Design In Print 5.2 - 2014

www.dpa.com.sg MICA (P) 113/08/2013

“Architects have a responsibility to transcend the norm and question space – this can only happen through the constant and tenacious pursuit of design excellence.”

Ti Lian Seng

Vo l u m e 5 N u m b e r 2 , 2 0 1 4 , S i n g a p o re

CONTENTS Letter from the Guest Editor

DP interview

Ti Lian Seng

Dear Readers, I first met Ti Lian Seng 35 years ago when our office was still located in Golden Mile Complex. He was an intern and I had just started my career as an assistant architect after finishing my studies. We were both mentored by the brilliant Manop Phakinsri, but you could say we went in divergent directions. He focused his considerable talents on design, whereas I gravitated towards the project architect role. Personality-wise, Ti echoes Manop’s cool and calm demeanour, whereas I tend to be more impulsive.

It is perhaps that our professional and personal sensibilities counterpoint each other’s that we have grown into good business partners and, more importantly, good friends after all these years.

I have witnessed Ti’s talents grow exponentially since those early days at Golden Mile. His designs have a quality of magnetism and charisma that attract new clients while retaining existing ones. He understands that each design problem needs to be solved respectively, and doesn’t believe in applying a similar design language repeatedly. He is an international designer with projects in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as further afield in China and the Middle East. The Dubai Mall stands as one of his greatest professional achievements, and this is evidenced by the mall’s runaway success – its visitor numbers have surpassed all expectations and has grown steadily since its opening in 2008. It is now one of the most visited destinations in the world with over 75 million visitors in 2013.

Despite his success, Ti remains humble and unassuming, with an active and creative spirit that is relentlessly committed to improvement and growth. In this special edition of Design in Print, we showcase a small selection of the design works of Ti Lian Seng.

Design solutions

Designing Retail Space

Featured projects

The Next Landmark of Singapore CBD Dubai Tower 111

Design solutions

Designing Living Space

Short takes on notable projects

01 Carlton City Hotel 02 Haitang Bay Resort Hotel 03 Carlton Hotel, Bras Basah 04 Park Avenue 05 Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road 06 ARC 380 07 Nanjing Software Park 08 Addax Tower 09 Kingswealth CBD Centre 10 OUE Bayfront

DP Architects 1978

Francis Lee and Ti Lian Seng

Chan Hui Min Nartano Lim Toh Bee Ping

Graphics

Writing

Editorial

Francis Lee Chief Executive Officer, DP Architects

Leanne Lim Leong Wei Lin Tong Tong

DESIGN IN PRINT TEAM

Loh Yew Cheng Lee Hui Yee Fu Tingting

Additional contributors: Charmaine Wong, Jackie Poh and Lek Noonchoo

Cover photo of Ti Lian Seng by Sean Lee

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An Interview with

Interview by Nartano Lim

A Designer’s Responsibility Ti Lian Seng began his career with DP Architects in 1981.

Over the past 30 years, he has seen the firm grow and diversify, along with his own experience and expertise in design. He has progressed from his early days of handdrafted drawings to his current role as a design leader and mentor to young designers in the office. Spanning notable projects such as Novena Square, The Dubai Mall and multiple retail projects along Singapore’s famed Orchard Road, Ti’s design has always had a strong respect for the users and the context of the projects. In this candid interview, Ti shares his design journey that began in childhood and his ongoing passion for good design.

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"Ti's design abilities are undisputed. Yet he does not rigidly impose his views upon his clients. Instead, he adopts a pragmatic approach which sees him offering creative solutions to accommodate their needs without compromising his design intent."

- Ms Sng Ngoi May, Executive Director, Orchard 290 Limited

A Designer’s Foundation How did your interest in design begin?

Above right: Ti at work in DPA's office at Golden Mile Complex, 1984.

Below: Sketch of Velocity@Novena Square showing new façade.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a fascination with design, particularly in building design. I remember as a child, before I really understood what architecture is, I would observe buildings and question why they look the way they do, and why the person who created the building made the decisions that resulted in the form.

What were your early years in DP like?

I started my career with DP after my graduation in 1981. I was very lucky to have an incredible mentor when I first started working – Manop Phakinsri, former Executive Director of DP Architects Pte. He taught me that design is more than just sitting down and mindlessly cranking out drawings, that it is an iterative process that requires a lot of careful consideration. Manop always appeared incredibly relaxed and at ease, but his mind was constantly working and thinking.

