Of Stars and Stripes, Flowers and What Nots

I'm sure for the local readers out there, you must have seen these two buildings that were recently completed.

The top is the Iluma Shopping Center at Bugis and the bottom is Wilkie Edge at Selegie. Surfacing amidst the arts and civic district are these 2 new trendy buildings designed by the same architecture firm, and possibly one of the most successful local practices today.

We took a walk inside Wilkie Edge recently and this was what we saw.

Stripey floorsOrganically shaped ceiling cutoutsFloor and ceiling effects coming togetherCeiling ceiling everywhere

Perhaps these buildings need to be appreciated at the urban scale; we've read with interest its attempt to break out of standard building typologies, its integration of climatic considerations and greenery and its response to street level activities. At the building scale, the direction seems to be that of a firm trying to redefine its own design language, at both the formal level as well as at the level of building ornamentation albeit manifested through exquisite construction details. Though we have not been inside the Iluma yet we would be trying to make a visit soon. Can we expect more of the above? Or perhaps more flowers in the vein of another one of their creations, the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

On d+a

Our projects J-Loft and the apartment at The Sail have been published on local and regional architectural and design magazine d+A, Issue 49, 2009. Entitled 'Shaped by Architectural Meaning' we think the article aptly describes what we at PLYSTUDIO are preoccupied with, the critical thoughts that define what we do, the questions on prevailing types and contexts we are operating in.

Many thanks to the editor and writer for the critical review. We can only agree with the writer on the last paragraph...'good design is never a single good answer but will always ask good questions'.

Random

Apart from being a record of our ongoing work and a critical platform to share our ideas I have decided to include in this blog random samplings and observations from our urban environment that could be of any interest. It's just my critical viewpoint on things - usually those that I cannot comprehend and not concluded without any architectural reasoning. So here we go.

Taken from a visit to the local community center. Take a look at the floor plan. Really wonder what is the inspiration behind it.

Industrial landscape

this is what we see each time we visit our builder's workshop in this 'flatted' factory, which is the typical building solution offered for light to medium industries. the building may not have much architectural merit per se, but is somehow typologically successful. open courtyards and airwells, efficient circulation, dedicated service and visitor access make visits here pleasant. such is the image of our industrial landscape.

Towers and Trees

just find this photo I took interesting, with the towers in the background and trees in front. working on a housing development design competition right now, one can't help but be obsessed with issues of views, scale, massing, tower placements etc. its the ultimate environmental battle between the man-made and nature.