Many people often associate Indonesia’s Batam island with its beautiful sandy beaches and lush resorts, but retain the perception that the island is underdeveloped and lacking an urban landscape. However, this is all going change as soon as next year, when Batam locals and travellers can look forward to the island’s very first mega-mall, Pollux Mall Batam, equivalent to the size of Singapore’s Ngee Ann City.

Pollux Mall Batam is just one part of the Meisterstadt Batam project, a masterplan to transform the skyline of Batam, helmed by former Indonesian president Dr. Ing. H. Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie. He also serves as honorary chairman to Pollux Habibie International, the company overseeing the project.

The Meisterstadt Batam project will cover a sprawling land space of over 8.6 hectares, and will include the 860,000 square-foot Pollux Mall Batam, eight residential towers, a hotel, a hospital that will benefit locals in Batam, and a 100-storey office building measuring 350 metres, around twice the height of Marina Bay Sands.

Pollux Habibie International aims to complete the construction of four residential towers, known as the Wunderbar Residences, and a portion of the mall by this year, as the first phase of the Meisterstadt Batam project. By the second quarter of next year, visitors to Batam and locals can visit Pollux Mall Batam, which will consist of popular brands and F&B outlets, some of which are the first-of-their-kind in Batam, as well as a cinema.

Residents who purchased units in the first two towers of the Wunderbar Residences can also look forward to moving in next year, where they will be able to look forward to facilities and amenities such as a central park circumventing all four towers, sporting facilities and an infinity pool at the top of the last tower, where residents can catch a glimpse of neighbouring Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands on a clear day.

At the moment, the first three towers of the Wunderbar Residences have already been launched and 95 per cent of the units have been sold. The final tower will be launched later this month. The topping-off ceremonies for the third and last towers will be held on the first week of April and May this year respectively.