In The News : 2005

2009  |   2008  |   2007  |   2006  |   2005  |   2004  |   2003  |   2002  |   2001  |   1999  |  

I-Berhad Looks West To Make I-City Come Alive In Shah Alam

October 10, 2005
This article also appears on another site: Bernama

LAS VEGAS, Oct 10 (Bernama) -- I-Berhad is looking west to bring the best in developing its 21st century urban centre known as "I-City" in Shah Alam, Selangor.

To realise its vision of the first of its kind ICT-powered intelligent township, the company has engaged world renowned American architect Jon Jerde to lend his magical touch to the project.

The township, to be fully owned by I-Bhd, is also in line with the Selangor state government's "Selangor Maju" vision to become a leading ICT state in the country.

Integrating the latest technologies, the 29-hectare (72-acre) township located within Section 7 of Shah Alam and the Bukit Rajah Industrial Park, will feature several features -- corporate offices, a commercial centre, a convention centre, a smart school, serviced apartments and a technology centre.

I-Berhad chief executive officer Eu Hong Chew said the township, estimated to cost over RM1 billion, is expected to be an exciting and vibrant commercial hub, buzzing with activity during both day and night, something not unlike the suburban scene in upscale Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

"I-City would also be brought alive by incorporating elements from the Universal City Walk in Los Angeles as well as the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, which was all designed by Jerde himself," said Eu.

The US$70 million Fremont Street Experience is a free-of-charge light and sound musical show held nightly under a permanent canopy with 2.1 million lights and 540,000 watts of sound.

"The (I-City) project is really about developing a town centre and the heart of any town is the communal area. Invariably, it is the retail element that provides the communal experience," Eu told reporters during a media tour of Jerde's projects, here Monday.

Jerda had designed the Universal City Walk as a dynamic path for people walking between Universal Studios walking theme park, cinemas and amphitheatre.

The City Walk has since redefined the "urban village" as an intricate weave of various uses and services for it incorporates the entertainment district, urban street life, tourist attractions, shopping street and university, and it attracts about 25,000 people daily.

Though planned as a tourist destination, City Walk, which brings in a revenue of US$800 per sq ft per month, has become a popular destination for locals as well, who account for 67 percent of the sales.

"The other components of I-City will be built around this heart. And because of this, we wanted the guru of retail (centres) to create the design," Eu explained.

Jerde is also the design genius behind global icons such as the 1984 Olympic Village as well as one of the largest shopping centres in the world, the Mall of America in Minnesota and Tokyo's famous Roponggi Hills.

"We searched and found Jerde. What is more interesting is that his track record was not only in retail, but in incorporating different components to create a sense of community," said Eu.

As Shah Alam is already overflowing with the normal everyday shopping malls and arcades, he said I-Berhad did not want the same for I-City.

"We do not want I-City's retail component to be a stereotype. We want it to be different, yet integrating all the components that we will introduce so that the entire development will become a vibrant centre," he said.

Eu said I-City, which will have a few access and exit points, is in a perfect location as one could enter and leave not only from Shah Alam but also the Federal Highway.

Eu said he was also attracted by Jerde's Freemont Street project which used the lights and sensory experience for the street to come alive every evening.

"In doing so, Jerde has revitalised downtown Las Vegas, which was until recently, overshadowed by the Strip, the part of town where all the new luxurious casinos and hotels are," he said, adding that I-City's commercial hub is expected to be launched for sale by the first quarter of 2006.

The commercial hub will be the first phase of I-City, which comprises the retail and innovation centre.

"We want to be able to give people a place they can look forward to visit, over and over again," said Eu. For Jerde himself, he said it is too early to say what the final concept will be like.

The design team is only six weeks into the design process but it has already identified the key concept for I-City -- a place to build communities and for people to gather, meet and interact.

"I look at I-City as a bouquet of flowers. There are roses, lilies, daisies...I will mix them up, intertwine them to form a beautiful bouquet for the people to appreciate it and the world to admire," he said.

Jerde said the site also has a natural attribute, which provides good "feng shui" (geomancy) and "What we have here is an opportunity to break the mould, to create something unique."

Saying that it is fortunate to work from the start to enable the project to have a "people-pulling effect", he added that "our approach is to bring together not only the architecture and planning teams, but also the landscape and retail services management teams from the very beginning."

Grosvenor Acquires the River Retail Center
Nov 17, 2005
Grosvenor, the UK-based international property developer...has acquired the River, a 227,550-sf outdoor lifestyle center By Bob Howard

A Would-Be Las Vegas Rolls the Dice
Nov 4, 2005
The 1,100-member Morongo tribe, which had already built a spacious casino, envisioned something even grander...the tribal leaders hired the Jerde Partnership By DENNY LEE

Las Vegas Central Final Plans Approved By Clark County
Nov 2, 2005
This is a press release issued by Las Vegas Central developer Langson Development.