In the early days, I recall being sometimes frustrated that we were constantly redoing the drawings because of changes. Remember, there were no computers then! We would oftentimes be working overnight right up to the deadline because of last-minute changes; but once the final drawings were done, I could see that the refinement resulted in a better product and why the changes were necessary for the betterment of the design.

How did this experience impact your design philosophy?

When I was young I was working 24/7, but it wasn’t a strain for me. I wasn’t dragging myself to work on Mondays because this tenacity to constantly improve was a foundation for me.

Because of this experience, I’ve fostered the belief that we as architects have a responsibility to maximise the potential of each project on behalf of our clients. This can be in how we interpret the design brief, the site constraints or the stated goals of the project. We have to go beyond the normal, accepted practice in order to deliver projects that exceed the client’s and even our own expectations. We also have a responsibility to set high design standards, regardless of the constraints, to ensure that the building is welldetailed, well-proportioned and well-considered.

This can only happen through constantly pursuing design improvement. We have a responsibility to bring a project to its maximum potential.

How has your role evolved in the firm through the years?

In the early days, I was the one drafting, in ink with a razor blade to scratch out mistakes! These days my energies are focused on mentoring young designers in the office through critique and discussion sessions. It’s important for me to pass on the lessons that I had gained from the mentoring I received through my years in DP. This profession will always require long hours, a lot of thinking and mental focus, but it’s important that we do these things as efficiently as possible; and I hope my experience can aid in that.

Left: Sketch of Sky@eleven condominium's unit plan, design to capitalise on views.

Below: (From left) director Toh Sze Chong, associate director Toh Li Chuin, Ti Lian Seng, associate director May Chan and director Tong Bin Sin.

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A Designer’s Methodology Given that DP has a long history of mega projects, how do you balance the scale of the building and the scale of its users?

I think the appropriate idea of scale really depends on the project. Some projects benefit from celebrating their magnitude and their contrast with the human scale, while others need to be humanised.

Top: Model of link-bridge at Park Avenue condominium in Sabah.

Above: Sketch of Doha Festival City's main entrance.

When you look at a project like The Dubai Mall, obviously you are working at a massive scale and it would be easy for the design to only celebrate its size. But it’s not a museum or the kind of structure that is to be held in such reverence that it can ignore the human scale.

It is, first and foremost, a place of occupation and usage, and it needs to be inviting. The mall manages to balance the idea of a spectacle of grandeur with the comfort of human scale. It references the user’s scale through the use of detailed textures, finishes and elemental volumes to have a certain tactility. It’s important that the building's aesthetic and volume address these two different concepts of scale simultaneously as part of the building’s function as a shopping mall.

How important is context to design?

Context is critical. We must understand the surroundings, the physical site and what it will eventually become once the project is completed, and how it will impact its environment. It would be irresponsible and unproductive to design in isolation without considering the context of a project.

“To Ti, each design is unique, and he takes special interest in gaining in-depth understanding of the client’s thoughts and user’s requirements, the site context and the specific project requirements.

What impresses me is that more often than not, his solution is simple and straightforward. That to me is the mark of a great designer.”

- Liam Wee Sin, President (Property), UOL Group Limited

There have been many times where I had studied a site remotely through images and drawings, but once I actually stood on the grounds it was an entirely different feeling. Your perception changes – you become attuned to the textures, smells and dynamism that is specific to the place and which give you valuable clues to maximise the site. Without this added information, the design would be limited and one-dimensional.

Does collaboration enhance design?

I think collaboration is key to producing good design. This profession is so broad that no single person could be an expert in all of the different aspects of what we do. Beyond that, it’s important to have some productive friction – a counterpoint to your ideas. Designing in isolation can only take you so far and it often results in a very singular view of things.

Sharing your design with others brings you to a new destination that you may not reach alone. In DP, we have such a depth and breadth of experience that it would be a waste not to work together to bring a design to its maximum potential.

Clockwise from left: Model of The Seletar Mall in Singapore; sketch of Opera Grand residential development in UAE; and façade design model of a retail project in UAE.

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Right: Model of Al Rayyan Palace, Qatar.

Below right: Model of OUE Bayfront, Singapore, showing its signature V-columns.

Below: Model of Nanjing Software Park Plot C3, China.

