Marina Square through the years: A timeline

Marina Square, a prominent shopping destination in Singapore, has undergone significant transformations over its four decades of existence. The mall's journey began in 1981 when a consortium, led by Singapore Land Group (SingLand), developed a mall and three hotels on the site. However, the developers faced a name dispute, as the authorities insisted the complex be renamed Marina Square, instead of the originally proposed Marina Centre.

Upon its opening in 1986, Marina Square quickly established itself as the largest shopping complex in Southeast Asia, boasting approximately 59,000 square meters of retail space. The mall initially opened with four department stores, including outlets of Metro and Tokyu, as well as a supermarket and around 220 shops. Notable tenants at launch included Tokyu, which opened its Marina Square outlet in 1987, and Eng Wah, which introduced two cinemas with a combined seating capacity of 670.

The 1990s saw a series of shifts in Marina Square's tenant mix. Tokyu closed its outlet in 1993, followed by Kmart Metro and The Sale Store taking over its space. To counter competition from neighboring malls, such as Suntec City and Millenia Singapore, Marina Square bolstered its entertainment offerings by constructing a four-storey entertainment complex called the Marina Leisureplex next to the existing amusement center and food court.

This complex housed a six-screen Golden Village cineplex, along with new food and beverage outlets like McDonald's, Long John Silver's, MOS Burger, and Teck Kee Pau.

By the time the mall celebrated its 20th anniversary, its monthly shopper traffic had doubled from approximately 400,000 to 1 million visitors. In 2004, Marina Square embarked on its first major renovation, spending S$100 million to revamp the mall and reorganize it into different themed zones. Notable tenants during this period included hypermarket Giant, luxury watchmakers Longines and Edox, and British fashion retailer Miss Selfridge.

The revamped mall reopened in 2006, focusing on attracting younger crowds with trendy fashion stores and hair salons.

Marina Square's significance was further highlighted when Singapore hosted its first Formula 1 race in 2008. The mall's outdoor areas became a popular gathering spot for those without tickets, underscoring its role as a central location for events and activities in the area.