I-City Selangor - the making of an icon
Oct 24, 2005
This article contains excerpts from an interview with I-Berhad's CEO Eu Hong Chew and American architect Jon A. Jerde on the I-City Selangor.

I-Berhad Looks West To Make I-City Come Alive In Shah Alam
Oct 10, 2005
I-Berhad is looking west to bring the best in developing its 21st century urban centre known as "I-City" in Shah Alam, Selangor. by Umi Hani Sharani

Developers bet $4b on Macau projects
Oct 4, 2005
Hong Kong-listed Cheuk Nang (Holdings) and Macau Success, together with their business partners, will invest a combined HK$4 billion in property and tourism projects in Macau, hoping to gain from the city's fast- growing economy. by Vanson SooandWong Ka-chun

I-Berhad to build ICT township in Shah Alam
Oct 3, 2005
The Selangor Government has endorsed I-Berhad’s ambitious plan to build an information and communications technology (ICT) township in Shah Alam, the state capital. by Rupinder Singh

Jerde input in ICT hub set to draw attention from afar
Sep 26, 2005
I-BHD has engaged world renowned architect Jon A. Jerde of the Jerde Partnership to plan and design its 72-acre freehold development site in Section 7, Shah Alam, into a state-of-the-art information and communications technology (ICT) urban centre. by Angie Ng

World-renowned architect to design I-Berhad project
Sep 20, 2005
I-BERHAD has appointed world-renowned The Jerde Partnership to plan and design its 29.2ha freehold development site in Shah Alam, Selangor.

Harvey Nichols to open store in Istanbul
Sep 17, 2005
English lifestyle store Harvey Nichols CEO Joseph Wan: We will change the concept of shopping in Turkey

Morongo Casino Resort becomes a bright desert oasis...
Aug 18, 2005
Morongo Casino Resort and Spa rises from the California desert like a rock formation stretching skyward... By William Weathersby, Jr.

Jerde's Horton Plaza Turns 20 yrs. old - Destination: Downtown
Aug 14, 2005
20 years later, architect Jon Jerde explains his vision that became Horton Plaza by Ann Jarmusch

20 years of Horton Plaza
Aug 8, 2005
Tomorrow marks 20 years since the opening of Horton Plaza, an experiment aimed at revitalizing downtown San Diego.

Rebellious center celebrates two decades...
Aug 8, 2005
Its open-air, lopsided design (four stories on one side, three on the other), crazy catwalks and 48-color paint scheme broke every rule about what a shopping mall should be... By Molly Wofford

Farewell Comrade, Greetings Consumer
Aug 1, 2005
Outside investors help Poland erase bleak Soviet retail model with latest shopping center concepts - Jerde's Zlote Tarasy featured By Curt Hazlett

The Pain and Pleasure of Creating Horton Plaza
Aug 1, 2005
A look back on the creation of Horton Plaza as the project celebrates its 20th anniversary cover story by Timothy J. McClain

Wynn-ovation
Jul 1, 2005
Theming is out; residential style is in. Wynn Las Vegas introduces city chic to the neon jungle. By Mary Scoviak, Features Editor

Market Makes Itself the Center of Attention
Jun 20, 2005
World Market Center's opening statement is a bold one in a city where outside the Strip - the architecture has too often been driven by developers and their bottom lines.

Dubai Festival City on Target to Open 'Retail Resort'
Jun 19, 2005
To help create this distinct urban retail resort, Dubai Festival City has rekindled its relationship with original masterplan architects, Jerde Partnership...

Wrestling Star Hulk Hogan Purchases Penthouse at Palms Place
Jun 9, 2005
Hogan claims of Palms Casino Resort, "I fell in love with the place...there's no other place like it in Vegas." from Palms press release

Morongo Casino Resort & Spa Receives Engineering Award
May 16, 2005
Morongo's Port Cochere initial concept and geometry of Desert Bloom structure developed by The Jerde Partnership as series of overlapping, truncated double-curved surfaces that…spiral outward

ULI Gives Hangzhou 2005 Awards for Excellence: Asia-Pacific
May 16, 2005
Urban Land Institute Announces Five Winners for the 2005 Awards for Excellence: Asia Pacific Competition in Shanghai during ULI Study Tour of China source: ULI press release

ULI Announces 9 Finalists for the 2005 Awards for Excellence
May 5, 2005
Jerde's La Cittadella selected in 'Asia Pacific' competition - Winners to be announced during ceremony in May in Shanghai, China

Nick Lachey & Jessica Simpson Purchase Condo at Palms
Apr 27, 2005
Palms press release announces that the stars of MTV's "Newlyweds" reality show have purchased a luxury condo at Palms Place, which is scheduled to open in 2007.