Bottom: Sketches of The Dubai Mall's Gold Souk entrance.

A Designer’s Personality If you weren’t an architect, what would you be?

I’ve always been interested in design, so it would still have to be in a related field. I enjoy beautiful furniture, so I think if I weren’t designing buildings, I would be designing furniture.

What is your favourite nonarchitectural piece of design?

I love sculpture. I especially admire the work of Henry Moore. Although they are abstract forms, they evoke a certain emotional response. The dynamism of the volumes contrasted with the materiality is something which really speaks to me.

“A truly outstanding architect, very humble and unassuming, who works exceedingly well with clients and other consultants to deliver the best product. And a very good golfer too!�

- Michael Chin Yong Kok, Managing Director (Special Projects), SP PowerGrid

Clockwise from left: Model of Meijing Longtang residential development in Fujian, China; model of ARC 380, Singapore; model of a residential mixed development in Shanghai, China; sketch of Kingswealth CBD Centre in Nanning, China.

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Design solutions

DESIGNING RETAIL SPACE CASE STUDIES

Ti has been involved in a series of successful retail projects around the world, including several malls that transformed Singapore’s famed Orchard Road and The Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest malls. This essay discusses three key aspects of Ti’s retail design.

By Tong Tong

As dedicated public spaces are increasingly being subsumed into private developments, retail space plays an increasingly important role in upholding the public domain. Retail developments open up new spaces that serve as points of congregation, and make a positive contribution to the urban context by activating spaces beyond office hours.

Ti has been instrumental in reshaping the shopping landscape and urban experience in Singapore and overseas. His retail portfolio

includes the revitalisation of Paragon and Mandarin Gallery on the renowned Orchard Road shopping strip, and the design of The Dubai Mall, arguably the world’s most successful mall.

In his retail projects, Ti takes a fresh approach by challenging the conventional design process without compromising functionality. The three key aspects in his thinking are clearly reflected in his designs: visual connectivity, purposefulness and spatial quality.

Above left: Conceptual sketch of Mandarin Gallery showing elevation design.

VISUAL CONNECTIVITY An important element of any retail development is visual connectivity. Visitors should have clear sightlines to the retailers, both for retail viability and ease of wayfinding. The atrium space, which DPA introduced decades ago at People’s Park Complex, serves not only as a social collection space, but also as a visual core allowing sightlines to multiple levels and locations from a single vantage point. On the outside, visual connectivity is often manifested in the treatment of shopfronts to allow interaction between interior and exterior spaces.

At Novena Square, completed in 2000, a five-storey glass rotunda located at the retail entrance has become a focal point for the complex, and continues the tradition of congregation space within retail. A series of five barrel-vaulted skylights allow full penetration of natural light into the retail atrium below.

Seven years later, Ti not only explored ways of knitting together the existing building and the new addition, branded as Velocity, but also increased visibility between different levels. Two new atriums carved through the structure create more opportunities for social interactions. Light streams from the skylight and illuminate the interior, creating a unique light-filled spatial experience for entering and moving through the retail space.

Paragon shopping centre is a compelling example of visual connectivity. The design responds to the demands of the mall's upmarket tenants for grand street displays on Orchard Road. The interior space is naturally illuminated by sunlight filtering through the exterior skin.

Top & middle: Velocity@ Novena Square's curved façade.

Above left: Sketch of Paragon

Paragon’s openness and internal visibility is further enhanced by the unique configuration of its façade. The frontage exhibits full glazing up to the fifth level, and three glazed blocks project four metres beyond the original elevation line.

Its unique façade articulations create more shopfront opportunities than most other malls along Orchard Road. The signature façade creates a strong presence of retail display within its urban context.

shopping centre's façade addition, 2009.

Following page: Paragon's façade articulation creates more shopfront opportunities.

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PURPOSEFULNESS While aesthetic trends are increasingly short-lived to respond to an evolving clientele, functionality and purposefulness remain evergreen hallmarks of good design. While the shopping public may focus on the dazzling displays, the continued success of any good shopping mall depends on clear circulation for both shoppers and retailers alike. This manifests in clear wayfinding that allows a level of instant familiarity for the shopper, along with an ease of service and loading routes for the retailers. Coupled with easy ingress and egress, parking access and facilities, thoughtful and considerate design remains the backbone of Ti’s design strategy.

