium that is under renovation for 8 years.
In 2005, Teo's committee worked with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Singapore Sports Council on the design of the floating platform, which could also be used to host other major events.
After the design was finalised, the contractor, SembCorp Marine, started construction of the floating platform in March 2006. The stage took 13 months to build, and by April 2007, the platform and seating gallery were completed.
Read more about this topic: The Float@Marina Bay
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