Marina Square
Marina Square is a large mixed-use shopping mall in Singapore's Marina Centre, combining retail, dining, entertainment and family-oriented attractions.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Marina Square is a shopping mall and mixed-use commercial complex in Singapore's Marina Centre. Developed by a consortium headed by Singapore Land on newly reclaimed land, it formed part of the first major building complex established in the Marina Centre district. The development was constructed in 1985 and opened in 1986, alongside the hotel properties now associated with Mandarin Oriental Singapore, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay and Pan Pacific Singapore. At opening, Marina Square had approximately 59,000 square metres of retail space and was described as the largest shopping mall in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Its early scale reflected the ambitions of the newly developing Marina Centre, which was intended to become a major commercial, hospitality and visitor destination. Public transport access was strengthened through the introduction of additional bus services when the mall opened. During its first decade, Marina Square was anchored by large department stores including Tokyu and Metro. Its leisure offer included an open-air food court, the Magic Land arcade and a twin-screen Eng Wah cinema, which closed in 1993. The mall subsequently experienced several changes in its large-format retail tenants. Tokyu was replaced first by The Sale Store and then by Kmart, which entered the mall in 1994. Kmart was later replaced by MegaMart, followed by NTUC FairPrice and subsequently Giant in the same premises. Entertainment became a more prominent part of the complex in 1996, when Marina Leisureplex opened at the eastern end. The complex included a six-screen Golden Village cinema, a Superbowl arcade and a bowling facility. These uses helped position Marina Square not only as a conventional retail centre but also as a destination for dining, cinema, recreation and family outings. The mall underwent its first major upgrading programme from 2004 to 2006. The works converted the open-air food court into an air-conditioned facility, reconfigured the internal layout, added lifts and escalators, and introduced new retail categories including furniture stores. Retail space increased to approximately 65,000 square metres. The changes were intended to improve circulation, comfort and the breadth of the tenant mix as Singapore's retail environment became more competitive. A second, larger redevelopment programme began in January 2012 and was completed in phases through 2015. The first phase, completed in September 2013, introduced Dining Edition, a wing focused on food and beverage operators and including concepts described as new to Singapore. The second phase added an expanded retail zone and a new wing facing Marina Bay. It brought in attractions and tenants such as Emporium Shokuhin, a Japanese market, and Pororo Park, a children's themed attraction. Following the programme, the mall's floor area reached approximately 100,000 square metres. The later eastern-wing redevelopment changed Marina Square's balance of retail, entertainment and education. Marina Leisureplex, including the Golden Village cinema operation known as GV Marina Square, and John Little department store left in 2014. Their former areas were subsequently used in part by PSB Academy for a large city campus, which opened progressively from late 2016. In August 2016, a concentration of information-technology stores occupied much of level three in the east wing after the closure of Funan DigitalLife Mall. The cluster included stores associated with HP, Dell, Acer, Asus and Lenovo and was operated by local retailer Newstead. Newstead later closed after filing for bankruptcy in 2019. Marina Square has continued to refresh its attractions and tenant mix. Emporium Shokuhin closed in September 2018, and its former space was converted into an approximately 18,000-square-foot indoor playground. Kiztopia opened there on 15 June 2019, reinforcing the mall's family and experiential positioning. Today, Marina Square's identity is based on its central Marina Centre location, its connection to surrounding hotels and visitor attractions, and a broad mix of retail, dining, education, entertainment and children's activities.
History
Marina Square emerged from Singapore's expansion of Marina Centre onto reclaimed land. A consortium headed by Singapore Land developed the complex in 1985 as one of the first substantial mixed-use projects in the district. The development was planned alongside major hotels, including the properties now known as Mandarin Oriental Singapore, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay and Pan Pacific Singapore. Marina Square opened in 1986 with about 59,000 square metres of retail space, making it the largest shopping mall in Singapore and Southeast Asia according to contemporary descriptions. Its opening also encouraged improvements in public transport serving Marina Centre. The original mall combined department-store retail with dining and entertainment. Tokyu and Metro served as early anchor tenants, while other facilities included an open-air food court, Magic Land arcade and a twin Eng Wah cinema. The cinema closed in 1993. Tokyu's former space passed through several operators: The Sale Store, Kmart, MegaMart, NTUC FairPrice and later Giant. These changes illustrate Marina Square's continuing adaptation to shifts in department-store, discount-retail and supermarket demand. In September 1996, Marina Square broadened its entertainment role through Marina Leisureplex. The complex included a six-screen Golden Village cinema, a Superbowl arcade and bowling facilities. For many years, this combination helped make the mall a leisure destination as well as a shopping centre. The first major physical upgrade began in early 2004 and concluded in mid-2006. The works enclosed and air-conditioned the former outdoor food court, remodelled the internal layout, increased the number of lifts and escalators, and expanded retail space to around 65,000 square metres. Furniture shops and other categories were added, reflecting an effort to diversify the mall beyond conventional fashion and department-store retail. A second and more extensive renovation programme began in January 2012. Phase one was completed in September 2013 with the launch of Dining Edition, a wing centred on food and beverage operators. Phase two was completed in November 2015 and introduced a larger retail area, a new wing facing Marina Bay, the Japanese food-market concept Emporium Shokuhin and the children's attraction Pororo Park. The completed redevelopment expanded the mall's floor area to approximately 100,000 square metres and refreshed its tenant mix. The third phase focused on the east wing and brought significant changes to the complex's use. Marina Leisureplex, including the Golden Village Marina Square operation, and John Little both left in 2014. Their former areas were subsequently used in part for PSB Academy's city campus, which opened progressively from the end of 2016. In August 2016, Newstead established a cluster of information-technology stores on level three. The cluster included exclusive outlets connected with HP, Dell, Acer, Asus and Lenovo and was formed after the closure of Funan DigitalLife Mall. Newstead later shut down in 2019 following a bankruptcy filing. Tenant turnover continued as Marina Square adjusted its balance between specialty retail, dining and family experiences. Emporium Shokuhin closed in September 2018. Its former premises were converted into a large indoor playground, Kiztopia, which opened on 15 June 2019. The change reinforced Marina Square's role as a mixed-use lifestyle destination rather than a department-store-led mall. Its long-term identity rests on its Marina Centre location, connections to major hotels and nearby attractions, and a broad offer spanning shopping, restaurants, education, leisure and children's activities.
