Media Release
ANNEX A: PRESIDENT’S DESIGN AWARD RECIPIENTS
Designer of the Year
1. Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell WOHA Architects Pte Ltd
2. Edmund Wee EPIGRAM
3. Nathan Yong Air Division Pte Ltd
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Design of the Year
1. 19 Jalan Elok Chang Yong Ter (and Team) CHANG Architects
2. BBH Office in a Warehouse Colin Seah (and Team) Ministry of Design
3. Eubiq Power Outlet System Ng Joo Kok (and Team) Eubiq Pte Ltd
4. LASALLE College of the Arts Pok Siew Fatt (and Team) RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte Ltd)
5. National Museum of Singapore Lee Soo Khoong (and Team) CPG Consultants Pte Ltd In collaboration with Mok Wei Wei (and Team), W Architects Pte Ltd
6. Naumi, Singapore Sim Boon Yang (and Team) Ecoid Design Consultancy Pte Ltd
7. New Majestic Hotel, Front Lawn Leonard Ng (and Team) Lush Studio
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Designer of the Year
1. Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell Founding Directors WOHA Architects Pte Ltd
1 Moulmein Rise
Newton Suites
Stadium MRT Station
Church of St Mary of the Angels
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Biography
WOHA is a design practice focused on the built environment. WOHA’s philosophy is to explore the intersections of culture, context, history, nature, climate, sustainability and social behaviour to inform innovative design. Formed in 1994 by Singaporean Wong Mun Summ and Australian Richard Hassell, the practice is based on the model of the creative industries, rather than traditional construction services. With a mix of designers from diverse backgrounds, WOHA explores integrated design for the built environment, moving between master planning, architectural, landscape, interior and lighting and furniture design.
WOHA has no fixed formal language or style; instead each project evolves around a set of objectives and strategies that emerge from within the project. What unites the works of the practice is a focus on making spaces that delight the end-user and enhance the environment. WOHA has received numerous local and international awards for excellence in design such as the 2007 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, MIPIM AR Future Project Awards 2007, AR Awards for Emerging Architecture 2006 and RAIA International Award. WOHA has also been featured in international professional publications.
WOHA has offices in Singapore and Thailand, and has been involved in projects around the Asia Pacific region. WOHA’s focus on innovation and diversity of interests has developed experience in a wide mix of building types and scales, including commercial, residential, hospitality, transport, infrastructure, institutional, religious, mixed-use and interior projects. WOHA also participates in professional and educational activities. Both Founding Directors have served on public boards, committees and councils in Singapore, lectured and examined in universities and held Associate Professor appointments. WOHA runs a gallery that hosts a programme of cultural events relating to architecture and design.
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Jury’s Citation / Reasons for Recommendation
Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell have assembled an impressive body of work since they started WOHA in 1994. Their wide repertoire of projects ranges from houses and high-rise buildings to commercial and institutional projects, and are characterised by a consistently high level of design, quality of execution and careful attention to detail. As their body of works demonstrates, they are advocates of sustainable design in high-rise tropical housing. They draw inspiration from vernacular sources in designing for a tropical climate.
Their works display an impressive all-round mastery in the control of architectural design – form, proportion, massing and detailing. Their skilful handling of materials and elements like water has created delightful sensual experiences in many of their projects, notably the Church of St Mary of the Angels and the Bras Basah MRT Station.
Mun Summ and Richard have contributed actively to the development and exploration of architecture and design in Singapore. Both have served as members of various design panels and external examiners for architectural courses. They are an inspiration to a new generation of architects who are encouraged to create environments where people enjoy their lives more because of the quality of the spaces created.
The Jury notes the ongoing evolution of WOHA’s design philosophy and strategy and applauds their commitment to urban and humane concerns. The Jury hopes that these principles will prevail in the presence of fashionable trends in our increasingly commercial culture.
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Designer of the Year
2. Edmund Wee Managing & Creative Director EPIGRAM
Irene’s Peranakan Recipes
Best World International Ltd Capitaland 2006
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Biography
A psychologist turned journalist turned design agency founder, Edmund Wee is today the managing and creative director of Epigram, the agency which revolutionised the art of annual report design in Singapore.
