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The Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay is a waterside building alongside Marina Bay near the mouth of the Singapore River, purpose-built to be the centre for performing arts for the island nation of Singapore. It contains a 1,600 seat concert hall and a 2,000 seat theatre for the performing arts. The Library@esplanade is located on the third floor of the building. There are outdoor performing centres and retail and food space. There is an outdoor open space on the fourth floor of the building.
The Esplanade occupies the site of the former "Satay Club" a popular food haunt for Singaporeans which had been discontinued prior to the Esplanade's construction. Currently the "Satay Club" is re-allocated next to Sembawang Shopping Center.
Officially opened on October 12, 2002, the building was designed by two architectural firms working in conjunction: by the London-based Michael Wilford & Partners (MWP) and by DP Architects (DPA) of Singapore. The total cost of constructing this building is estimated at SGD 1 billion including the estimated land value and SGD 660 million for the building costs.
The unique architectural design has been said to have an appearance similar to either a durian (a tropical fruit) or the eyes of a fly. Many Singaporeans casually refer to the Esplanade as "The Durian".
On 5 July 2005, the opening ceremony of the 117th IOC Session was staged in the Esplanade, featuring a 30-minute long performance aimed at showcasing Singapore's multi-cultural heritage to her international audience.
See also
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Arts centres | Buildings and structures in Singapore | Landmarks in Singapore | Marina Bay | Concert halls | Opera houses | Theatres | Visitor attractions in Singapore
"Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay"