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H O N G K O N G
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S I N G A P O R E
COLIN K OKASHIMO
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The Desa House by Studio Bikin inverts the vertical stacking of its internal layout to disrupt a typical terrace renovation
project into a space for an unconventional lifestyle. Not only is this inversion intentional for living in a terrace house, it is
a response to demand of the context. Private sleeping quarters are on ground level, below the living spaces placed above
which are led up to from the entrance with a new visually stunning concrete-slice staircase, the outline of which is traced
by delicate threads of cold-bent steel rods p38
Dali Munwood Lakeside Resort Hotel is a 13-room three-storey 1,000m2 guesthouse located on a plot of land adjacent to
Erhai Lake in Jaipeng Village, Dali prefecture, Yunnan. Integrated with the surrounding village, the project was designed
by Chongqing-based Init Design Office (IDO) to take advantage of the natural setting, indigenous materials and local
craftsmanship for its construction. Since its opening nearly a year ago, it has attracted predominantly domestic travellers
eager for fresh air and a slower pace p64
Colin Okashimo, 2015 Presidents Design Award Designer of the Year, is both a sculptor and a landscape architect. With
his Singapore and London-based studio, Colin K Okashimo & Associates (CKOA), he practises his craft as art. His creative
process, as well as the resultant work, tends towards what he calls provoking calm p88
ROOMS. Novel Living Concepts at the Triennale di Milano is an exhibition that explores the boundaries and possibilities
of interior architecture, the discipline that defines the spaces and environments in which we live. Visitors are invited to
walk through a series of rooms, each designed by a different Italian architect, illustrating their concepts and philosophy
on interior architecture p102
A meeting with world renowned book publisher and printer Gerhard Steidl, who has donated 1600 photobooks to
independent arts space DECK, believed to be Southeast Asias first public library dedicated to photography. Steidl is a
legend in the publishing and printing world, much loved and mythicized especially by artists, photographers, and writers.
In the DECK library, randomly arranged in no apparent system or order are the Steidl books, sitting on galvanised industrial
shelves that are the symbolic centre and pivot of the space, every book an encounter and each one is special p118
REFINED ELEGANCE
SUMO The particularly distinguished look of this bed gives it a refined elegance while its soft
voluptuous shape suggests an all-embracing comfort. The upholstery cover is stretched over the ring on
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effect. Being exquisitely finished also on the rear side, it well lends itself to being positioned in the
centre of the room.
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12 | STUDENT CENTRE & LIBRARY IN WENZHOU BY SCHMIDT HAMMER LASSEN ARCHITECTS
14 | ALBERNI BY (KENGO) KUMA, A 43-STOREY RESIDENTIAL TOWER IN VANCOUVER
16 | THE SINGAPORE PAVILION AT THE 2016 VENICE ARCHITECTURE BIENNALE
18 | WOHAS FRAGMENTS OF AN URBAN FUTURE IN THE 2016 VENICE ARCHITECTURE BIENNALE
20 | MKPLS LIMIT/LIMITLESS IN THE 2016 VENICE ARCHITECTURE BIENNALE
habitat
22 | LOOPS, CURVES AND FOLDS
The Naga House in Jalan Naga Sari by Kite Studio Architecture
38 | CONCRETE INVERSION
The Desa House in Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur, by Studio Bikin
46 | ECLECTIC AESTHETICS
The SS3 House in Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, by Seshan Design
stay
64 | THE LAKE HOUSE
The Munwood Lakeside Resort Hotel in Dali prefecture, Yunnan, by Init Design Office
72 | A TAPESTRY OF TEXTURES
The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, by Heerim Architects & Planners and RMJM architects & Planners,
with interiors by LTW, AVROKO and AFSO
community
78 | FIVE WORLDS
LAlpha Mdiathque in Grand Angoulme, France, by loci anima
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94 | FABLED FOREST
The new Aesop store at ION Orchard, designed by Snhetta
dine
98 | DOMESTIC IS FINE
Whitegrass restaurant at CHIJMES, designed by Takenouchi Webb
dfusion
102 | NOVEL LIVING CONCEPTS
Design exhibition ROOMS. Novel Living Concepts at the Triennale di Milano
beat
122 | INVISIBLE BORDER
Site specific installation by Mad Architects at the Cortile dOnore in the Universit degli Studi
di Milano during Milan Design Week
pulse
126 | FROM BUKIT LARANGAN TO BOROBUDUR
Recent Drawings by Jimmy ONG at FOST Gallery in Gillman Barracks
12
at the atrium a
grand book stack
Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects has won the of mountains, the exterior of the Student Centre &
international competition to design the 25,000m2 Library appears as four rectangular shapes placed on
Student Centre & Library for the Wenzhou-Kean top of one another. The building is wrapped in semi-
University in Wenzhou, China. Set in 500 acres in a transparent glass covered in an abstract fritted pattern.
rural mountainous region, the university will provide The facade is inspired by Wenzhou's mountainous
learning and living space for 8,500 students. The terrain, and vernacular bamboo construction common
new building is located at the heart of the university in the city's historical architecture.
and designed to embrace interaction and diversity, Located at the ground and first level, the student
creating opportunities for new ways of learning in an activity centre is designed as a central marketplace.
informal environment and will become the central hub Accessible from all sides, the activity centre will
for student activities within the campus. Established provide spaces for a cafe, theatre, dance and music
in 2006, the Wenzhou-Kean University is cooperatively studios, exhibition space, sports and games, and
run by Wenzhou University and Kean University, New spaces for informal meeting and gathering. Stairs and
Jersey, USA. The university aims to merge Chinese and bridges in the atrium connects the upper levels, where
American teaching methodologies in practice from a a grand book stack in the light-filled atrium leads up
global context. to the library and study spaces on the third to ninth
The winning proposal of the new Student Centre floor. The library will house 30,000 books, a 300-seat
& Library is designed to embrace diversity, interaction lecture hall, and various space for study and research.
and knowledge sharing. The new building connects Reading spaces are organised around the central book
the educational faculties in the south and student stack, leading to a grand reading room on the top level.
residence in the north. Set against a beautiful backdrop (shl.dk)
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20
limit/limitless
lift lobbies
viewers a sense of the challenges and the aspirations 4\\ Rail Corridor: Imagine
that a place like Singapore faces in the area of housing growing up at the Rail
Corridor with the forest
Among the architects participating in the 15th Venice and how the Architect can be an activist in rising to the next door, where the natural
environment grows and
Architecture Biennale (May 28 to Nov 27) collateral event occasion. Whether the progressive existence of a city- evolves with the community
Time Space Existence, supported by the Dutch non- state like Singapore will be limited by its physical space
5\\ Horticulture Park: The roof
profit GAA Foundation, is Singapores MKPL Architects in time to come, is not merely a subject of study; to an design at the Horticulture
who is showing its installation, Limit/Limitless. Held at Architect in Singapore, it is a constant battle that has no Park Visitor Centre is akin to
the tree canopies. Trellised
Room 2A of the Palazzo Mora, the exhibition designed end. The difference between limit and limitless could lie around the edge, with
openings at times, sheltering
by The Press Room, addresses the issues of Housing in the creative minds of the Architect. but never cut out the presence
an island into the future and The silent battle to do of sun, wind and rain
more with less space. Using five works, MKPL puts forth
the question of whether Singapores physical limit of its
land area can be overcome by the creative minds of the
Architect. Focusing on the issue of housing an increasing
population, their bold proposal for the Bidadari Housing
Estate as well as the Singapore Rail Corridor International
Competition winning proposal, demonstrate the extent
the roles and responsibilities of the Architect in creating
not just beautiful buildings, but more importantly, a
creative use of land, earth and sky. Through the medium
4 5
of a film, the presentation will be experiential, giving
habitat
22
loops, curves
and folds
BY Luo Jingmei | PhotograPhY BY Khai Saharom
Images courtesY Kite Studio architecture
T
he Naga House is an anomaly in the sea of
cookie-cutter modernist-influenced houses
with their generic stacked, boxy forms.
Designed by Kite Studio Architecture, the
building is defined by sweeping curves all
around that loop over windows as shelters and contour
upwards as parapets, and taper in and out as playful eaves
and space-defining lines.
Curves are a common feature in the Singapore-based
firms repertoire, seen for instance in the Maya House and
the Jade House. The sinewy lines are applied to achieve
very specific functional and aesthetical aims, as the firms
24
naga houSe
S I D E E L E VAT I O N
26
AT T I C ROOF
and paint. However, the contractor did a pretty decent task
on the casting so I decided to leave it as it is. Its already a
very challenging task to cast curved surfaces.
The need for easy care of the home also dictated the
material palette, which is led by darker tones other than the
deep cyan glass mosaic tiles. In the interior, grey leather
finish granite (that applies both the flamed and brushed
techniques) provides a tactile feel underfoot, while black
granite is used for the staircase threads and some other
aspects of the flooring on the upper stories. This chosen
tonality also complements the dusty grey of the exterior
concrete. That is part of our intent to evoke fluidity both
spatially and physically, says Saharom. Meanwhile, warm
wood is used for the bedroom and corridor flooring.
One concerned about the small things, Saharom points
out features such as a subtle grey C-fascia detail along the
buildings ledges in natural galvanised finish, which protects
the ledges while accentuating the houses curves. Also, the
bathrooms are designed for true respite some come with
darker materials for a cosy feel and others, like the master
bathroom with the bathtub situated on an exterior garden The programmatic layout of the house follows the ethos
accessed by steeping stones, are at one with nature. of the houses curves. Spaces are fluid, to allow flexibility
Indeed, the unbridled use of greenery throughout during entertainment; cross views between rooms also bridge
28 the house is another defining aspect of Saharoms work. connectivity. In many ways, the house is designed as ideal
In the Naga House, they are applied to exterior patches for entertainment and also for families. The living, dining and
of garden that can be enjoyed even from the upper level dry kitchen are connected by a central pool deck, while the
corridors, across bedroom vistas, and from the common garden by the dining and kitchen allows for children to play
spaces. Saharom himself is an expert in plants, and safely outdoors, blocked off from the swimming pool by the
selected each and every type to be used in each specific dining room but also allowing plenty of sightlines for minders.
patch of green. Exploring ways to incorporate greenery Saharom speaks about how in designing houses, it is
is not just a landscaping need. It is also an architectural important to think about creating fun spaces for children to
need. For example, good vistas out may also be framed by grow up in. Indeed, the Naga House contains that aspect of
landscaping, not just windows and walls. This is done by exploration and physical space for play. There are interesting
specifying the right plants for the right areas, he reiterates. details and memorable accents, such as the circular skylight
above the staircase and corresponding circular cut outs in
the staircase wall. The curves of the building themselves,
experienced at different corners on the inside of the house,
provide a source of delight and sensuality that straight
corners cannot give.
At Kite Studio Architecture, every effort to find
a design solution is like an adventure that offers many
paths for a journey to that one destination, says Saharom
of his companys approach. We like to think big, and
inspire users with our unique way of looking at things and
bringing a new level of craftsmanship and detailing to our
works. That Saharom horned his architecture skills at the
esteemed Aamer Architects is no surprise, seeing the way
he incorporates nature and a high level of detailing into
his works. Currently, the firms portfolio contains mainly
houses but it is working on some larger residential and
commercial projects. It will be interesting to see how the
firms approach applies to a different scale and typology.
habitat
a strong
30
sense of place
BY Bianca Sampieri | PhotograPhY BY Sergio pirrone
HyoMan Kims buildings are not afraid to stand out in a world full of
purely functional and hastily build architecture. From the Purple Hill
House, to the Floating Park or the Purple Whale factory, to name just
a few, they exude a desire to communicate loudly, to make a point, to
be noticed. His latest project, The Flying House, is no exception. The
principal architect of Seoul-based firm, IROJE KHM Architects, shows
clearly in his work that he is at heart a traditional Korean
T
he property is built in the residential area
of Gyeongseo-dong, located between
Seoul and Incheon International Airport,
and it responds to this transit point
environment of the not here, nor there
with intrinsic wisdom. The world around us might be
changing at a dizzying pace but our house can still be
a shield to all that. Hence, the building, which is an
outstanding example of deconstructive architecture with
its controlled chaos brought through the latent ideas of
fragmentation, achieves a really strong sense of place.
The main entrance to this open white box leads
directly into the garden. This courtyard, however, is
everything but contained as it goes up through the
sloping roof to the point that, from a birds-eye view,
most of the surface of the house is grass. By doing so,
the house itself becomes a small hill on which one can
climb to. As the architects puts it, our desire is for this
32
lEFTSIdE ElEvATIOn
REAR ElEvATIOn
34
SEcTIOn 1
SEcTIOn 2 SEcTIOn 3
LEGEND
1. gate-1 15. bamboo garden
2. gate-2 16. child study-1
3. Madang (courtyard) 17. bath
4. car porch 18. child study-2
5. JungJa (Korean pavilion) 19. Rumaru (floating pavilion)
6. entrance 20. lower roof garden
7. sunken living room 21. attic child bed-2
8. stair living room 22. attic child bed-1
9. dining kitchen-bar 23. higher roof garden
10. utility 24. Toenmaru (Korean bench)
11. family room 25. access court
12. study 26. front road
13. master bedroom 27. highest roof garden
14. master bath 28. pedestrian walkway
Like a childs dream, there are accesses from all It is designed for play and rest, for living, in a location
the bedrooms, including that of the parents, to the roof with constant reminders that it is a transitory area. From
of the house if one should feel like venturing into the the airport, to the planes constantly flying by, to the
world in the middle of the night. Overall, the interior of surrounding tall buildings, to the half-built houses and
the house leaves us with the very conscious sense that empty lands around, this house seems to be a reaction
any decoration would be too much, it is in the corners to the environment, to the dark side of globalization, as
and hideouts where the interest of the property lies. The if reclaiming the word home in the most ephemeral
architecture of the building acts as both furniture and of places.
decoration, and also landscape for the inhabitants.
The Flying House has become a statement in itself,
arguing the modern needs to be built upon the traditional.
Diamond
series
38
concrete inversion
BY Kenneth Cheong | Images courtesY Studio BiKin
The elevation of a row of terrace houses in Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur, is disrupted
by an unusually transparent faade. The Desa House, designed by Farah Azizan of
Studio Bikin, further disrupts the archetypal terrace house by inverting the vertical
stacking of the internal spaces. Farah Azizan interrogates conventional space-
planning in the classic terrace house to unconventional effect
O
n the front faade, fin walls in exposed
brick stretching two storeys are offset
from the party walls and inserted into
the cavity of the demolished front
walls. The 2m deep fin walls become
a threshold between interior and exterior, and offer
visual privacy from its neighbours. Pivot steel-framed
glass doors are infilled between the vertical fins on the
ground and upper floors as a transparent skin to reveal
the interior of the house to the street.