From Epigram’s very first annual report in 1991, the agency has continued to create reports for clients hell-bent on making a difference, not just in their annual reports, but in other corporate communication materials, books, identities and signages as well. The 20-strong consultancy continues to stand for its founder's belief that there is no greater power than the force of a great idea. For Epigram, work is more than just design. For them, work is personal.
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Jury’s Citation / Reasons for Recommendation
Edmund Wee is being recognised for his dedicated contribution to sustaining the creative integrity of the Annual Report design discipline. In a career spanning several decades; he has effectively used original Singaporean themes and contexts to project the holistic communication agendas of many institutions and corporations.
His editorial works have received numerous international awards for their creative excellence from important design competitions such as AR100, red dot, Graphis and HKDA. Edmund has also delved into various publishing activities while experimenting with a diverse range of interesting subjects, including travel and stylish cookbooks. He has long been an ardent promoter of using local artists, illustrators, and photographers in his annual reports, which have been instrumental in fostering the overall talent in this region.
In an era when communication media is automatically associated with only things digital, it is reassuring that the annual report medium will continue to evolve with Edmund. The Jury truly commends his creative resilience.
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Designer of the Year
3. Nathan Yong Principal Designer/Managing Director Air Division Pte Ltd
Gruppe Chair Coal Hanger
Break Stool Foxhole Sofa
BIOPOD Playground Bed
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Biography
Nathan Yong is a well-known figure in the Singapore furniture design industry. He set up the furniture brand AIR in 1999, at a time when there were very few local producers of modern furniture in Singapore. Credited with advancing furniture design and furniture retail standards of Singapore, Nathan’s designs have been sold to Germany, Denmark, USA & Morocco. He is also the Principal Designer for his subsidiary, AIR DESIGN GROUP.
Armed with a Master’s in Design from COFA, University of New South Wales with High Distinction in 2007 and a diploma in Product Design, Nathan set up the design entity in 2006. His passion for honesty and simplicity in design has garnered numerous awards, both locally and on an international level, such as the red dot award. He has also collaborated with renowned designers like Toshiyuki Kita (designer of the SHARP Aquos ® TV and the Wink Chair by Cassina) and multidisciplinary designers Voon Wong & Benson Saw from the United Kingdom to produce design conscious furniture that is made with the purpose of being affordable to all.
Never resting on his laurels, Nathan’s enthusiasm in the relentless pursuit of design that is honest in its approach has made him one of Singapore’s top designers in his own right. He was also selected as one of the 20 best designers in the 20/20 series in 2006 by the DesignSingapore Council.
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Jury’s Citation / Reasons for Recommendation
Nathan Yong is the quintessential designer/entrepreneur. Since setting up his company Air Division in 1999, he has enjoyed both marketplace success and critical acclaim. His work combines design flair and commercial acumen. A graduate of Temasek Polytechnic, he has a deep understanding of technical issues and business reality. He is innovative not only in design but also in product development, manufacturing and use of materials; in business development and business models, including retailing and franchising; and in creative collaboration. Most recently, he also started a design consultancy to help other companies in design. Nathan has skilfully used marketing communications to build presence for his brands in a crowded marketplace. He and his work are regularly featured in international publications.
In commending Nathan’s strong body of successful work, the Jury would like to cite two particular aspects. First, his designs have a distinctive voice, often characterised by a left-field sense of humour that is casual, approachable and resonant of the Singaporean lifestyle. Second, the Jury is impressed by his proactiveness in going international. His designs are currently exported to many parts of the world and sold by renowned furniture houses like France’s Ligne Rosset and Flemish producer Ethnicraft.
Nathan is an inspiration to young designers with his combination of design originality and business competency as well as his ambitions and achievements beyond Singapore.