The current addition-and-alteration of Marina Square demonstrates a clear circulation system. As the focus of the area

Above: Phase 2 of Marina Square's revitalisation introduces a two-storey prismatic volume with two new main entrances.

Right: The first phase of Marina Square's A&A was completed in 2013.

has shifted to the adjacent Marina Bay in recent years, Ti reorganised the layout of Marina Square to emphasise this orientation change, and inserted a two-storey prismatic volume with two new main entrances.

The proportion and mass of the new structures respond to the surrounding buildings. A 240m façade is organised in horizontal bands that wrap the new two-storey addition. The new layout allows easy access to Marina Square from Raffles Avenue, and also converts the under-utilised landscaped area along this avenue into a vibrant public space. New additions come together with existing buildings to create a permeable and inviting urban setting.

FUNCTIONALITY AND PURPOSEFULNESS REMAIN EVERGREEN HALLMARKS OF GOOD DESIGN Above: Mandarin Gallery at the corner of Orchard Road and Grange Road.

Above right: Conceptual sketch of Mandarin Gallery's active façade.

Below: Elevation models of Mandarin Gallery showing the series of dynamic curvilinear masses.

Mandarin Gallery on Orchard Road has also developed a clear circulation, engaging users at a fundamental level. The design of Mandarin Gallery exemplifies the extroversion of the conventional shopping mall. Consideration has been given to the enhancement of pedestrian accessibility. Ti emphasised the people-oriented functions by linking the inside and outside, creating an uninterrupted lively pedestrian experience.

The hotel’s vehicular drop-off lanes on Orchard Road have been relocated to the site’s western boundary. This opens a wide pedestrian-only promenade in front of the building. In addition, an escalator connects the promenade directly to the second floor of the shopping centre, extending street life to the upper levels of the mall directly.

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Previous page: Aerial view of The Dubai Mall showing the 630m-long façade with four different volumetric Grand Drive entrances.

Left & below: Models of The Dubai Mall's Fashion Avenue expansion.

Bottom left: A parti diagram showing a clear

THE SPATIAL QUALITY IN TI'S DESIGNS SHOWS HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT ARCHITECTURE IS THE CREATION OF SPACES AND EXPERIENCES

circuit plan with a strong axial organisation.

Facing page: The Galleries Lafayette Red Box entrance cantilevers retail space over the Grand Drive.

SPATIAL QUALITY There is often an intangible quality of place that differentiates Ti’s projects from other retail offerings. Defined, this sensory understanding is a culmination of many factors – scale, volume, light, finishes and tactility of surfaces. There is a spatial quality in his designs that transcends what exists in architectural drawings and shows his understanding that architecture is truly the creation of three-dimensional spaces and experiences.

The skylight, a recurring theme in Ti’s buildings, is further developed in later projects such as The Dubai Mall, the largest project DPA has undertaken to date. The clerestories above the mall’s atriums are turned into stunning architectural features. As the angle of the sun changes, different parts of the space are struck by its light to generate ever-changing patterns throughout the day.

The Dubai Mall is an exemplary project from the start. The key to designing a successful retail space is the understanding of how visitors move through spaces and experience them. Ti also develops a very clear circulation throughout this project. The colossal scale of the mall was translated into an identifiable human experience. With over one million square metres of covered area and 1,200 shops, The Dubai Mall is one of the largest shopping malls in the world. The strategies of spatial organisation that were once developed for city planning are now used for the mall.

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Facing page: The elliptical skylight and curtain wall at the VIP entrance of The Dubai Mall's Fashion Avenue.

Clockwise from top: The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, a major attraction in the mall, is located at the development's physical centre; sketch of the Diving Men sculpture; the Diving Men sculpture emphasises the verticality of the triple-height waterfall and the scale of the space.

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THE SUCCESS OF TI'S PROJECTS LIES IN THE DYNAMIC BUT SENSITIVE ELEMENTS, LIGHT-FILLED RETAIL SPACES, CLEAR AND EFFECTIVE CIRCULATION, AND INTIMATE HUMAN SCALE

Left and right: Models of The Dubai Mall's Fashion Avenue expansion.

The popular zone will see an increase of one million square feet of retail space.

Below left: Conceptual sketch of the expansion.

Below right: An artist's impression of the new Fashion Avenue.