A dramatic double-storey height steel door visually
elongates the new transparent faade. On the roof,
the original roof tiles were removed with two thirds
infilled with glazing and the balance fitted with fibrous
cementitious lining boards. The front door pivots open
into a breath-taking triple-storey height foyer space. The
40
deSA houSe
light-filled living spaces on the upper floor leads the park. While the living and entertainment spaces are bright
location
land area
taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur
1,862ft2
eye soar upwards though a cut-out in the floor above to and airy, the sleeping quarters, where views and natural
built-up area
2,915ft2 allow for the door to swing open. light are not essential for the function of the spaces, are
completion2016
architecture & design
studio Bikin On the ground floor, the double-storey height door located on the lower level like a cavernous air.
project teamFarah azizan (project director)
tia ahmad (project architect) is aligned with a corridor which leads to the sleeping
main contractor Bina Imperial
C&S consultant Projurutek sdn Bhd quarters of the house. The conventional space-planning unconventional arrangements
of a classic terrace house is turned topsy-turvy in the Three bedrooms are arranged on the ground floor. A guest
Desa House. What was once above is relocated below suite faces the front lawn. An intermediate bedroom and
with the public living spaces and private sleeping a third bedroom at the rear of the house are located on a
quarters inverted. Not only is this inversion intentional lower platform level as the house steps down.
for living in a terrace house, but a demand of the Two courtyards bring light from the skylight above
context, says Azizan. into the corridor of the ground floor. Steel-framed glass
The row of terrace houses the Desa House sits in sliding doors to the bedrooms allow light to filter in, but
faces a slope with a park at the top which is at the same generally the sleeping quarters are kept dark and cool as
level of the upper floor of the original house. It was only a space of rest. The ensuite bathrooms to the bedrooms
logical to locate the spaces which benefit from the view are ventilated via oscillating mirrored panels opening into
and natural light to the upper floors. The inversion of the the corridor like saucy peepholes.
living spaces to the upper floor also meant that the living The edge of the corridor fringing the courtyard is
spaces enjoy views of the tree tops lining the street and finished in textured grade A red brick to contrast with
an unobstructed view beyond the front street into the the smooth, cool, polished concrete floors. A pantry is
inserted in-between the two courtyards, with red
42 brick as a floor finish folding up to become the wall.
Concrete cabinetry and a concrete counter with a
homogeneous concrete sink define the pantry area.
At the back of the house, an open deck is finished
in an exposed washed concrete floor dotted with
granite gravel. The surface appears rough visually but
smooth to touch as each granite piece is hand-planted
with the smoothest and flattest surface facing up,
according to Azizan. Where once the original staircase
was located is now a courtyard. What remains is the
sectional profile of the staircase patterned with cut
starter bars exposed as a graphic to the plastered wall
of the courtyard. The original staircase was removed
and a new staircase relocated to the front of the house.
F R O N T e L e vAT i O N
SeCTiON A-A
46
eclectic aesthetics
BY Kenneth Cheong | PhotograPhY BY Rupajiwa Studio
the entertainment block towards from the rear lot. The towards the pool. Selective cut-outs hinting of the spaces
three volumes are treated like sentinels, observing the internally adds depth to this montage of rough concrete
pool with a line of concrete overhang lining each volume and white-washed plastered walls. A vertical glass slit
to focus the views towards the pool. A ribbon of concrete indicates the double-storey height space of the living
tapering outwards towards the pool traces the profile of room. A horizontal slit informs of the generous open-plan
the internal staircase on the exterior. space beyond.
The entertainment pod at the rear is seen as a Where the master bathroom fronts the main street,
floating concrete box with a cut-out on the concrete an insertion of a simple screen of vertical cement board
edge to visually connect to the living room and pool. For strips on a steel frame stained in amber-hued timber
external facades, the client wanted something highly tone adds a touch of warmth to the monotone palate of
visible to stand out from the rest of its neighbours, the faade.
hence, a protective shell of off-form concrete and plaster Integral to the planning was the double-storey
on brickwork shields the spaces of the house from the height volumes in the house that define the living and
street to contrast with the extensive glazing focused dining spaces. Says Seshan: We like to think we are
FRonT elevaTIon SecTIon a
SS3 houSe
leFT elevaTIon
50
gRounD FlooR
FIRST FlooR
RooF plan
especially good at making small spaces look larger Ipoh marble a floor finish popular in the 60s seldom
than they actually are. One of the tricks to make spaces seen today.
look bigger is to take advantage of the line of sight. A feature wall of spray-painted cement board
We always design spaces that look into another to extend panelling running along the length of the house draws
the space beyond its physical boundary. the eye to the dining area, open kitchen and a study room
Double-storey height spaces and mezzanine floors beyond. The feature wall conceals a multitude of secret
enable all levels of the house to visually interact with doors to both rooms and storage space, clearing the wall
each other, he adds. The double-storey height space from the clutter of doors. A hidden door reveals a ground
to the living and dining spaces opening to the pool floor powder room fitted with a vanity basin retrofitted on
creates an experience of a larger visual volume. While a vintage sewing machine stand.
the planning and exterior may appear contemporary, the The built-ins to the kitchen were also custom-
interior is nuanced with details evoking the nostalgia designed by Seshan. The island counter finished with a
of mid-century domestic aspirations. A 1.5 meter wide concrete top is set against a backdrop of raw cement
oak-veneered door opens into the open-plan living space board panelling. White high-gloss panels to the cabinetry
and foyer of the house defined by salmon-hued broken contrast with the raw finish of the cement boards. Dotted
52
F A D S (Fujiki Architectural Design Studio led by Ryumei Fujiki and Yukiko Sato) designed this home in Fukui
Prefecture, Japan, for an art appreciator and amateur artist who had wanted a house like an art museum.
Planned with careful consideration for air circulation as well as to shelter from the harsh, snowy climate of the
Japan Sea coast, the structure is composed of white boxes of varying scale that frame spaces like pictures.
The project, built in 2015, recently bagged the Golden A Design Award in the Architecture, Building and
Structure Design category (2015-2016). The A Design Award is the worlds largest design accolade that
brings together designers, architects, artists, brands and companies from across the globe under one roof.
Five different levels of distinction platinum, gold, silver, bronze and iron are distributed annually for a
wide ranging field of design disciplines, from spatial design to products, communications, fashion, and even
achievements in arts & literature (competition.adesignaward.com)
T
he spaces in this home are specifically
designed for an avid art collector; you
can traverse it viewing the owners
collection of artworks almost as if
you were going through galleries in a
museum. In achieving a well-sequenced, multi-layered
spatial composition within, the architecture also fulfills
the clients request for privacy from passersby letting in
fresh air and sunlight, Although the home is made up of a
number of cubes of different sizes, the architects tried to
create a structure that was as seamless as possible, with
the spaces forming a single connected unit. In addition,
the client wanted to be able to draw in both the garden
and the studio, so the architects included a courtyard that
could be accessed directly from the north-facing studio.
The top priority in designing this house was to fulfil
the clients wishes. The architects began by measuring
the many works of art that the client had created and
58
every angle a
piece of wilderness
BY Blanca Escoda agusti | PhotograPhY BY sErgio PirronE
Set in Santiago de Chile and right below the sublime Andes mountain range,
Casa FLD is a one-level building that manages to convey seemingly opposed
characters. Openness and reclusion, wilderness and order, warmth and
minimalism, intertwine here with great mastery. These qualities are the conscious
effort of architects, Maurizio Angelini and Benjamn Oportot, who have been
developing their sharp style since 2002 with their Chilean firm, 57Studio
T
he building is located in a wealthy and
opulent area of the city and, although the
place feels private and even reserved
not much interaction with the outside
social life is possible when most view
to the exterior is blocked it does accept some of the
unruliness that the areas vegetation provides. To this
end, the house with its Z shape, seems to have been
designed to embrace the dry and colourful plants and
welcome them within.
Likewise, any perspective of and from the house
has a piece of wilderness in it, and the building treats the
garden as one more room or area of the house, giving it
the same status as the interior spaces. The gardens dry
vegetation are all specially picked, celebrated here for
their often unappreciated potential. Bright greens, deep
purples and splashes of reddish-pink gain deep presence
here, giving the house a lightness and cheerfulness that
could lack otherwise as a result of its confinement.
