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bamboo appears to be the material of choice for all self-respecting earth-loving folks, architects and hippies alike. as with many green initiatives, one of the things that gets my goat is when i have to try to convince myself to like something on the basis of the fact that it is serving some greater good, even though at my core i feel it is lousy/ugly/not worthwhile.
conversely, when i come across design that is inherently beautiful, whilst still keeping in line with a green ethos, i’m delighted. this manta-ray like space in the six senses resort in koh kood thailand is exactly it. i don’t even know quite where to begin, other than that the bamboo makes the entire interior warm, while the trellis/grids created by the intersecting bamboo poles lend unusual patterns and depth to the structure. beautiful.
i saw the pictures first, then realised this house is actually in bukit timah, singapore. and what a house it is!
the use of water, natural light and stone brings a great expansiveness to the already amply sized space. i particularly love the use of water bodies as a way to cool the house and reduce ambient heat effect– an excellent demonstration of how functionality and good design can indeed go together.
asymptote architecture looks like a firm to watch.
they’ve recently completed a residential project in the heart of manhattan, which from far away looks more conventional than a closer look reveals. 166 perry street has a glass facade, with panels tilted at different angles, some towards the sky, others towards the ground. what it then reveals are snapshots of the cityscape, put together in a patchwork for viewing pleasure. this is subtle, but informed architecture at its best.
a look at their previously completed project, the stunning hydrapier in the netherlands, suggests that their elegant and nuanced eye will continue to bring about pieces of architecture to be marvelled at as works of art.
a gorgeous building, well-suited to its location right by lake michigan. contrary to what critics say, i actually really like seeing what people can do to shake up a traditional box-like office building structure, whilst not entirely removing semblance of that form. at the end of the day, not all companies want buildings that look like works of art, they may sometimes just want spaces which are usable, professional and which are not too far off from their corporate image. that’s where the beauty of good architecture lies: in being able to transform and elevate the experience of a space, without alienating the very people who operate within it.
i came across this article which highlights an old black and white in singapore that has been restored by its current occupant, mark seeger. there seem to be more people going by the diy route when it comes to home decor and restoration. whether it be from the build-it-yourself ikea shelves, to the improvise-it-yourself bookcases, to the sophisticated art of roof and floor restoration. i’ve built basic houses with habitat for humanity before, and the process of hammering out the structure of a house to adding the finishing touches of insulation bring about a newfound humility and appreciation for the places we live, sleep and dream in. what seals the deal for this house is mark’s clearly aesthetic eye, evident in the wave bookcase, gorgeous solid wooden dining table, bale roof and juxtaposition of old brick with chocolate wooden floorboards. altogether an inspired project!
in school, they had housed us in container classrooms to cope with the growing student population. the classrooms had been functional, rectangular, air-conditioned boxes where lectures (and chatting) reverbed off the walls alarmingly well. the common use of containers in such mundane ways is what makes this project by the AnL studio team so refreshing. here, they’ve taken a few old shipping containers, which by a simple angling, have transformed them into a fresh and contemporary piece of practical architecture.
penang, especially georgetown, is really quite something.
i’m not sure if my being singaporean adds to the charm, especially because there’s a lot here that is what i imagine singapore would have been like in the 60s. think old barber and hairdressing salons, areas dedicated to a particular type of craft, street markets, lots of roadside stalls with good food. add onto that beautiful old shophouses in a multitude of hues and ages– a photographer’s wet dream.
just remember though, singapore is a lot smaller than penang, so it would be helpful to hire a vehicle while you’re there!
check out:
to see
all the old guild associations around town and the beautiful old shophouses
jalan chowrasta- the market here is in full swing every morning
to eat
bon ton cafe, lorong stewart: amazing carrot cake
amelie’s cafe, lebuh armenian: cozy cafe, bread, drinks
gurney drive: most things hit the spot!
lebuh keng kwee: chendol and asam laksa. mmm.
winter warmers, gurney plaza: lavender milk tea
young heart restaurant, jln cantonment: healthy food, delicious dumplings and noodles
there aren’t any pictures to accompany this post really, just a description. there’s a house along mountbatten road, nestled amidst the stretch of big houses with newly repaved pavement, which stands out from the row. its got an asymmetrical exterior gate and three large paper lampshades encased in an attic of glass at the very tip of the house. during the day, the house already looks quite interesting, but at night, that’s when the house comes alive for me. at night, the purple exterior gate looks black, and everything on the quiet road is dark, except these three glowing orbs, an illuminated installation piece.
now, i’ve been watching this whole “hub” business with an air of detached bemusement. i think singapore has the potential to be really good at many different things, but we need to find ourselves a couple more synonyms for “hub”. anyhow, the newest hub is that at fusionopolis, another one of those glass/steel structures populating the buona vista area. from the outside, i don’t think the building stands out substantially compared to the ministry of education building or the ntu alumni club building. but when you enter the building, that’s a different matter altogether. the architects have had a daring hand at injecting curves and interesting angles into the building, so that you get interesting perspectives and feels at different points of the building. a couple of my favourite points are:
– at the escalator heading downstairs to the supermarket, where the architects have made the space pointed like an arrow and lined with white spotlights, so it gives the space a very futuristic feel.
– at the reception area upstairs, where there has been a gorgeous use of wood to create wavy ceilings and walls. i don’t think it would have been that expensive to do as the wood looks like compressed ply and all pieces are of a similar shape, just laser cut and arranged in different places. the overall effect is as my friend put it, like being inside a womb, with all its curves and shadows. there’s an unusual use of wire mesh curtains as a partition for the space, and this works well with the floor to ceiling windows which let muted sunlight play across the black floors through the mesh.
– the tunnel escalator leading up to the genexis theatre, where once again, the sense that you’re time travelling or at least travelling within a high-tech spacecraft is conveyed again, with the verticality of the escalator and the way in which it is lit.
– Fusionopolis, 1 Fusionopolis way, http://www.fusionopolis.a-star.edu.sg/
i first caught sight of this building in the URA Singapore 1:1 books, a double volume which details some of the more interesting buildings about town. flipping through at random, this building structure caught my eye. it’s classic with its monochrome colour scheme but very contemporary with its boxy exterior. well worth a look!
random.acts.of.wonder 