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Design of the Year
1. 19 Jalan Elok CHANG Architects Chang Yong Ter, Architect
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Project Write -Up
The design of this three-storey intermediate terrace house was completed in August 2005. The scheme fulfilled the owner’s brief, part of which was to cater spaces for six persons including a couple, three teenage children and a maid. There was a need for privacy for the couple and the children, but not total separateness. In addition to the experience of living close to nature, their love for nature since childhood is being re- lived. The house was conceived as a three-dimensional landscape installation, whereby the living spaces were then inserted within. This created floating platforms that optimise natural day lighting, cross-ventilations and views. It also allowed the spaces to be meaningfully segregated so that the family members could live in proximity without compromising the privacy of the individuals. The living spaces are defined by voids, and landscape elements such as plants, pebbles, and water – both horizontally and vertically.
On plan, the conventional intermediate terrace house was reconfigured with a central zone, flanked by a one-metre wide linear light and ventilation wells along both sides of the site. The ground floor is one interconnected landscape, with the kitchen located up front as part of the entrance porch setting. The old boundary wall was removed, set back by 2.4m, and replaced with thin lines of steel cables held by sliding frames. These transformations generated a cordial setting, the principal space for meeting neighbours/visitors as compared to the former car porch. Beyond here, the casual/formal dining and the living areas are intermittently located and interchangeable, defined loosely by landscape elements. The space culminates at the rear with an existing retaining wall being turned into a waterfall, flanked by vertical ‘green walls’ on both sides.
The configurations of the spaces, incorporated with the luxuriant use of plants and water elements, have effectively generated a cool microclimate within the house, which is also bright and airy during the day. The eventual setting, completed on December 2007, resembles a tropical rainforest setting that not only reduces the need for air-conditioning and artificial lighting, but also creates a living environment that is congenial, whereby one can be in sync with nature, even in an urbanised neighbourhood.
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Jury’s Citation / Reasons for Recommendation
19 Jalan Elok is immediately recognised as a house that is bold and innovative. The 3-storey intermediate terrace house is a clear manifestation of great collaboration between the client and the architect and their commitment to good design. It demonstrates the potential for a new housing typology that is appropriate to a dense urban setting and Singapore’s tropical climate.
Conceived as a three-dimensional landscaped installation, where living spaces were then inserted; the house is both traditional and radical. Its layout is almost conventional with a centre courtyard. Yet at the same time, it breaks the norms in terms of the lifestyle it caters for, and its exposure to street-life.
A visitor enters the house through the kitchen space, and is greeted by a series of slender tree trunks that penetrate through the landscape deck above; likened to an art installation that becomes the centre piece of the space. Beyond the open kitchen, the lush green living space emerges, resembling a setting of a tropical rainforest. The huge retaining wall at the rear end is cleverly transformed into a feature wall that allows rainwater to cascade through spaces in the house. On the upper levels, a series of rooms, appear to float in a larger volume of space, amidst the natural setting.
The Jury applauds the boldness in the design and execution; a clever attempt to create a contemporary living environment that truly responds to the climate by minimising dependence on air-conditioning. The house therefore sets new directions for landed housing in Singapore.
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Design of the Year
2. BBH Office in a Warehouse Ministry of Design Colin Seah, Director of Design Kevin Leong, Designer Chong Xiaoran, Designer
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Project Write -Up
“Historic Warehouse Space meets Cutting-edge Global Client” in Ministry of Design’s office for Advertising Agency client BBH Asia-Pacific. In this office like no other, both function and experience-specific spaces are choreographed around a conceptual Creative Flow, spanning two floors & 1050 m 2 of double-height redbrick warehouse space. Inspired by the rich context of a pre-war warehouse adjacent to the Singapore River, Ministry of Design preserved the historic ensemble of redbrick walls, solid timber floors and an exposed steel truss structural system as a backdrop to contrast a redefined modern creative office.