The three different units that build the house adapt
easily to the slight slope of the field. On some occasions,
the roof of these units extends beyond the walls to give
some shade to the outside living areas. This is made of
laminated wood so that it does not block the sun or the
sky entirely, while also providing ventilation and a way
of cooling. Moreover, the units are made of reinforced
concrete, which give a fresh and cool atmosphere to the
whole space.
As we venture inside, we realize the reinforced
concrete is still very present but most floors are made of
dark woodblocks, mixture that creates one of the great
complexities of the building. By combining the different
colours and materials the house aims to satisfy different
needs of the inhabitant.
Each unit gathers together different rooms but
it does so in an organized, almost theme-like way,
converting this wide space into a very efficient one.
Hence, the central unit groups together the shared
rooms, offering a very generous joint leaving space. This
combines big tables on one side and sofas on the other,
as well as lounge tables on the outside so, without a
casa Fld doubt, this entrance is a very welcoming sight.
location Las Condes, Santiago, Chile Near this living area, demarcated by a wall, is a
site area 2,500m2
floor area 500m2
study and another living area, the only place with a TV.
project year 2013 to 2015 The kitchen and the bathroom on the lower unit radiate
architect 57Studio - Maurizio angelini and Benjamin oporlot
project team Catalina Weser, Marcelo Lepin, Josefina Fvlendoza freshness thanks to the shiny materials and the bright
structural calculations roberto lbaceta, Mario Wagner
builder Jorge Carrasco colours used. The unit at the lower end contains the five
bedrooms and another living area.
62
Walking around this house feels easy, even more
like a stroll, everything at ones reach thanks to its
flatness and lack of stairs. One can even find some
benches near the glass walls, inviting the inhabitants to
sit and contemplate the outside in their journey around
the house.
This is a building that respects its inhabitants,
with the understanding that a person requires different
atmospheres to be fulfilled, particularly now that we live
such fluid lives and so many styles around us coexist. The
impressive achievement of this house is that it manages
to do so with such coherence, unity, assemblage and
elegance. This is where the architecture shows its
mastery, in the way it succeeds to make the opposites
agree and unite, without any conflict.
64
stay
the lake house
I
BY Rebecca Lo | drawings courtesY InIt DesIgn offIce t is every architects dream project: a singular
photos BY cunzaI aRchItectuRaL PhotogRaPhy site where he can explore an integration of form
Init Design Office invests its talent and resources in with materials that fits into the surrounding
Munwood Lakeside, an experimental guest house that context while realising an ideal way of living
emphasises connection with nature in rural Yunnan with nature. For Su Yunfeng, Chen Jun and
Zong Dexin, the 30-something partners of Chongqing-
based Init Design Office (IDO), the perfect project
presented itself as a plot of land adjacent to Erhai Lake
in Jaipeng Village, Dali prefecture, Yunnan. Due to the
lake being nearly 2,000 metres above sea level, the
village remains cool during the summer months a
refreshing contrast to sweltering Chongqing, one of
Chinas most populous cities. The project morphed over
a two-year period into Dali Munwood Lakeside Resort
Hotel, a 13-room three-storey 1,000m2 guest house
66
SIte pLan
1St fLOOr pLan
72
a tapestry
of textures
BY Luo Jingmei | images courtesY of Four SeaSonS HoteL and LtW
T
he Four Seasons Hotel Seoul presents
a striking new silhouette in the heart of
the citys heritage district. The project
is put together by a group of esteemed
creative studios that have managed to
design a series of elegant hospitality spaces, which,
while luxurious, elaborate and make many references to
Korean culture, do not fall into the trap of being gaudy
and kitsch.
Marrying tradition and modernity is a tricky balancing
act. The process here begins at the architecture,
conceived by both British architecture firm RMJM and
Seoul-based Heerim Architects & Planners, with the
former heading the schematic design. The building
features sweeping facades made of angled glass panels
that inform the interior of each guestroom. The roofs of
the palaces and four mountains encompassing the site
inspired these curves. Functionally, the angled window
modules help to reduce the direct glare of sunlight
while presenting the guestrooms with clear views of the
ancient Gyeongbokgung Palace and the surrounding city.
At the entrance drop-off, a grand porte-cochre
ceiling inspired Pantheon dome greets guests. It is
photo by Michael Webber photo by Michael Webber
made with coffered metal and simulated dimmer lights
to create the illusion of depth. Meanwhile, limestone
and glass at the upper parts of the exterior present
an elegant appearance while the lower parts of the
tower is finished with Brazilian stone with elaborate
vein patterns for a more intimate street scale.
The interior design is put together by Singapore-
based LTW Designworks (guestrooms, lobby and Maru
lounge), Hong Kong-based AFSO helmed by Andre Fu
(Yu Yuan Chinese restaurant and Kioku Japanese
restaurant) and America-based AvroKO (The Market
Kitchen buffet restaurant, Boccalino Italian restaurant
and bar, and Charles H bar). The advantage of using a
variety of consultants for such a large-scale project is
the diversity of old-meets-new interpretations, as well
as the impressive attention to detail.
An elegant silk brocade wall backs the lobby on
the first storey while adjacent to the front entrance
is a lounge area, designed to be a focal point upon
entry. Here is LTW Designworks abstracted version of
a traditional sedan carriage used by ancient royalty.
Exaggerated proportions and a variety of light textures
provide a contemporary feel that makes good use of
1
the lofty ceiling height.
the Chinoiserie touch. These are tempered by the earthy design, bathed in marble. This is more Gio Ponti than sprawling subterranean space, it also felt natural to hint
tones on the floor and wall surfaces. Italian farmhouse. Black steel and brass contrast with at the sense of being engulfed in the strata of the earth,
The four F&B spaces designed by AvroKO are white marbles and Venetian plasterwork. This is a very juxtaposing a certain modern elegance with the weight
equally rich in textures. At Boccalino, which comprises light and airy Italian design, explains Kristina ONeal, of visceral, strong stone, says ONeal, on the massive
an annexe bar, geometric patterns rendered in black and designer and co-partner at AvroKO. slabs of highly veined, warm onyx lining the walls and
white marble on the floor to demarcate area rugs and Meanwhile in the basement Market Kitchen buffet the brass screens inspired by mining scaffolding and the
classic architectural detailing such as deep, coffered restaurant, ancient village and house foundations enclosures of mining elevators.
ceilings and detailed panel moulding evoke a grand that were found during excavation are preserved and Just a few steps away, a nondescript door leads
Milanese residence. In Boccalino, we mined the artistry glassed over, presenting points of interest underfoot to a speakeasy type bar. Charles H is infused with a
and tailored cleanliness of mid-century modern Italian for guests like museum exhibits. As we were in a vibe of mystery and sensuality, decorated with custom
9
furnishings and furniture laced with traditional Korean
8\\ Ambassador Suite
references. Examples are brass tables blind etched
9\\ Palace View Suite
with sceneries like in a traditional painting, as well
as a seven-metre-long wall art inspired by traditional 10\\ Premier King Room
Korean hair plaiting. Glass mosaic flooring with 11\\ Presidential Suite
traditional Korean decorative motifs provides a touch
of shine while evoking a cavernous bathhouse feel.
The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul is refreshing in
an age where many new hotels would rather lean
on the extreme end of modernity, eschewing any
elements of heritage at all. Very often, the latter can
lead to sterile, soulless spaces. Done well, like the
Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, welcoming and engaging
spaces that are more layered with subtle storytelling
and textures are created.
five worlds
Story and imageS courteSy loci anima | photography by PhiliPPe le Roy
78
Five individually coloured parallelepipeds, stacked one on
top of the other, distinguishes LAlpha Mdiathque de
Grand Angoulme designed by loci anima
T
he multimedia library is located at a
former industrial area in Angouleme,
South West of France, that is being
radically overhauled to improve the
social and cultural life of people in this
area. A major public venue for media festivals, its direct
proximity to the railway station enable easy access to all
the communes of greater Angoulme.
