Takenouchi webb s asian adaptation

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1 #68 June July 2014 S$10.00 i n t e r i o r s A r c h i t e c t u r e d e s i g n Takenouchi webb s asian adaptation Milan design Week 2014 suying Metropolitan studio silicon straits co.lab by OutofStock silverkrislounge by ONG& ONG Weehouse by Hcf and associates

2 T e x t a n d I n t e r v i e w I m a g e s» R o s s L o g i e» C o u r t e s y o f C a p i t a L a n d S i n g a p o r e u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e s t a t e d geometry in Perceived notions of high-density, residential architecture are turned on their head at The Interlace. motion Generous spacing of the blocks provides privacy for individual residential units as well as far-ranging views 109 cubes 68

3 R a r e ly h a s a c l e a r a r c h i t e c t u r a l diagram been translated into an executed building at such a mammoth scale as The Interlace. Singapore has a relatively flat topography yet, from certain points, this new development of 1,040 units on Alexandra Road seems to rise like a citadel on a hill. CapitaLand Singapore developed the project jointly with two other shareholders that include Hotel Properties Limited, while Office for Metropolitan Architecture was engaged for its design. Ole Scheeren, a former partner at OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), led the design team, together with Eric Chang, former associate of OMA, before leaving to set up his own studio Buro Ole Scheeren in Beijing. In his concept for this eighthectare private condominium development, Scheeren offers a contemporary, urban community that is profoundly different from established typologies. The architectural concept has the engaging simplicity of a child s toy. 31 equal blocks of accommodation, each 6 storeys high, are stacked up in a hexagonal geometry of up to 24 storeys around open spaces. As the building rises, alternate layers of these giant blocks overlap. The gaps between them are portals of heroic scale, allowing daylight, ventilation and framed views. This is the interlacing of the geometry that inspires the name. At ground level, residents lobbies are accessed from a series of hexagonal courtyards an inviting necklace of landscape. Scheeren had based himself in Beijing to lead the design of the CCTV Headquarters with OMA one of a very few projects worthy of that most overused label, iconic. The recent completion of The Interlace reinforces his position as a rising star of global architecture. From his Beijing studio, he explains to me the ideas behind the project with clarity and a passion that is tangible. RL (Ross Logie) The standard typology for highdensity living is free-standing towers. The Interlace is clearly a radical departure from that model. I am intrigued to understand the design process that leads to such a unique, geometric concept. OS (Ole Scheeren) In general, I am interested to break loose from the straightjackets of the formulaic typological definitions that have emerged. Architecture and economics have become very tightly intertwined. Projects are increasingly built for profit with perfected exploitation of economic models in which maximum buildable floor areas combined with height limits end up with an ideal model that produces the least amount of unsellable space to maximise investment in land cost. I think that architecture generally looks the way it does not because of lack of imagination on the part of architects but because of the hard-core model that has established a seemingly unchangeable formula. I am interested in understanding what determines architecture beyond the desire of the architect himself. In that way, I would declare my work the opposite of the pre-meditated grand gesture but rather the result of a very intense process of analysis of the mechanisms and psychologies that determine architecture in a particular context as well as the psychologies that determine architecture. This is a very large project that builds a community in its own right. The question was how to create a sense of communal living, of being together yet delivering what contemporary society needs privacy and individuality. I wanted to find a typology that was about connectivity, about interlinkages and ultimately to overcome the belief that a building has to be an object that is disconnected from other objects to conceive a structure where the quality of the whole comes from the interplay of the individual components. By stacking up the blocks on a hexagonal geometry rather than using the isolated or isolating tower typology, we achieve a spatial definition that is all about the hexagonal courtyards formed by the buildings. The building is no longer an object but a creator of space. That space in itself assumes a very distinct quality. Q+A with Wong Heang Fine, CEO (Residential), CapitaLand Singapore How is the The Interlace a successful design? The bold and unconventional design of The Interlace has been much talked about, and we can see how its iconic design has transformed the skyline in the south-western part of Singapore. I am also extremely proud of the entire project team. Their efforts have helped us win awards, including the Green Mark Gold(PLUS) award and Universal Design Mark Platinum Award from BCA (Building and Construction Authority), National Parks Board s Landscape Excellence Assessement Framework (LEAF) certification and the Best Architecture (Multiple Units) Award at the Asia Pacific Residential Property Awards in What inspired the incorporation of lush landscape into the project? The Interlace was envisioned as a vertical village that would challenge the accepted norms that are found in Singapore s residential condominiums. The generous eight-hectare site connects Kent Ridge Park to Telok Blangah Park, all within Singapore s premier greenbelt. The proximity to the Kent Ridge greenbelt was a key driver in the development of the initial concept. Can you elaborate how this plays out within the development? The design features at The Interlace promote an eco-friendly and sustainable living environment. This involves the creative integration of landscaping and features that facilitate natural ventilation, producing spaces such as the airy and well-lit basement car park and the juxtaposition of the super blocks to allow wind penetration through the courtyards. The unique architectural arrangement also results in a series of sky terraces and roof gardens that add greenery to the building. Also, the communal gardens promote a sense of community as residents can get involved in the care of the landscape with their shared environment. To encourage the greening of the balconies and facade, we also gave plants to the owners for their planters when they first moved in. Sculptures and art works by renowned local and foreign artists are spread throughout the compound. Why this incorporation of art? We believe that the installation of outstanding artworks in our residential developments enhances their aesthetic value, differentiating them from other projects. Some of the sculptures at The Interlace include Good Fun! by Singaporean sculptor Chong Fah Cheong and Interlace Pandas by J. Marinetti. Top: Ole Scheeren worked with CapitaLand Singapore to create a new typology for high-density living in The Interlace Above and below: A variety of courtyards not only provide ample public areas for residents but also help in way finding Top: The landscaping is well integrated in between the blocks massing Bottom: CapitaLand Singapore s CEO Wong Heang Fine on how landscape and art play a role in sculpting the unique attributes of The Interlace 111 cubes 68