The client’s brief challenged the conventions of corporate hierarchy, focusing instead on maximising the creative processes underlining its progressive attitude. Eschewing the prized ‘corner office’ and typical warren-like cubicles, Ministry of Design instead designed ‘dream rooms’ for creative inspiration and an open warehouse style seating plan for maximum interaction. Housed on two mezzanine lofts, featured ‘dream’ spaces float physically and figuratively over an open office floor. These ‘dream’ lofts are at the heart of the agency where ideas are formulated and hot- housed. They overlook the 100-seater open office floor, allowing the creative process to be showcased. Private discussions are also conducted in freestanding ‘pods’ which dot the open office floor, and a 40m-long sculptural hot desk cuts a striking axis through this space, linking the entry reception bar on one end with the library lounge on the other. A bold palette of primary colours is paired with simple but surprising geometries; together creating signature experiences and key spaces which link seamlessly along a Creative Flow in this redefined office space.
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Jury’s Citation / Reasons for Recommendation
The BBH Office is a huge office that used to be an old warehouse. The most striking thing about the project that impressed the Jury most was how the designer followed the client’s brief closely and delivered results that exceeded expectations. The space is conducive, and the design is of exceptional quality, from the brilliant application of colour to the material used. Every corner of the office has been thoughtfully considered and exquisitely executed. The designer complements the simplicity and functionality of the space with excellent spatial development, an intriguing modulation of enclosures that function as work and meeting rooms. The design of the office radiates an aura of being a great place to be in and a wonderful place to work in. It also projects a light-hearted and relaxed ambience, which is especially important for an advertising agency like BBH. The Jury unanimously agreed that the designer delivered the brief beautifully.
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Design of the Year
3. Eubiq Power Outlet System Eubiq Pte Ltd Yong Choon, Inventor Ng Joo Kok, Chief Designer Chaw Keat Hoe Ang Tian Huat Ang Yau Fei Grace Chew
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Project Write -Up
In modern lifestyle, with more and more electronics and mobile devices emerging, one can never pre-determine how many power outlets are sufficient for power-up and charging needs. Conventional power strips can only address basic powering needs by providing extra power points, but they lack flexibility and expandibility.
Eubiq Power Outlet is an innovative solution to address these issues. Users can add, remove, and reposition power outlets anywhere along a streamlined power track. A simple push and turn is all it takes to engage a new outlet.
Eubiq was founded in 2000 with the vision of becoming the world leader in power outlet systems. The company has spent the five years developing and perfecting the power outlet system. The company acquired a new plant in Singapore in 2006 to meet increasing demand from the global market. Eubiq Pte Ltd’s Joo Koon Crescent office, is the operations and manufacturing headquarters of the company. The company is equipped with in-house R&D capabilities to respond to customers’ needs quickly.
Eubiq has regional offices in the Middle East and Australia. Their global network of distributors spans more than 30 countries and their products are widely used in residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Eubiq is currently distributed in: Singapore, Australia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Korea, Malaysia, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Dubai, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Belgium Luxemburg, Netherland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
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Jury’s Citation / Reasons for Recommendation
The Eubiq Power Outlet System is a superb example of Singaporean entrepreneurship combined with technological innovation, rigorous design methodology and aesthetic elegance to create a product of global significance. Eubiq started six years ago to innovate the way people plug into power. The traditional power socket has not changed in the 100 years since its invention. Deciding where to install wall sockets, threading wiring through walls, repairing and replacing parts – all of it is archaic. The Eubiq system takes an imaginative leap into the 21 st Century with a system of universal sockets that plug-in with a simple push and turn anywhere along a streamlined rubber and metal raceway. The system becomes part of the architectural infrastructure or a component of workstation panels or furniture. The system was developed from scratch in Singapore and has since gone out to the international market. The company has also adopted an inclusive business strategy and model, offering partnerships to potential competitors.
Eubiq’s combination of major technological advancement and elegant design has won it many international awards. Eubiq’s plug connector and long rubberised strip patented, as is its proprietary grounding technology that makes it ultra-safe. It is available in every outlet profile required around the world, which addresses the problem of carrying multiple adaptors. Builders no longer need to run electrical cables and wires all over the building. From an architectural point of view, Eubiq is sleek, handsome and beautifully detailed. The company, with its design driven philosophy of “taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary”, is an inspiring example of what a creative economy looks like – combining the best practices of vision, innovation, design and scalable commercialisation.