Inspired by Scandinavian designs, this building is
designed to provide a new generation of cultural spaces
where citizens are able to meet, to exchange, to learn, to
relax, in third places neutral and open to all, making
no distinction in terms of age, this type of space seeks to
erase socio-cultural differences and blur the boundaries
between the public and the private, the collective and
the individual. In community building, the third place
(or third space) is the social surroundings separate from
the two usual social environments of home (first place)
and the workplace (second place). Examples of third
places would be environments such as cafes, clubs or
parks. In his influential book The Great Good Place, Ray
Oldenburg (1989, 1991) argues that third places are
important for civil society, democracy, civic engagement,
and establishing feelings of a sense of place. (wikipedia)
GROUND FLOOR LEVEL 1
LEVEL 2 ROOF
E A S T FA C A D E
W E S T FA C A D E
SECTION
photo by Stphane Mahot photo by Stphane Mahot
82
C O N C E P T A N A LY S I S
rectangular plan had two significant chunks missing that a theatre with a large chorus or rehearsal room adjacent
made it an awkward shape to programme. There were to it, and an entrance hall with reception near the centre.
many restrictions in this project, Han acknowledges. Due Classrooms to either side of the entrance hall were connected
to the schools size requirement, we considered designing via a central corridor with hardwood flooring. As the ceiling
a mezzanine, but abandoned the idea as it would not meet height was generous, Arch Studio suspended a progression
fire safety codes. Arch Studio instead converted a 300m2 of vertical timber slats and strip lighting to give the volumes a
basement and equipped it with studios and offices to sense of intimacy as well as partially concealing the ceilings
supplement the main area upstairs, linking the two levels with pipes and mechanical works. The classrooms all use linear
an internal staircase that wraps around a bamboo courtyard. ceiling lights coated with film, to soften the illumination and
There were also many walls that could not be demolished. integrate them better into the ceilings design, explains
That was why we chose soft, transparent ways to reduce the Han. The slats formed pitched roof lines that drop to a more
spaces visual barriers. intimate scale for the classrooms, which are surrounded by
The programme included a reception, theatre, rehearsal transparent glass. The vertical timber slats blocks part of
room and classrooms of varying sizes. Three of the seven the view and create a rhythm like music, says Han. With
bays access both the mall and the carpark; Arch Studio took the transparent glass, the inside and outside of spaces can
advantage of their lengths to transform the rear shop into borrow views from each other and create a more relaxing
AT R I U M S E C T I O N
88
Colin
Okashimo
provocations
BY Yvonne Xu | Images courtesY Colin K oKashimo & assoCiates
where order exists with chaos (the disordered cubic
volumes and formations at Fraser Suites Sukhumvit,
Bangkok), ideas of mixed states and forces (hard rock
and pliant rope), of stillness and movement (tissue, held
2015 Presidents Design Award Designer of the Year between two unmoving stone stacked upon another,
Colin Okashimo is both a sculptor and a landscape flutter in windy currents).
architect. With his Singapore and London-based studio, As a landscape architect-sculptor, Okashimo
Colin K Okashimo & Associates (CKOA), he practises his naturally moves and works between the spaces of the
craft as art. His creative process, as well as the resultant negative and positive, but it might also said there is a
work, tends towards what he calls provoking calm strong yin-yang quality which he often presents held
in tension, if not resolved into harmony. This leads to
creating what he calls places of contemplation.
C
Okashimo is Japanese by ethnicity and Canadian by
olin Okashimos website (www. on the perspective. In the East Asian ink tradition, there birth. His first degree is in landscape architecture from
colinokashimo.com) opens to a landing is an idea of writing a painting and painting a poem. the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada; it was as an
page with a Sumi-esque stroke of a Okashimos O achieves that; in this one stroke, the undergraduate that he discovered sculpture. This was in
circle, an O that could represent his poetic and the picturesque conflate. the 1970s, an exciting time when the land art movement
name or the Zen Buddhist ens . The In Okashimos landscape and sculptural work, there and its new ideas of earth work and environmental
circle is unclosed, brushed anti-clockwise, with a blunt are often obvious binaries at play. As he, on a webpage, sculpture had just been introduced to the field of
start that does not meet its lighter, lifted end. Instead of sweeps white ink on black paper and renders an landscape architecture. Prior to university, Okashimo,
opaque ink, the soft stroke punctures the black page, ancient symbol as a HTML5 experience, he might, in with his family, spent nine months in Japan where he
and therein is another opening a view: drifts of clouds sculpture or landscape, juxtapose smooth polished learnt the language and travelled to study traditions like
against a pale sky, or wafting white smoke, depending surfaces with ragged edges, naturalism with the man- Aikido, Ikebana, Sumie, and Shiatsu.
Later, Okashimo took his first job at Belt Collins, in a
role of a corporate landscape architect (as he recounts),
and eventually became Chairman and Managing Director
in its offices in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. In
1996, after obtaining a MA in Fine Art from Chelsea
College of Art and Design (now Chelsea College of Arts),
he set up his own studio in Singapore. Here, he practises
his craft as art, combining landscape architecture with
sculpture into one. In 2007, he received his PhD from
Chelsea College of Arts, University of The Arts London.
His doctoral thesis was titled Art as Contemplative Place
with Reference to Isamu Noguchis Sited Works.
Impermanence
90
Void
Like Noguchi whom he is drawn to, Okashimo works
with(in) tradition, but questioning and resisting it, ends
up with invention. He rejects Zen as an overused design
term in that its meaning has been popularly reduced to
a minimalist aesthetic. Of this style of Zen, he says,
Its going to be potentially boring; if youre a landscape
architect, especially one of Japanese descent, its going
to be a rock garden.
It is the core principles of Zen that Okashimo
appreciates the ideas of minimizing distraction, of
creating a field of calm, of finding a focal point within a
composition that might over time reveal aspects of itself.
Interested in the original Zen garden as a meditative
vehicle towards enlightenment, Okashimo finds meaning
through and in his own works, and looks for opportunities
and collaborators with the right intention kindred
spirits who seek to improve the quality of peoples lives,
to make meaningful, unique and memorable work.
A project typically starts with a rigorous research of
place that is carried out in two parts: first, an experiential
research that entails Okashimo and his team meditating
on site.
and life. This is hardscape that is alive, if only in slumber; environmental, social, political...somehow it speaks to
and implicit in the slumberous state is an awakening the viewer, or at least it puts into question what would
a satori-like moment-ness that Okashimo looks for. otherwise seem very conventional.
What I realized is that it was this moment-ness that Okashimo understands that art awakens us by way
I wanted. Thats why the title of my book is Provoking of intervention, that art has a power to make us stop and
Calm. I want it to be calm, but somehow it yells through see, to seek meaning, to recognize. His art, like the ens
some sort of change, some sort of destruction, some sort on his website, piques but doesnt enclose; it leaves an
of momentary force that then puts it in a different state... openness, a space or a place that invites meaning.
and then it is frozen again not that it wont change
again, but it is in that state that is almost sculptural
and you then say, ah! Its calm but it is provoked. And
because its that, its more memorable. Its provoked in
detail from studio a way that is relative to its context historical, cultural,
shop
94
fabled forest
BY Yvonne Xu | IMAGES COURTESY Snhetta
T
he new Aesop store at ION Orchard is hard
to miss. Its wide entrance is all clad in brass
with a burnished lustre that exudes a quiet
yet splendid grandeur. Shining like a golden
temple, it is inviting, tempting even.
