Breathing new life into old buildings with Gregory Kovacs

Gregory Kovacs

Contact Gregory Kovacs, 董事, 香港
gregory.kovacs@benoy.com

In 2022, Benoy and engineering consultants Cundall were commissioned to redesign and repurpose the Cross Street Exchange in central Singapore. Overcoming multiple challenges and constraints, the team helped to transform a misfiring, semi-deserted development into a vibrant quarter and major destination – now renamed 18 Cross.

Gregory Kovacs, Design Director in Benoy’s Hong Kong studio, reflects on the vision behind Benoy’s work and the importance of adaptive reuse and repurposing as architectural disciplines.

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Can you briefly describe the original project site?

18 Cross occupies a 14,000 m2 site in the heart of Singapore. It’s located on the edge of China Town and the Central Business District (CBD), flanked on one side by Cross Street, a busy urban thoroughfare; and on the other by the popular and pedestrianised Nankin Road.

Around the perimeter there are 18 heritage shophouses; a block of six contemporary shophouses; and four storeys of mixed-use podium. There’s also a 15-storey office tower on the site. 


How do we build for the future without erasing the past?
Sometimes the most impactful design choice is to retain and work with the memory and meaning already embedded in a place.

18 Cross wasn’t just a redesign. It was a chance to show that progress doesn’t have to mean starting over.

By working with the structure, the site, and the layers of memory, we gave the place new purpose and lasting value.

That’s how we see progress:
Rooted in context.
Reducing waste.
Helping people reconnect with place.”

Gregory Kovacs, Design Director, Benoy

Gregory Kovacs
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What were the key project challenges?

For many years, the Cross Street Exchange was a problematic development and public eyesore. The podium did not integrate aesthetically with the surrounding heritage neighbourhood, mainly due to its overscale massing and industrial-looking façade. Visitor numbers were low, and leasing was a challenge. 

The tower also struggled to attract tenants, despite its prime location. On the lower floors of the shophouses there were restaurants, while the upper floors remained partially vacant due to space and conservation constraints. To compound the situation, the shophouses worked in isolation from the tower and podium. 

For Benoy, the main challenge was: how could these disjointed components be reimagined into a cohesive and synergistic whole? How could this development be reworked to create something of tangible and lasting value? 

From the beginning, there was no question of demolishing and rebuilding. The brief from our client, investment firm PAG, was to repurpose what was there; to work within the existing framework of the Cross Street Exchange; and to transform this assortment of misaligned assets into something coherent, compelling and new. 

As a designer, what excited you about this project?

First of all, the client’s approach was unique. Before the project was even confirmed, they engaged us at a strategic level to advise and guide their decision-making on the purchase of the site – and those conversations were really interesting. The fact that they were coming at it with the mindset of adaptive reuse was also very refreshing. Usually in Asia you have to push hard to make the case for repurposing, and it was nice not to have to do that. 

Secondly, the location and nature of the development were a huge draw for me. Right in the heart of Singapore, the site had previously been known for all the wrong reasons. This was a chance to reverse the negative associations of the past and create something positive and future focused. The fact that the podium and the heritage features had never previously spoken to one another also presented an intriguing aesthetic challenge. I was very excited at the prospect of trying to link the site’s commercial elements with its historical context. 

And finally, for me repurposing schemes are a lot more creative than normal newbuild projects. For example, there’s much more invention and innovation required to convert an old shopping mall into corporate workspace, compared to building new offices from scratch. With newbuild schemes the formula is fairly set, whereas repurposing requires huge leaps of imagination and creativity to breathe new life into old assets. And that process of transformation is something I find really magical. 

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What was Benoy’s design approach?

Our design strategy aimed to create precise surgical’ interventions that would minimise the impact on the existing structure, while maximising value for the entire development. For example, we made openings in the existing concrete slab and removed floorplates at the most prominent corner of the site to create a new arrival experience. The openings in the envelope site stimulate circulation, connecting the central transport system, the basement retail and upper shophouse floors with Nankin Road.

We cleared out the block of new, non-heritage shophouses to create a multi-storey heart’ for the entire quarter. Cafés and restaurants were incorporated into this heart, creating vibrant spill-out spaces along the grand staircase terraces. 

The heart’ also activates the upper floors of the heritage shophouses, allowing for corporate tenants to occupy this unique space and serve the nearby business community. 

Along the new central spine of the development, we designed spaces for F&B, wellness and lifestyle tenants to create an inclusive, welcoming environment for local people. And wherever possible, we incorporated greenery onto the façades and terraces, introducing in a new biophilic element. 

How were the heritage elements preserved and enhanced?

Our designs included a podium façade that continues the human-scale rhythm of the old shophouses, forming a dialogue between the new and heritage elements of the site – a conversation between past and present. While we maintained 99% of the original podium, the façade makes it looks like a completely new structure, consciously linking back to the site’s history but in a very contemporary way. 

Mimicking the materiality of the shophouses, we used green terracotta and wooden surfaces, referencing the historic tiles and timber of the original structures. We also created an exclusive upper-level lounge that builds on the local history of secret societies and gambling dens. 

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How would you define the impact of the 18 Cross development?

It’s been a real success so far. Occupancy has gone up from 70% to 100% in the office spaces, while the client has been able to increase rent significantly. Exciting new tenants have also been attracted to the scheme. Most recently, Burnt Ends’ new café and Gran Turismo-inspired cocktail bar opened at the Audi House of Progress within 18 Cross. So, there’s been a very tangible increase in commercial value, while the full impact of the retail redevelopment is yet to be seen, with work still ongoing there. 

Through our close collaboration with Cundall’s Dong Chen, the repurposed assets provide a wealth of new amenities and activities for the local community, as well as a heighted sense of place and identity through the strengthened historical connections. And environmentally, the repurposing model has really delivered, preventing the release of 23,000 tonnes of embedded carbon into the atmosphere. 

The optimised design has improved structural efficiency and reduced material quantity and cost. Meanwhile, the use of lightweight structural materials has limited additional loading and minimised strengthening works, shortening the construction programme. And enhanced mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems, renewable energy and improved glazing have led to improved efficiencies and reduced energy consumption, making the development infinitely more sustainable. 

Why is repurposing so important?

As the 18 Cross development illustrates, repurposing enables owners and developers to address the three pillars of sustainability, delivering value at a social, economic and environmental level. By retaining existing structures, repurposing means designers can engage in a rich and multilayered process. Rather than simply demolish and rebuild or flip a building, repurposing gives old assets a new lease of life, enabling them to continue for decades to come. 

The very principle of this approach encourages designers to think within longer-term time horizons, leading to far more creative and sustainable outcomes for the built environment. 

The continuity of an unchanging skyline, enduring urban structures and scales, provides a reassurance for people and communities. Whereas rapidly changing cityscapes, with buildings going up and coming down every ten years, can create a sense of impermanence and anxiety. 

Adaptive reuse and repurposing allows us to build for longevity, design responsibly, and create imaginative visions of the future. It’s a model that’s well established in Europe. Hopefully, with projects like 18 Cross, it will continue to gain momentum across Asia-Pacific and beyond.

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Get in touch

For further discussion, please contact
gregory.​kovacs@​benoy.​com

Past and present

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