L.A.'s Jerde Partnership Names CEO
Apr 26, 2005
Los Angeles architect Jon Jerde has appointed a chief executive for his firm, Jerde Partnership. by Roger Vincent

Iconic architecture anticipated
Apr 19, 2005
Singapore has recently announced the approval for two Integrated Resorts, which will house the country’s first casinos, amongst other entertainment venues. Several investors have roped in some of the world’s most renowned architects, in the hope that their proposal would generate more enthusiasm and excitement. Radio interview with Rita Soh, President of the Singapore Institute of Architects by Jack Yong

Snapshot of 12-acre urban village at SDSU
Apr 19, 2005
Project EIR provides a snapshot of 12-acre urban village at SDSU by Kirsten Green

Big SDSU project one step closer
Apr 17, 2005
The SDSU Foundation is proposing to bulldoze the hodgepodge of restaurants and stores on campus and build an urban village with 280,000 square feet of commercial space By Lisa Petrillo

Gaylord, landlord-developer go global
Apr 17, 2005
Resort wants $105M incentive deal to triple meeting space, add 500 rooms. by Bob Mervine

Iconic Design Required
Apr 16, 2005
Jerde among top architects vying to design Sentosa Island resort for Harrah's By Glenys Sim

Namba Parks ULI Development Case Study
Apr 8, 2005
Namba Parks offers green space atop an eight-level assemblage of 108 shops and restaurants arranged to form an indoor-outdoor urban retail and entertainment complex visually anchored by a 30-floor office tower. David Takesuye, report author Jason Scully, editor, Development Case Studies David James Rose, copy editor Joanne Nanez, online production manager

Top architects gear up for resort battle
Apr 3, 2005
World-renowned names in the running to design project by Alexandra Ho

$2.5B Dubai Festival City a 'city within a city'
Apr 1, 2005
Dubai Festival City comprises so many elements it is hard to know where to begin describing it. The $2.5 billion, 1,600-acre project, located on the Arabian Gulf, will contain about 2 million square feet of retail, 19,000 residences, office and hotel space, and a marina, all of it along the northeast bank of the man-made Dubai Creek. by Debra Hazel

World Market Center - Las Vegas - To Expand By 60 Percent
Apr 1, 2005
World Market Center announced plans for an expanded campus comprising 12 million square feet of permanent and temporary showrooms, dedicated to all segments of the home furnishings and hospitality contract industries.

Palms joins vertical condo crowd
Mar 7, 2005
The Palms Casino Resort is joining the rapidly-growing high-rise condominium crowd. by Tony Illia

Entryway experience
Mar 4, 2005
For the Morongo complex, geometric forms serve vital functions. by Richard K. De

Palms casino in Las Vegas announces plans for condo tower
Mar 3, 2005
A vertical trend in southern Nevada casino development is getting another boost, with the Palms hotel-casino announcing plans to build a 50-story condominium tower. (Associated Press)

Palms plans condo-hotel tower
Mar 3, 2005
Not satisfied with expanding hotel rooms at the Palms resort, owner George Maloof has announced plans to build a 520-foot hotel-condominium tower behind the property to capitalize on the recent popularity of high-rise residences in Las Vegas. by Liz Benston

Tribe's new Palm Springs casino aims to be hipster magnet
Mar 2, 2005
The casino's ultramodern design - the hotel rooms have a silhouette-revealing opaque glass window between the shower and the bedroom - sets it apart from other tribal casinos in California, which are growing faster than anywhere else in the nation. by Christine Binkley

Golden Terraces
Mar 1, 2005
A mixed-use development incorporating numerous unique and innovative features, Zlote Tarasy is set to transform the centre of Warsaw.

Developers in Las Vegas Put Money on Furniture
Feb 23, 2005
World Market Center is an attempt to establish Las Vegas as a leading national center of furniture wholesaling to merchants and developers. by Morris Newman

Builder sees condo as 'destiny'
Feb 5, 2005
Langson believes project near convention center will `make difference' by Hubble Smith

Casino-related uses are cited as being vital for the city
Feb 2, 2005
Experts say nongambling entertainment is needed to attract large numbers and bring in more money. by Nathan Gorenstein

Experts say Philly must include other development with casinos
Feb 2, 2005
Architects, business and tourism experts discuss gaming options for Philadelphia at a forum organized by the Central Philadelphia Development Corp. by Associated Press

Indian Casinos Up the Ante on Vegas
Jan 31, 2005
Southland facilities are adding luxury hotel rooms and upgrading facilities to snag gambling dollars headed to Nevada. by Seema Mehta

A Young Taipei Finds its Groove
Jan 23, 2005
Change is a constant in the city [Taipei], the capital of Taiwan, which has been transformed significantly... by Andrew Yang

Winning Namba
Jan 10, 2005
Read what else Hing Magazine has to say about Namba's curves...

Architecture: China's Great Leap Forward
Jan 2, 2005
Hurtling forward, the nation reimagines itself by importing design from around the world by Mark Magnier

Profile: Gold Medal Winner Jon A. Jerde, FAIA
Jan 1, 2005
Profile: Gold Medal Winner Jon A. Jerde, FAIA, LA Architect, January/February 2005.