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can hop from one side to the other without getting wet feet. Some of the waterlily stepping stones are jumping elements, creating a lot of water fun; the water splashes to all sides! Playpoint intentionally kept this area ‘low’, enabling views to the waterfront panorama, which can be enjoyed from the restaurant. Bridge An iconic, orange bridge (same colouring as orange tubes) is a visible connector on the balcony. It is a low (one-step) element, which crosses the narrow part of the lake and the river loop. The water flows underneath it. Children can play different fantasy games on the bridge, imagining they are Three Giant Lily Trees form the highlight of the playground. They are brightly lit at night, with LEDs covering the tubes, illuminating the water that sprays out of their canopy. The trees are very transparent tube structures, with a core that can be entered. Children can climb safely to the top, which is designed as a calyx with a stigma. The calyx/canopy of the lilytrees is covered with a transparent textile, which offers shade to the playing children. The colour of the trees changes from green at the bottom to white on the top, like a real lily flower. The structures subtly blend with their surroundings. The orange tubes are the ‘roots’ and contain and connect different playing elements. They are climbing tubes, partly covered with netting. The orange tubes are also structural to the lily trees, reaching out from their top to keep the trees stable. From the netting and tubes, children can access the two giant slides which are connected to the trunk of the lily trees. Little ‘bird houses’ are the entry of the slides. Two of the top-to-bottom roots are giant spinners, marked with bright orange colour.
About Playpoint Founded in 2001, Playpoint (Singapore) Pte Ltd has grown from a local playground specialist to a leading regional company. Happy Park is one of the many innovative and iconic playground developments by Playpoint. The company recently won the 2015 LIAS (Landscape Industry Association of Singapore) Award for Playground in Singapore. It bagged Best of Category & Gold Award for Gardens by the Bay, Far East Organization Children’s Garden Gold Award for Dulwich College in Singapore. For more information, visit www.playpoint.asia.
Nakheel’s AED3 billion hospitality expansion reaches new milestone as first hotel at Ibn Battuta Mall opens for business Dubai, UAE – The first of two Nakheel hotels at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai is now open, marking another major milestone in the developer’s AED3 billion hospitality expansion programme. The 372-room hotel, managed by Premier Inn Hotels LLC, was inaugurated on 9 October 2016 at a ceremony led by Nakheel Chairman Ali Rashid Lootah and Adam Nicholls, Managing Director of Premier Inn Hotels LLC. It is the second in a diverse range of 14 Dubai hotels by Nakheel and one of two at the world-famous Ibn Battuta Mall, which is currently undergoing an AED700 million expansion. Nakheel’s first hotel, at Dragon Mart, opened earlier in 2016. Premier Inn Dubai Ibn Battuta is directly connected to both the mall and the Ibn Battuta Metro station. Hotel facilities include an all-day restaurant, The new Premier Inn at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai. Costa coffee shop, swimming pool, gym and business centre with meeting and conference rooms. Guests can also enjoy free, 24-hour Wi-Fi access. Nakheel Chairman Ali Rashid Lootah said: “Our huge hotel expansion is rapidly gathering pace, and I am delighted to declare Premier Inn Dubai Ibn Battuta officially open and ready for business. This is one of 14 projects in our hotel pipeline that will bring more than 5,200 new hotel rooms to Dubai by 2020, which in turn will contribute significantly to realising the Government’s tourism vision. I am delighted to partner with Premier Inn – a globally-renowned operator with a solid track record – for our first hotel at Ibn Battuta, and immensely proud of the teams who have worked to deliver it on schedule.”
JAN-FEB 2017 Southeast Asia Building
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