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Design of the Year
4. LASALLE College of the Arts Pok Siew Fatt (and Team) RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte Ltd)
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Project Write -Up
LASALLE College of the Arts is located within the city and embraces the city’s diversity. The location of the campus programmatically defines a mediation zone between the public space of the city and private space of the campus. The notion of a passive interaction between the institution and the city allows the art process to be revealed to the public. The interface layers are achieved through the sculpting of the blocks and are likened to that of a canyon where the alleys are sculpted by nature’s process of carving. The inclined glass panels of the internal façade allow large amounts of daylight to filter into the rooms. It has always been the intention of the design concept to reflect and engage the city fabric.
The concept of designing the campus green, the city court and the four alleyways that weave into the campus allow the public to have access and interact with the students and their art. This design strategy made the campus very public in nature and also emulated the intention of having the porosity of the city streets permeating through the campus. The design was conceptualised to provide many platforms for design interaction and inspiration. The various break-out spaces, sky bridges and the public courts give rise to opportunities for diverse art forms and the cultural exchange between the students and the public in the city.
A cluster of sculpted blocks arranged around a central public social space defines the form of the campus. The craving of the blocks reflects the existing city fabric through the Urban Alleys and both the City and Campus Courts, which gives the campus its ground porosity. Spatially this defines the ART CANYON with an internal active façade and a more solid external passive façade. Three different modular sized windows articulate this external passive façade and they create the visual interest of the school for the city.
LASALLE College of the Arts was first conceptualised in a two-stage international competition in December 2002 and was completed in August 2007.
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Jury’s Citation / Reasons for Recommendation
The LASALLE College of the Arts makes a bold and courageous statement of creating a powerful place within the city. A monolithic block with an imposing external façade is sculpted to create 6 pavilions traversed by a network of public paths and a transparent and open central public space and alleyways that connect with the established pedestrian networks in the neighbourhood.
The central public space and alleyways create a “city room” with dynamic layers of public engagement. They draw people into the building and provide a delightful place of interaction between the students and the community. The interior glass façade, tilted at various angles to create a prismatic effect, offers the public a glimpse into the classrooms, studios and exhibition spaces and serves to demystify the arts and the creative process involved. The 25m long sky bridge and other smaller bridges connect the 6 blocks into a singular campus while providing unusual performance and display platforms to showcase the students’ works.
The architecture for the campus presents a big paradigm shift and milestone in how an art institution can engage the community. The College has fashioned a noble space for the celebration of the arts. As one of the pioneer art institutions situated in the Bras Basah Bugis district, which is the Arts, Culture, Learning and Entertainment hub, the College has defined the country’s emergence as a global city of the arts.
Design of the Year
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5. National Museum of Singapore Lee Soo Khoong (and Team) CPG Consultants Pte Ltd In collaboration with Mok Wei Wei (and Team), W Architects Pte Ltd
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Project Write -Up
The National Museum, which originally housed the Raffles library and museum, was erected in neo-classical style by the British in 1887. In the year 2000, proposals were made to more than double the capacity of the existing museum and define its program towards the national identity and history of Singapore. The redevelopment project which resulted retains the architectural features of the original building and its expansions in 1906, 1916 and 1926.
The museum faces Bras Basah City Park and sits at the foot of Fort Canning Hill Park— the site of palaces and tombs of ancient Malay Kingdoms. The significance of the site underscores one key concept in the redevelopment project—the museum becomes an urban corridor that connects two major historical green spaces. This urban corridor offers an experience of changing architectural languages, spatial quality and materiality. One first encounters the old rotunda in the solid and centred, Neo-classical space. The grand staircase leads to the glass connector, which signifies the transition into the more fluid contemporary extension. Contrast and dialogue between the old and the new is further accentuated by removing the roof of the old passageway and replacing it with a glass roof so that the old dome is visible from within.