The Dubai Mall is richly diverse. It is structured at the scale of a city, with internal pedestrian streets, nodes and landmarks. The mall has proven to be incredibly successful. Anticipating 100 million annual visitors, the popular Fashion Avenue will be expanded to offer more high-end retail options. A bridge above the extension will provide direct access to Boulevard Point, a luxury residential development, also designed

by DPA. In addition, a wide range of dining spaces will also be accommodated along Burj Lake, overlooking The Dubai Fountain. With its expansion, The Dubai Mall will become a new form of retail paradigm that invigorates the global retail scene.

Clockwise from left: A double-skin fritted-glass curtain wall wraps the retail podium of One Prime; model of One Prime's façade articulation; Ti with a mockup of the fritted glass.

A wide palette of forms, components and details are applied in countless variations in Ti's designs.

One Prime is an addition-and-alteration of an existing building located in a prime location in Hongkou District, Shanghai, China.

Inspired by the ‘treasure box’ of Qing Dynasty emperors, One Prime adopts a double-skin fritted-glass curtain wall to wrap the entire retail podium. To visually unify the podium, the curtain wall drapes over the podium roof without interruption, turning the rooftop M&E equipment area into an elevated garden. At night, 30,000 LED modules dramatically transform the retail podium into a highly animated feature, enriching street life in Shanghai.

Ti’s design sense is based on a deep understanding and concern for the user’s experience. Every project is different and the solutions are not stereotyped. The success of these projects lies in creating dynamic but sensitive elements, achieving welcoming lightfilled retail spaces, charting clear and effective circulation, and communicating intimate human scale. These retail spaces have also been woven into the existing urban context as lively public spaces. As a consequence, Ti’s designs continue to be popular successes long after they were conceived.

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THE NEXT LANDMARK OF SINGAPORE CBD ARCHITECTURAL SIMPLICITY WITHIN A GARDEN CONTEXT

By Charmaine Wong

Left: Lush green park in the forecourt of the development.

Facing page: An iconic form that differentiates itself while maintaining a dialogue with the surrounding context.

The project is located at the fringe of Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD) at a unique and prominent site that features a lush, green park in the foreground. The architectural solution called for a sensitive urban intervention of a landmark tower of architectural simplicity within a garden context. As one nears the development, passing through the CBD along the primary approach, the sequence offers a vantage point of the site and the southeast façade of the tower. The combination of the park and the existing urban context formed the key parameters from which the design took its inspiration.

As a deliberate attempt to deviate from the ubiquitous rectangular office block, the tower

design broke away from the typical building envelope design of the neighbouring partywall developments by way of form-sculpting.

The tower emerges from a reduced rectangular base, and the volume flares outwards which accommodates larger floor plates at the lower portion of the tower. It continues upwards by tapering towards the crown as the core is progressively reduced. The combination of widening and tapering creates a prism shape that allows the tower to fit among the lower neighbouring tower blocks without overpowering the contextual scale. Despite the unique form, the efficiency and functionality of the office floors are not compromised as the office plan remains rectilinear with a central core design.

YEAR: 2015

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AREA: 77,200 SQM

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SINGAPORE

To further accentuate the southeast elevation as the main frontage, an expression of gateway is achieved on the façade with the use of a serrated curtain wall as a triangulated A-framed arch that extends from the tower base to the crown. Clear and taut, the serrated glass and metal curtain wall cascades down and begins to delaminate from the tower massing above the main office entrance to imply a layering of materials. The building envelope transforms into a signature canopy offering weather protection to the porte-cochère in a park environment.

SYNTHESISING BOTH THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSE OF GREEN AND THE VERTICAL EXPANSE OF GLASS THAT SURROUND THE SITE, THE PROJECT IS A SUBTLE REACTION TO ITS SURROUNDS As a unifying element between the retail podium and the main office tower, lush greenery flows seamlessly from the public park into the office lobby space, terracing up the retail outdoor decks and up to the office sky deck. Outdoor green enclaves allow office tenants to work beyond their office walls, encouraging a relaxed working culture in a garden setting. Retail and dining outlets sit amid the greenery of the site, in contrast with the sleek tower above.

Synthesising both the horizontal expanse of green and the vertical expanse of glass that surround the site, the development is a subtle reaction to its environs. It offers an iconic form that differentiates itself, while still maintaining a dialogue with the context around it.

Team Members: (Sitting right to left) Teoh Hai Pin, Ti Lian Seng, Tan Chee Kiang, Charmaine Wong, (standing right to left) Refano Puspita & SongChai Puksakul.