Those beckoned past the threshold would find
themselves in an intimate space. Timber battens rain down
overhead, forming a wave-like cover; these undulations are
echoed along the walls which have been painted a coral-
pink, reminiscent of blush or rosy cheeks what else befits
a skincare brand?
Aesops signature stores have long been a kind of
paragon. A company that avoids traditional media advertising,
its success is in it building a strong brand identity through
basic but also more intrinsic touchpoints of packaging and
retail store design.
It all started in 2004 when the Australian-born brand
hosted its first in-store customers in an underground nook in
the bayside suburb of St Kilda in Melbourne. It is said that this
space, a 3m x 25m ramp that descends into the underground
carpark of The Prince hotel, had set the benchmark for
following architectural ambitions. All Aesop outposts have
henceforth been conceptually individual and unique, and
often impressive in design and construction. These include
Aesop Nolita in New York (designed by local architect Jeremy
Barbour), made of 400,000 strips of paper cut from reclaimed
96
Shopfront elevAtion
Thomas Fagernes
I
n the restaurant Whitegrass is a unique convex wall
that artist Messymsxi, also known as Zi Xi Tan, has
turned into a mural. Three large door-sized frames
punch through this wall, so that the art, painted
around the openings, has a decorative, wallpaper
quality Morrisian in its upper reaches, with climbing vines
and trailing branches, fruit and herbals; and in the lower parts
marine and encyclopaedic, with swimming tortoises, shoals
and corals and crustaceans that trundle the seabed.
Somewhere at table height one could spot a pair of
divers, painted almost like staffage, descending towards a
lobster that is in size nearly as big as the human figures.
The divers, Tan shares, are chef-owner Sam Aisbett and his
wife and Whitegrass operations manager, Annette Glover.
The whimsy in the mural is informed by the conversations
Tan had with Aisbett. She recalls a particular moment when
he had emphasized, It is a fine dining restaurant, but its
got to be fun!
Aisbett hails from Australia and is recognized as a new
generation of chefs that is reinventing Modern Australian
cuisine. With Whitegrass, he is interested in creating an
unforgettable dining experience that prides itself on creative
plates with his non-conformist combinations of ingredients,
according to a press statement.
All for a new kind of restaurant experience, Aisbett had
asked Takenouchi Webb to create a relaxed setting for his
style of fine-dining.
Whitegrass location is within Caldwell House, a National
Monument building in the CHIJMES complex. It was originally
built in 1840 for a magistrates clerk and later became part of
a convent. While the 289m2 space has been used variously
100
Mural detail
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novel living
102
concepts
R
Story and imageS courteSy La TriennaLe di MiLano
Lift-Bit by Carlo Ratti Associati (in collaboration with Vitra) In its dedicated Room
at the Triennale di Milano, Carlo Ratti Associati presents Lift-Bit, the worlds first
internet-connected sofa. The design, put together with the support of Vitra, consists of
an upholstered modular and reconfigurable seat, which leverages Internet-of-Things
(IoT) technology, making for a new living experience. The Lift-Bit prototype is built
on a combination of a series of individual stools, each of which contains a linear drive
that enables the seats to be raised or lowered. Remotely controlled by an app, each
stool can double or halve in height, reconfiguring the space in a potentially infinite
number of new combinations. A homage to Cedric Prices Generator Project, Lift-Bits
responsive module adapts to suit the users requirements, becoming an armchair, a
bed, an orderly sitting room, a small auditorium or a domestic landscape.
104
INTRO by Fabio Novembre (in collaboration with Natuzzi). If you think about it, an egg is like a solidified uterus, and what appears to
be the great difference between oviparous and viviparous species is simply a matter of the consistency of the outer membrane. If we
then tried to plunder our remotest amniotic memories, it would be easy to demonstrate that our first perception of space occurred
while we were floating about in the warm hollow of an ovoid form and that every concept of domesticity is geared to recreating that
condition. However, unlike the gestational sac, the egg retains its formal and aesthetic dignity even after it has carried out its function.
Perhaps this is why mankind has always been fascinated by its shape, and why all its vital potential has always been associated with
the idea of perfection. Art has celebrated its iconic value, and architecture especially when endeavouring to predict the future
has seen its ovoid shape as the perfect formal synthesis. My design is for a bedroom made of leather with high-end saddlery fittings
inside a spherical shell, the outside of which is completely covered with mirrors, as if it were an enormous ballroom. The spherical
shape and its reflective power are selling points, but then, welcomed by two golden vestal virgins, the colour and warmth of the
leather literally engulf the visitor, who finds himself inside himself, looking at himself from within. Free thoughts drawn from Fellinis
8 and recited in the voice of Filippo Timi reverberate in the hollow of the great head, like scattered drops of consciousness that
surface while we drowse. After all, sleep is the space-time threshold that carries us back to our original amniotic immersion by night,
but compels us to be reborn each day, more human and more sentient than ever.
Ursus by Duilio Forte (furnishings by Rimadesio). Ursus was
created as an opportunity to try out a minimal habitative
experience inside a zoomorphic shape. The bear is an animal
associated with northern nature, where he lives in the forest or
on sheets of Arctic ice. The monumental size of the structure
means that every single part of the work is inhabitable. The
head/entrance consists of a sauna. The purification of the
mind and body make way for the main room, the body. The
first part of the inside of the body is split into two levels,
two small bathrooms below and a bed above. The central
space, full height, is the convivial area. A long table in the
centre, a kitchen. The interior is colonised by a great many
objects, sculptures, books and pictures connected with the
Scandinavian world, mythology and travel. Ursus, Fafnir,
Hugmun, Sleipnir, Convivalis II, Huginn, Huginn & Munin
are just some of the works that populate the Great Bear. You
can wriggle out of one of its paws and feel at one with the
surrounding nature.
BRING YOUR
PROJECTS
TO LIFE
IN SEPTEMBER
HALL 8 *
INFO@SAFISALONS.FR
ORGANISATION SAFI, FILIALE DATELIERS DART DE FRANCE ET DE REED EXPOSITIONS FRANCE / SALON RSERV AUX PROFESSIONNELS / DESIGN BE-POLES - IMAGE QUARTOPIANO
dfusion
108
blow up a side-table?
story and images courtesy Salone del Mobile Milano
New Materials, New Design was the theme for the 19th edition of SaloneSatellite, an event in Salone del Mobile Milano
2016 (April 12 to 17) at the Rho Milan Fairgrounds. In this edition, installations were set up at the exhibition venue that pay
due homage to noble classical materials, such as wood, plastic, glass, metal, fabric and marble. The annual SaloneSatellite
especially focuses on eager young designers, drawing international interests every year and is a prime meeting place for
manufacturers and talent scouts. From the thousands of entries submitted, only 650 were selected for this years exhibition
in a rigorous process that ensured SaloneSatellites reputation for excellence. Topping it all is the SaloneSatellite Award that
continues to be a reference point for designers under 35 who are looking for the kind of visibility that only the largest design
event in the world can guarantee. In this years 7th edition of the Award, prizes and special mentions were given to designers
from Germany, Japan and China, for their uniquely original and functional creations.
4
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110
on the up side
Story and imageS courteSy moooi
8
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112
seriously functional
Story and imageS courteSy Lanzavecchia + Wai | PhotograPhy by DaviDe FarabegoLi
lanzavecchia-wai.com 1
2 3
4
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building shop
BY Kenneth Cheong | images courtesY Kedai BiKin
T
here is a curious intimacy to the work
of Studio Bikin. Tactile surfaces of
concrete in various permutations invite
touch. Concrete cabinetry contiguous
with polished concrete floors and walls
demand to be filled with objects. Cold-bent steelwork
to the operable machinations of windows and doors
encourage movement and play. These are the primary
materials of choice for Adela Askandar and Farah Azizan
of Studio Bikin in their built work. In every completed
project, the experience of the space is inextricably linked
to functional fabrications that seamlessly integrate the
architecture to furniture. With direct access to a wealth of
craftsmen and tradesmen who execute their built work, it
was only natural that Studio Bikin set up shop to extend
2
their expertise from building to furniture.
