US-based designers and ‘arch-rivals,’ Jack Rouse Associates and BRC Imagination Arts, are collaborating for the first time ever on three projects on the island of Sentosa in Singapore.

The designers have been awarded the contract by Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), to redevelop Images of Singapore, Fort Siloso and the Merlion – all existing attractions which SDC’s director of property, Gurjit Singh says are in need of “an increase in fun quotient.”

Rouse and Rogers say they want to create experiences, which will become world class benchmarks in Singapore. “We want to deliver on the promises of Sentosa: renewal, relaxation, family, peace, community and tolerance – all values of Singapore which we will draw on in every attraction” says Rogers.

Fort Siloso, which tells the story of Singapore during World War two, including the Japanese occupation and surrender, will be re-furbished and re-organised to create an ‘easier to access’ attraction. The designers’ intention is to create a more comfortable, non-exhausting guest experience, which broadens its story beyond a British perspective. A dark, walk-through area, featuring sound bites from Singaporeans who lived during the war, will play on visitors’ emotions.

The current attraction, Images of Singapore, will be revamped and called Singapore Adventure. It will include a walk-through history of Singapore and celebrate the way in which so many cultures live in peace and harmony in Singapore. The designers say they will be using special effects borrowed from some of the greatest attractions in the world to energise the attraction and to awaken the senses of the people who visit it.

While these two attractions will be educational based, Rogers and Rouse insist that they will “tell the story of serious history in a seriously fun way.”

The Merlion however, will be a chance for the designers to have some fun with design and concept. The Merlion is a contemporary myth based on the sea, Special effects used in the revamped attraction will include fog, water, and steam, and will be based around pure fun and fantasy.

All the refurbished attractions will be open by July 2005.

The revamping of Sentosa is part of a ten-year project to turn the island into a tourism destination. As well as hotels and restaurants, facilities at Sentosa include a golf course, nature walks, beautiful beaches and a tourism academy for students studying leisure management. Other existing attractions, such as Underwater world and the Butterfly park are also being upgraded and a new monorail system is being installed.

A new sky tower attraction will open in the heart of the island in January 2004. The 110 metre high landmark will soar above Singapore, offering guests views of the Singapore skyline plus the nearby islands of Indonesia and Malaysia.

The (S)$6m sky tower will see the first foreign direct investment on Sentosa, with five partners funding the project. Manufactured by German-based Huss, the sky tower ride will last seven minutes and have an hourly capacity of 864 persons.

Details: +65 6279 1136