Height restrictions on the new extension were imposed by redevelopment authorities, as it could not exceed the spring line of the old dome, led to the creation of vast, column-free spaces underground to house the main gallery, temporary gallery and black box theatre. This means that most of the spaces that are above ground become public spaces. The ground floor of the old building houses restaurants and shops while its second floor houses four thematic galleries. Beyond that is the multi-directional new atrium that leads to the various new facilities. Its transparency allows views of the surrounding greenery, and is carried through to the concourse, conceived as a cut into the foot of the hill where concrete and granite chip panels express the stratification of earth layers within the hill. The new extension is deliberately understated, largely underground and the above ground spaces made transparent, multi-focal and public. Despite that, it speaks volumes about layers of histories, memories and experiences but never drowns out the elegant neo-classical language of the original structure.
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Jury’s Citation / Reasons for Recommendation
The National Museum of Singapore is a building of national significance and iconic value. The project marries the task of restoration, with a new extension, with great sensitivity and finesse to achieve a high civic quality. Through the change in architectural language, spatial quality and materiality, the visitor is able to experience a seamless transition from the existing neo-classical monument to the contemporary annex. Every step of the way is highly considered and displays the architect’s sensitivity to marry the old and new.
To achieve full frontage view of the building and to create a new civic space ubiquitously associated with institutional monuments, the existing boundary walls were removed. This created an important new feature - an urban corridor linking two major historical green spaces sited at the front of the building (Bras Basah City Park) and the rear (Fort Canning Hill Park).
The Jury appreciates the attention to detail, down to the choice of colour for the window shutters. The Jury applauds the architect’s bold decision to replace part of the old roof in order to reveal the dome thereby dramatizing the transition from the old to the new. The architect’s decision to place much of the new extension underground to meet the height control and to fulfil the programme’s requirements is applauded. This has been sensitively executed with a multi-volume space, enabling the penetration of daylight into the lower levels. Adhering to the conservation guideline for a gap between the monument and the new addition, an expansive concourse space was created under a fully self-supporting glass atrium. This allows for a full visual appreciation of the monument’s façade while offering a setting for a variety of events and programmes. The National Museum of Singapore has achieved high international standards and now forms part of a redefined museum experience that Singaporeans and visitors can all enjoy.
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Design of the Year
6. Naumi, Singapore Ecoid Design Consultancy Pte Ltd Sim Boon Yang, Director Patricia Ho Chuan Xuan Yi
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Project Write -Up
The design called for a total transformation of an old hotel into the new boutique Naumi Hotel. We infused art, architecture and interior design to conceptualise a new art-influenced holistic environment here at an urban Seah Street location. On the façade, the design response is a refreshingly progressive geometric topiary screen, executed through facetted metal perforated screens for cultivation of climbing and flowering creepers. Sustained by automated irrigation and hydroponics, the green façade acts as a second skin insulating the building from direct sun while simultaneously tapping solar energy for landscape growth in a self-sustainable loop.
Entering Naumi Lobby and Lounge, modern lifestyle design and simple pleasures combine to offer a different experience of nature. At the Lobby, laser-cut steel sheets in floral filigree create depth and shadow play as a delightful backdrop to the space. Coupled with subtle colour-changing lights, the Lobby Lounge fluidly changes moods for day and night dining experiences. An origami-inspired sculptural polished steel bar counter and facetted wall paneling assert the design intention on the façade. Zanotta’s Dora Chairs dot the Lobby Lounge from breakfast to dinner, transitioning the space, through mood lighting, into a whiskey bar at night. The rooftop Pool and Bar is another transformable place where a ‘folded’ roof dances above Dedon poolside loungers offering shade for guests in the day. The infinity-edge pool offers guests a cool dip, open to sky and sun. Come night, the pool is a cool, placid glass surface set for evening poolside drinks in the city.
The Guestrooms explore a subtle, discreet design to enhance space and light. A serene sense of respite is executed through neutral lightwoods, clean mirror and glass surfaces. Accents of luxe material and textures through accessories and thoughtful details energise the neutrality of the room. Italian lamps and customised laser-cut art provide contextual rooting and visual delight. Naumi bathrooms are spacious and pampering with rich white-veined marble finishes to embody purity. Suite bathrooms complete the luxurious mirage with customised steam and shower rooms.