- 2019
Kiztopia opens
[1]The indoor playground opens in the former Emporium Shokuhin premises, adding a major family attraction.
- 2016
PSB Academy and technology retail uses expand
[1]PSB Academy begins phased occupation of its city campus, while Newstead opens a major technology-retail cluster in the east wing.
- 2015
Second redevelopment phase is completed
[1]The expanded retail zone and Marina Bay-facing wing are completed, bringing the mall's floor area to approximately 100,000 square metres.
- 2014
Marina Leisureplex and John Little depart
[1]The cinema and leisure complex and the John Little department store vacate the mall during the east-wing redevelopment.
- 2013
Dining Edition opens
[1]The first phase of the redevelopment is completed with a dedicated food-and-beverage wing.
- 2012
Second redevelopment programme begins
[1]A phased redevelopment begins with the aim of expanding the mall and renewing its retail and dining offer.
- 2006
First major upgrade is completed
[1]The refurbishment is completed, with retail space increased to approximately 65,000 square metres.
- 2004
First major upgrading programme begins
[1]Marina Square starts a substantial refurbishment focused on layout, access, food-and-beverage facilities and retail diversification.
- 1996
Marina Leisureplex opens
[1]A leisure complex opens with cinema, arcade and bowling facilities.
- 1994
Kmart enters Marina Square
[1]American retailer Kmart replaces the earlier Sale Store use in a major mall premises.
Products and positioning
A centrally located, large-format Marina Centre shopping and lifestyle destination serving local shoppers, families, tourists, hotel guests and education users through a combination of retail, dining, entertainment and experiential attractions.
Retail · 1986
Retail and fashion mix
Marina Square provides a broad shopping environment rather than a single proprietary product line. Its retail mix has historically included department stores, supermarkets, specialty shops, fashion outlets, furniture stores and other general merchandise categories. The tenant base has changed repeatedly as large-format operators and consumer preferences evolved.
Food and beverage · 2013
Dining Edition
Dining Edition is a dedicated food-and-beverage wing introduced during the 2012–2015 redevelopment. It was designed to broaden Marina Square's restaurant offer and provide a distinct dining destination within the mall, including operators described as new to Singapore at the time of its launch.
Retail destination · 2015
Marina Bay-facing retail wing
The Marina Bay-facing wing was added in the second phase of the mall's redevelopment. It expanded the retail footprint, refreshed the tenant mix and improved the complex's relationship with the surrounding Marina Centre visitor and hospitality district.
Entertainment · 1996
Marina Leisureplex
Marina Leisureplex was an entertainment complex opened at the eastern end of Marina Square in 1996. It combined a six-screen Golden Village cinema with a Superbowl arcade and bowling facilities. The complex and the Golden Village Marina Square operation later closed as part of the east-wing redevelopment.
Family entertainment · 2019
Kiztopia
Kiztopia is an approximately 18,000-square-foot indoor playground that opened in the former Emporium Shokuhin premises. Its addition shifted part of Marina Square's experiential offer toward children and families and complemented the mall's broader dining and leisure positioning.
Consumer electronics · 2016
Information-technology retail cluster
A cluster of information-technology stores opened on level three of the east wing in 2016 under Newstead. The group included stores associated with HP, Dell, Acer, Asus and Lenovo and was intended to accommodate technology retail displaced by the closure of Funan DigitalLife Mall. The Newstead operation later closed after a bankruptcy filing.
Brand decisions
2019
Replacement of Emporium Shokuhin space with KiztopiaProduct launchBackground
Emporium Shokuhin closed in September 2018, leaving a large premises available for a new use.
Action taken
The space was converted into an approximately 18,000-square-foot indoor playground, which opened on 15 June 2019.
Aftermath
The change reinforced Marina Square's family-oriented and experiential positioning.
2014
Conversion of eastern-wing space toward education and new retail usesStrategyBackground
The east-wing redevelopment followed the departure of Marina Leisureplex and John Little.
Action taken
Former entertainment and department-store areas were reconfigured, with PSB Academy taking space for a city campus and later technology retailers occupying level three.
Aftermath
PSB Academy opened in phases from late 2016, while the east wing gained a stronger education and consumer-electronics presence.
2012
Approval and commencement of second redevelopment programmeStrategyBackground
The mall pursued a larger repositioning to expand its floor area and strengthen dining, retail, family and Marina Bay-facing uses.
Action taken
Redevelopment began in January 2012 and was divided into phases, including a dining-focused wing, an expanded retail zone and a new wing facing Marina Bay.
Aftermath
The programme concluded in 2015 and expanded the mall to approximately 100,000 square metres with a refreshed tenant mix.
2004
Launch of the first major mall upgradeOtherBackground
Marina Square needed to modernise its facilities and refresh its tenant offer as Singapore's shopping-centre market developed.
Action taken
The mall began a refurbishment that reworked the layout, enclosed the outdoor food court, added lifts and escalators, and introduced categories such as furniture retail.
Aftermath
The programme was completed in 2006 and increased retail space to approximately 65,000 square metres.
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