4 RL Although I had seen photographs of the project it was only when I visited it did I understand these spatial qualities and sense of discovery. OS I am pleased you say that. Too much architecture is produced to make good pictures. Objects can be photographed but space is very difficult to photograph. To comprehend how the project functions you have to understand everything that is 360 degrees around you. One of the incredible qualities here is the permeability and the lightness. The courtyards are not sealed off. They are connected to the other courtyards and, at the same time, all of those are somewhat connected to the landscape and the city around. This translates also into micro-climate benefits as the wind can penetrate the entire development. _ Roof scape _ Typical Block Plan RL Is there an example of a particular design challenge or compromise that you faced by employing this idiosyncratic massing? OS Achieving the efficiency of vertical and horizontal access inside the stacked buildings was key to making the scheme viable. Each block overlaps on either side of the blocks with two other blocks, rotated 120 degrees, so that you get a series of hexagonally shaped mega-cores that support the entire project. As this three-rotational pivot point is the only place of vertical continuity it becomes, logically, the location for the vertical structure and the core for stairs and elevators. From there, you access all the apartments, avoiding any corridors between elevators and apartment entrances. That is, if you like, the inner secret of the model. RL In more typical urban plans the layout is axial, with buildings placed along streets or around orthogonal open spaces. The Interlace is an enormous development with 23 separate lobbies. How do you address concerns of disorientation implied by the geometry? OS As the building is not composed of objects, but instead, space, it is the space that becomes the key identifier as you move through the development. You no longer live in Tower 3 or Tower 4, you live in this courtyard or in that courtyard. You may live in the Theatre Courtyard or you may live in the Spa Garden, for example. Orientation is not based on an object but the identity of a space. Above: The neat facade helps to articulate the blocks clean massing Photo Credit: Darren Soh Top: The roof garden plan shows abundant green capping the development as well as the intermediary common green lungs with themes such as Bamboo Garden, Water Park and Theatre Plaza Bottom: A typical floor plan showcasing the different unit layouts 113 cubes 68

5 RL Yet most of us are used to living on streets with numbered buildings. OS The larger space of the courtyard replaces the idea of the linear space of the street. In a city, you move from street to street. Here, you move from courtyard to courtyard until you enter your own lobby. RL Are you influenced by specific historical precedents or is your work more of an exploration of new paradigms? OS Our work is generally not referential. It would be foolish to say that we are not somewhat conditioned by our knowledge of precedents but I am interested in analysing and understanding the specific conditions that exist today and how we can develop new paradigms based on the detailed understanding of those. We look at developing new prototypes that define and explore new conditions and new qualities that could lend themselves to larger typological questions or issues. The building is no longer an object but a creator of space. That space in itself assumes a very distinct quality.» O l e S c h e e r e n RL If you had to name your proudest accomplishment at The Interlace, what would it be? OS The lightness and connectivity, the permeability of the entire system is spatially not only unique but also incredibly liberating. There is a degree of freedom in this scheme that you will only understand if you go there and move around. You called it a sense of discovery. It is a space so rich and complex and offers so many different scenarios that it affords a great choice of experiences. The residents have places to go to and even disappear a favourite sky garden or a sunken courtyard, for instance. That spectrum of choice and environments, both private and communal, is a quality that very few places have. «the Interlace Client A CapitaLand-led consortium comprising CapitaLand Singapore (60%), Hotel Properties Limited and a third shareholder Design Firm OMA Beijing Project Team Ole Scheeren (Then- Partner-in-charge, Lead Designer), Eric Chang (Associate), Toby Wong, Andrew Lo, Erik Amir (Project Architects), Jens Eberhardt, Paloma Hernais, Benny Ho, Jaime Oliver, Hiromasa Shirai, Benjamin Ahrens, Johannes Oesterie, Shelley Zhang (Concept Team), Heidi Blais, David Brown, Andrew Bryant, Catarina Canas, Ben Chan, Sean Hoo Ch ng, Wynn Chandra, Steven Y.N. Chen, Dan Cheong, Ryan Choe, Ying Chee Chui, Benjamin Claeys, Renato Juarez Corso, Sascha Daum, Jasmin Delic, Charles Gosrisirikul, Nozomi Kanemitsu, Winnie Lam, Samuel Liew, Rita Liu, Cora Lutz, Ryan Maliszewski, Luis Aguirre, Manso, Sandra Mayritsch, Karine Mellet, Michelle Miller, Eugene Oh, Gabriele Pitacco, Yijun Qian, Mimi Shen, Joseph Tang, Uri Verthime, Shuo Wang, Esther Yang, Ali Yildirim, Jing Zhang Executive Architect RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd, Singapore Builder Woh Hup Pte Ltd, Singapore C&S Engineer Arup, Beijing (Schematic Design) Building Services Engineering RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd and Squire Mech, Singapore Facade Consultant Arup, Singapore Landscape Architect ICN Design International Pte Ltd, Singapore Quantity Surveyor Davis Langdon & Seah Singapore Pte Ltd Graphic Design 2x4, New York Project Imagery OMA Beijing with Crystal cg, Beijing (Computer Renderings), Frans Parthesius, Rotterdam (Architectural Model Photography) Time to Complete Approximately 43 Months Total Floor Area Approximately 81,000sqm (Site), 169,000sqm (gfa) OMA Beijing (86) oma.com Buro Ole Scheeren (86) buro-os.com Stacked up like Lego blocks, The Interlace is now an iconic part of the urbanscape in the West of Singapore Photo Credit: Darren Soh