3
designer family remains the same with the PVC strings woven by hand
1\\ Designer family
Adela and Farah first started Kedai Bikin in 2013 with in the original manufacturing facility. The thickness of the
a range of premium hand-crafted furniture. That range steel frame is increased with the finishing updated with 2\\ Ms Gray
has been developed and has grown with permutations powder coating. 3\\ Mr Concrete Chintz
in different materials and finishing. Central to this range Of late, according to Farah, the auntie from the 4\\ Mr Parquet
and as with their built work are the exquisitely-skilled manufacturer of the Merdeka chair came into additional
steel craftsmen. A single continuous steel rod is bent colours for the PVC strings as an order was made outside
and formed into a single piece of furniture to eliminate of the standard black, blue, white and red. Immediately,
seams. The lines of Ms Gray is traced in powder-coated Farah saw this as an opportunity to run wild with the
steel into a single-arm low chair. Premium finishes are a colour combinations, culminating in the Tropicalia series.
trademark of this range with custom-printed fabric and The auntie found it odd that Farah would want anything
natural stone. from the tried and tested. The new colour combinations
Architectural finishes also come into play in the Mr have resulted in bringing a truly Malaysian classic into a
series. Mr Parquet as its name suggest is a table which contemporary lifestyle.
employ parquet flooring hand-sanded as a table top. Mr
Parquet pays homage to the ubiquitous flooring typical in
Malaysian terrace houses. The table top of Mr Parquet
hovers on delicate bent steel legs.
In another variation, Mr Concrete Chintz exploit
Studio Bikins expertise in concrete finishing. Patterns
are cast into the thinnest sliver of concrete. A recurring
theme in their work, pattern casting in concrete involves
a specific concrete mix and grade which remains a
Studio Bikin trade secret.
string family
The String series is the reproduction of classic mid-
century chairs found in almost all Malaysian homes up to
the late 90s. Still produced in its original specifications
and colour by a small family-run business, Adela and
Farah amped the specifications and tweaked the design
to bring a Malaysian icon back from the past.
The nostalgia-evoking circular form and aptly named
Merdeka chair is something all Malaysian are familiar
4
with. The manufacturing process of this Malaysian icon
116
The increased orders also meant that one of the the umbrella of Bikin Home. The range culminates
last manufacturing vestiges of the Malaysian classic will in a collection of sustainable, thoughtfully-designed
remain in business for the long run. and crafted homeware products from Malaysia and
Southeast Asia.
rattan family A key consideration is the use of up-cycled of
The Rattan Family naturally evolved from Kedai Bikins materials. Sourced from the region, Kedai Bikin carries
ethos of supporting small scale manufacturers. Another an eclectic range of wares, from light fittings made from
dying breed, rattan weaving involves a tedious and the negative cuts in steel production, to picnic mats
labour-intensive process. As all of the pieces of furniture manufactured from upcycled plastic bottle caps, to Ipoh
are derived from a steel structural frame, the infill can marble accessories from manufacturing off-cuts all of
easily be adaptable to other materials. Rattan is woven which encapsulate the Studio Bikin aesthetic.
in traditional patterns such as the tofu, pulut and On the other end of the spectrum, local handmade
octagonal mesh weave to almost all of the chairs in crafts such as fine and rare Penan and Bidayuh
all the ranges modernising a traditional handmade basketry and traditional silk weavings from Kelantan are
material into contemporary designs. displayed and re-appropriated for contemporary lifestyle
aspirations. These are sustainably sourced direct from
bikin home the makers to eliminate unnecessary costs, with the
To complement the exhaustive range of furniture, Kedai bulk of profits ploughed back to the makers in order to
Bikin also curates a range of home objects under sustain these dying crafts. The more architectural objects
bikin social
As an extension of Kedai Bikins ethos of sustaining
craftsmen, Bikin Social looks at empowering people
with special needs towards a more sustainable life. In
collaboration with The Asia Community Service (ACS)
6
in Balik Pulau, Penang, Adela has developed a range of
8
www.kedaibikin.com
11
10
dfusion
exhibition
april 8 to May 22
total floor area
111.6m2 (1,201ft2)
contractor
aVS printing pte Ltd
art direction
theseus Chan (Work)
visual identity
Ernest ho (Work)
exhibition designers
timo Wong (Studio Juju)
priscilla Lui (Studio Juju)
Meiska priscita
exhibition writer Justin Zhuang (in plain words)
handwritten description gerhard Steidl
o
n the way to my meeting with Gerhard
Steidl, I thought about Scheherazade, the
clever Persian queen who saved her own
life by telling a series of one thousand tales
to the sultan who had wanted to execute
her. Each night, Scheherazade told a story but did not end
them so that the sultan, spellbound by the stories and curious
about their endings, delayed her execution day after day. By
the 1001th night he had fallen desperately in love with her
not only was Scheherazades life thus saved, she was crowned
queen. One Thousand and One Nights, or Arabian Nights as
it is known in English, is a story about the power of stories,
and by extension, books the flying carpets that transport us
to other worlds outside our own. I wondered if STEIDL DECK:
1001 STEIDL BOOKS had been named after the tale.
Are you sure you got the right address, Miss? Weve
gone down the whole street and there is no 120A, the taxi
driver said. I looked out and told him to turn around. It is on
the left side, after the church. I knew what to look for because
120
I knew what it looked like those 19 dark grey container photographers, and writers. These include Ed Ruscha Wonka of his book factory, if you will. Ever ready to talk
boxes stacked like a Tetris puzzle paused in mid-play. Set (who calls Steidl a wizard), Gnter Grass (a statue for about books and bookmaking, he was also inclined to
a good distance back from its inconspicuous gate at the me quite lovable, really), Joel Sternfeld (Legend has narrative tropes.
road, the metal assembly by LAUD Architects was hard to it that Steidl called the then German chancellor Schrder To make a book with Steidl is almost always the
spot and even harder to recognize as a building. to have the flight delayed so the courier could catch it.), same ritual for each artist who chooses to jump on
The driver got curious. What place is this? he Karl Lagerfeld (We are both paper-freaks.), Robert Frank board my submarine, Steidl said. I say submarine
asked. I said it was an independent arts venue. Is there (Hes a good editor: quick and nearly always right.), and because I love the idea that an artist comes to Gttingen,
a party? I answered that there was an exhibition and Tacita Dean (a master technician who oversees every we first discuss whats to be done and then we go on
that there would an opening party that evening. What stage of a books production). board, close the hatch, and dive into the deep blue sea,
exhibition? Books! I said, and got out of the car. I knew The man is the classic self-disciplinarian who hews unreachable by the outside world. After a week, when we
he had more questions, but I did not want to be late to a productive routine, arising at 4.30am not by the then resurface, the mission is complete and the concept
also, if he had asked, I really wouldnt have been able alarm clock, but by the excitement of the things to be for the book is done.
to explain why there were medieval flags, bright in done that new day, he confessed. His travel schedule, The setup at DECK, with a library on the ground floor
fluoro-orange, waving at us from atop those industrial like his luggage, is always packed to the brim his and the exhibition above, reminded me of the upstairs-
shipping containers. luggage with books, his day with meetings with the downstairs Grass describes of the real Steidlville, as the
The DECK brand mark, designed originally by people he is making the books with. factory had come to be known.
