Kuala Lumpur, 2 March 2021 – Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) has unveiled the winner for the design competition of Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link) project at Bukit Chagar station.
Chin Yee Chong from SM Architects Sdn Bhd won the grand prize and took home RM250,000. The modern and futuristic design is dubbed The Integration of Two, inspired by the historical and intertwined relationship between Johor Bahru and Singapore. The design also adopted Green features as well as advanced lightweight composite materials.
The competition was jointly organised by MRT Corp and Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM), which ran from 23 November 2020 till 25 January 2021. It was the brainchild of Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, the Sultan of Johor. His Majesty was also the patron of the competition and chairman of the jury panel.
A total of 91 submissions were received when the competition was closed on 25 January 2021. A total of 10 designs were then shortlisted for the final judging.
Read: PAM and MRT Corp launches façade design ideas competition for RTS Link Bukit Chagar Station
Congratulating Chin and his team, MRT Corp CEO, Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim, said, “This futuristic design manages to capture the relationship between Johor Bahru and Singapore. The station will not only become an iconic landmark in Johor Bahru but also amongst the great railway stations of the world. This design was picked by Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku together with the competition’s jury panel at the final judging meeting because of the strong symbolism that it portrays.”
Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Mahkota Johor, and YAB Datuk Haji Hasni Bin Mohammad, Menteri Besar of Johor, were also present at the final judging meeting. The winning design was unveiled virtually to comply with the ongoing Movement Control Order (MCO). Also present during the media conference were PAM President Datuk Ezumi Harzani Ismail and RTS Link Project Director Zulkifli Mohamed.
Datuk Ezumi Harzani Ismail said the competition offered Malaysian architects a chance to showcase their talents and capabilities in designing for challenging and complex buildings. “The competition provided the opportunity for Malaysian architects to participate in key projects of national importance such as the RTS Link. It also demonstrates the vital importance architectural imagination plays in the transformation of building and cities,” he added.
According to Datuk Mohd Zarif, a three-month public inspection for the project, a requirement under Section 84 of the Land Public Transport Act 2010, is currently being carried out virtually until 15 April 2021. He shared, “We have received overwhelming support from the public for the project. We will also analyse all feedback and opinions that members of the public will be providing us during the public inspection for further improvement.”
Mohd Zarif also said that under the project’s Bumiputera Participation Programme, over 500 Bumiputera contractors have registered to participate in the project. This programme is being implemented in collaboration with the Johor Centre for Construction Development (JCCD).
MRT Corp subsidiary Malaysia Rapid Transit System Sdn Bhd is the Malaysian infrastructure company (InfraCo) of the RTS Link Project. It will develop the civil infrastructure such as the Bukit Chagar station, viaducts and depot on the Malaysian side of the project.
The RTS Link is a railway shuttle service that will link the Bukit Chagar Station in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North Station in Woodlands, Singapore. The line is scheduled to open by the end of 2026.
– Construction+ Online
Source: MRT Corp