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Jury’s Citation / Reasons for Recommendation
Naumi, Singapore is a boutique hotel that is retrofitted from the old Metropole Hotel. The design called for a total transformation of the old hotel through the infusion of art, architecture and interior design, resulting in a new art-influenced holistic environment.
The external façade is clever and unique, and the interior shows a very intelligent use of space. The Jury is impressed by the consistency in design, in terms of design treatment and identity design, resulting in an extraordinary coherent theme throughout the entire hotel. The floral motif, textures and colours clearly follow through in all areas, and in every detail. This softens the angular structure of the building. The retrofitted rooms are very stylish and comfortable and the furniture selection very tastef ul. The central bar is a special work of art and the roof top is an absolute gem and real surprise, which provides a scenic view of the city. The Jury feels that the overall hotel design is top of the range, which is evident in the fact that the hotel frequently operates at full capacity.
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Design of the Year
7. New Majestic Hotel, Front Lawn Lush Studio Leonard Ng, Designer
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Project Write -Up
The hotel management persuaded the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to allow them to carve the thin strip of land from Bukit Pasoh Road so that they could install a landscape that would enhance the frontage of the hotel and benefit the public. The Majestic Front Lawn is small by hotel standards. The long and narrow site had several constraints that affected design possibilities and was problematic. The agency restrictions were not conducive to horticultural requirements. The National Parks Board (NParks) specified that there should be provision for trees within the strip and mandated that there should not be any trees planted into the ground that could interfere with the high tension electrical cables running beneath the road. In addition, the design should not visually impede the vehicular traffic along Bukit Pasoh Road above seating eye level. The fact that the restrictions were valid impedes creative solutions. The most logical and cost effective solution was to put the trees in pots. However, the question remains, how can pots be used without quite looking like pots? Majestic’s Hotel and Bar design is unabashedly contemporary on the inside however its facade remains faithful to the surrounding period architectural language. The front lawn, by virtue of its location, is positioned to mediate between the interior and exterior.
The ensuing dialogue that arises from the tension between the contemporary (interior) and the historical (exterior) is best expressed through a design that is inclusive and embracing. It was a deliberate move to find a design solution that combines the old and new, traditional and contemporary. Hence, the juxtaposition of Corten Steel plates as pots filled with soil and sown with emerald green grass is a contemporary interpretation of the English lawn. These modular pots are then strung together to form grass ribbons. When viewed in profile from within the lobby of the hotel, these ribbons of grass together becomes an abstraction of the eponymous Chinese layered landscape. These same ribbons of grass doubles as landscaped seats in the evening when the neighbouring Majestic Bar opens and the glass partition to the hotel lobby is folded away. Use of Leptospermum brachyandum (Australian Tea Tree), a miniature look-alike of the Chinese Weeping Willow, completes the illusion that draws the visual focus away from the road.
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Jury’s Citation / Reasons for Recommendation
The Front Lawn of the New Majestic Hotel is a tiny piece of surprising landscape that sits on an odd corner of land outside the hotel. The client, an art connoisseur, and the hotel management persuaded the National Parks Board to allow them to carve this thin strip from Bukit Pasoh Road in order to install a landscape that would enhance the frontage of the hotel and benefit the public.
The Jury is won over by this eye-catching strip, with its clear design strategy despite such a small-sized project. The design thinking from the hotel lobby to the street is integrated and works to present a holistic design identity. It is a case of magnificent intervention into the street, resulting in a piece of land sculpture on an ordinary street that invites the public to interact with it. In the evening, the grass doubles up as landscaped seats when the neighbouring Majestic Bar opens for business. The Lawn is a contemporary interpretation of Chinese mountain and lake paintings. The Jury thinks it is a bold, imaginative and inventive piece of work, which succeeds in conveying a light-hearted urban humour.
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