&Larry in a modified Foundry Gridnik typeface, appeared When I met Steidl, he came across as the highly In the DECK library, Steidl books sat on galvanised
wavy but strong over the corrugations of the container creative and slightly eccentric genius type the Willy industrial shelves around existing support structure in
box. The word STEIDL went across on top, intersecting
the letter D like on a Scrabble board. With its shot of
colour, these letterings, whose art direction had been
conceptualized by WORK, were brilliant in colour as they
were in concept, playing on the horizontal and vertical
forms of the building structure.
Everything on the outside looked exciting, fun, and
a bit mysterious. The Q and ampersand flags were a
riddle. With so many questions adding up, I was even
more keen to meet Steidl.
Steidl is a legend in the publishing and printing
world, much loved and mythicized especially by artists,
the centre of the container. The structural supports were Early next morning, we were back in the library of anger, and thought that that would be the end, that she
given a lick of industrial orange paint, highlighting the downstairs for a book critique session. Holding his head would not make a book with him again. After some time,
book-laden shelves surrounding them as the symbolic level so he peered down his glasses, Steidl inspected came via fax this typewritten note:
centre and pivot of the space. The books were randomly every book with great thoroughness, thumbing through
arranged in no apparent system or order, because, as the pages from cover to cover with gentle but sure, I just want to float on a cloud with you,
exhibition design team Studio Juju explained, every rhythmic flicks. He gave generous praises where Above all the nonsense and make a book.
Steidl book is an encounter and each book is special. deserved, and comments on book concept, image size, Gerhard
In the Process Room upstairs was the assembly layout, typography, format and paper selection flowed
line of Steidls famous analogue bookmaking process: with a momentum broken only by explanations such By the end of the two days spent observing Steidl at
mock-up books, front-end papers, cover fabrics, ink as on the mechanics of binding or foil transfer. Steidl work, I understood why everybody was a little spellbound.
pots, brass stamping plates, Steidls signature white worked quickly; nothing escaped his eye. He noticed, for For one who would do no less than plunge the depths
lab coat, etc. Here, the smell of ink hung in the air. All example, the front end paper of one book left a margin of of the deep blue sea and fly atop a cloud for a book
exhibition text had just been handwritten by Steidl the 2mm while it was 4mm at the back. (the Steidlville upstairs downstairs, perhaps), it seemed,
very morning of the exhibitions opening, demonstrating It was easy to see why artists want to work with him. true to the stories told, that this book maker was not
his work approach personal, hands-on, and a little It was perfect books that Steidl strives to make, even if only a wizard and master technician; he was quite
quirky. Steidl, leading the tour, explained paper types, ink he and the artists might not always see eye to eye, as lovable, really.
types, what tail and head bands were, and why Q and Roni Horn tells of an endearing story: She and Steidl had
the ampersand were his favourite graphemes. quarrelled like two mad dogs. She left Gttingen in a fit
beat
122
A
rchitects usually creates borders
by defining spaces what is inside
and outside, what is nature and the
artificial but todays society already
has too many invisible borders. As
architects we should instead focus on how can we blur
those borders and encourage interaction across them,
said Ma Yansong, founder and principal architect of MAD
Architects. The installation, inspired by the natural flow
of wind and water, extends the physical and conceptual
invisible border
threshold of a boarder, representing a sculptural gesture
that is inserted to break the balance of the Cortile dOnore
and at the same time providing a new shelter, between
story and images courtesy Mad architects the faade and the courtyard, for people to engage in
Invisible Border is a translucent installation that alters the perception of discussions or just contemplate the sky through the
space at the Cortile dOnore courtyard of Universit degli Studi di Milano, canopy. Borders are usually seen as something closed
created by Mad Architects as part of the Open Borders exhibition curated and unapproachable but I think its interesting to make
by the Italian magazine Interni during Milan Design Week 2016 (April 12 to 17) borders attractive, dynamic and engaging. So we decided
to play with the border between the historical loggias
and the garden in front of it, and design a transition in-
between them. The material is durable ETFE film with
a gradient colour; its light weight and flexibility of the
polymer allows it to move with the wind and create a
subtle whistling sound. The installation reflects the hues
of the sky during the day, leaving glimpses of the columns
and loggias. In the evening it becomes a luminous surface
that brings the courtyard to live with new colours. Our
installation blurs the boundaries between the traditional
and the contemporary. You see the difference in each
end, but the transition is very organic. Its like we opened
up a conversation between the past and the present.
www.i-mad.com
beat
124
M
VRDVs The Stairs To Kriterion
was a temporary installation in
an event commissioned for the
programme Rotterdam Viert de
Stad! to celebrate 75 years of
reconstruction in Rotterdam. The structure, measuring
29m tall and 57m long, stood in place from May 16 May
to June 12, and was created as a new lookout where
people can enjoy the unique views of this newly built city.
From the cranes in the harbour, to the new city centre,
the North and Blijdorp Zoo... The scaffolding reflected
the angles of the Rotterdam Central Station, connecting
the contemporary icon with a historic monument, whilst
through its construction referencing the reconstruction
that the city has experienced. The steps not only offered
a progression of perspectives over the city as one
ascended it, but also gave access to the roof of the Groot
Handelsgebouw. At the top was a temporary observation
deck with panoramic views of Rotterdam. Also on the roof
was the former cinema Kriterion, popular in the 1960s,
which was opened specially for the event to offer a wide
variety of films, debates and performances. I used to see
Rotterdam from the Kriterion after the films and it gave a
fantastic overview of the city, explained Winy Maas, co-
founder of MVRDV. The roof of the Groot Handelsgebouw,
one of the best buildings in the reconstruction of the
Netherlands, deserves to be used as a base for the next
intensification of Rotterdam. The Stairs suggest that...Its
aim is to animate the rooftop and to imagine a second
layer in the next step of Rotterdams urban planning. A
second reconstruction...It would be good to make it a
permanent fixture.
www.mvrdv.nl
pulse
126
T
contemporary representations of narrative in Southeast the art of Southeast Asia.
his exhibition at Fost Gallery is held in Asia which have yet to be explored. Intimations of these
conjunction with the publication of the connections are proposed here.
same title by respected art historian and The publication is richly illustrated, each picture is
critic T K Sabapathy, featuring a selection examined in detail by analysing its topic, its composition 1\\ Demolition of St
Andrews, 2012
of the expansive, narrative drawings of and the circumstances in which it was produced by Charcoal on paper
imagined historical scenes that are the subject of the looking deeply at the medium of drawing and by exploring H128.5 x W309 cm
publication (launched on June 11), including several its meaning. Pictures are also appraised comparatively 2\\ Raffles Descends
drawings borrowed from private collectors. The title in order to discern links with one another to underline The 7 (Seven) Storey
Mountain, 2016
is derived from Jimmy Ongs pictures. Bukit Larangan their distinctiveness and to suggest connections with Charcoal on paper
H128 x W265.5 cm
(the earlier, historical name for present-day Fort earlier productions. This is the first detailed study
Canning in Singapore) and Borobudur are wellsprings
for the narrative and symbolic content for a number
of pictures. They also constitute poles for signifying
locations for Jimmy Ongs life, beginning in Singapore
and now residing in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Borobudur
and Bukit Larangan are thematic drives for examining
his recent pictures.
Jimmy Ongs creative practice is defined by the
human figure and by drawing. These are constants. The
pictures shown here have expanded and complicated the
twin foundations of his art. Changes or transformations
have been spurred by binding interests in narrative;
this is new. Whereas figures in earlier works are
autonomously dominant, now they dramatize events and
encounters between individuals derived from history
and mythology; these representations require elaborate
2
depictions of landscape. When we examine these
catalogue
catalogue
128
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Archidex 2016
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Malaysia
e: info@archidex.com.my
www.archidex.com.my
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