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Featured projects

DUBAI TOWER

RESPONDING TO THE URBAN CONTEXT

By Tong Tong

Dubai Tower 111 is conceived as a mixed-use development located in Downtown Dubai, the new urban centre for the city of Dubai. This development is adjacent to some of the city's most important landmarks including Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall. Instead of competing with the neighbouring iconic structures, Dubai Tower 111 is an expression of architectural simplicity that complements the existing skyline and establishes its own identity within the development.

by the geometry of the pistil of a regional desert flower. Dubai Tower 111 contains various programmatic elements including residential apartment, serviced apartment, hotel, sky deck and viewing deck, as well as shops and restaurants at the base. The compact shieldshaped footprint with multiple functions creates stacked communities within a tower. The tower is vertically stepped, and setbacks occur at each programme as it rises.

The main consideration for the design of Dubai Tower 111 is to maximise the view potential.

Standing at 111 floors and rising above Downtown Dubai, the overall design is inspired

The building’s unconventional three-sided profile responds to different programmes: larger retail functions occupy the lower portion of the tower, where floor plates are large and deep. The two-

Team Members:

(standing right to left)

(Sitting right to left)

Toh Sze Chong,

Ti Lian Seng,

Rahmanto Darma,

Clyde Uriarte,

Taufiq Rusdi,

Andhie Wicaksono,

Vera Purnomo,

Naga P Marimuthu,

Edgardo Te Manua Jr,

Nugraha Irsan,

Ryan Tilao, Dzulkifli Noor, Daniel Floresca, Ricky Cahyadi & Eric Lindblom.

Above: The light-filled twostorey lobby offers unrivalled city views.

Bottom: Geometric pattern options for the façade to balance light and shade.

YEAR: 2013 (COMPETITION)

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AREA: 213,900 SQM

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

DUBAI TOWER 111 IS AN EXPRESSION OF ARCHITECTURAL SIMPLICITY THAT ESTABLISHES ITS OWN IDENTITY WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT AND COMPLEMENTS THE EXISTING SKYLINE

Right: Standing at 111 floors and rising above Downtown Dubai, the design is inspired by the pistil of a regional desert flower.

storey lobby along with dining and bar are filled with daylight, offering unrivalled city views. The generously proportioned serviced apartments are located in the middle portion. At the top of the serviced apartments, the dramatic sky deck draws users high above the surrounding context, offering a panoramic view towards Downtown Dubai and back towards the Jumeirah Beach. The hotel and observation functions occupy the upper portion, which have shallower floor plates and allow for the best views. Furthermore, the circulation core is slightly shifted towards the southwest direction to create more space in the northeastern portion, providing unmatched views of key city landmarks.

The circulation core not only acts as the main artery of the mixed-use tower, but also enables each programmatic component to operate almost independently to maximise efficiency.

The challenge of designing such a high-rise tower is to relate to both the urban scale and human scale. The exterior of Dubai Tower 111 is glazed and wrapped in an expanded aluminium screen which is more effective at reducing solar heat gain, much needed in the region’s severe weather conditions. Recalling the geometries of the desert flower and Islamic patterns, the façade is richly detailed and finely grained to shade the interiors

and provide high-quality spaces that balance natural light and shade. The vertical fins serve as window mullions, and the expanded metal screen results in an interior space bathed in dappled light.

Dubai Tower 111 addresses the climatic issues particular to Dubai, brings liveability and diversifies quality of life within the tower. At an urban scale, Dubai Tower 111 is designed as a welcome addition to the Downtown Dubai skyline, whose programmatic spaces complement the existing wide array of amenities that the urban centre already has.

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DESIGNING LIVING SPACE BALANCING FUNCTION AND AESTHETICS

In the course of Ti’s 33 years of architectural practice thus far, he has undertaken over 50 residential projects.

In this article, we take a look at a small selection of his residential designs in Singapore.

By Leong Wei Lin

The residential development is a challenging typology for architects to design, in part because the home is one of the most important purchases a person will make in his lifetime; designers constantly face the challenge of designing living spaces that celebrate the aspired lifestyle of the residents while allowing for personalisation and flexibility. Emphasis is placed not just on the individual home unit, but also the composition of the surrounding landscape and amenities.

In designing residential developments, Ti and his team have sought to craft living spaces that are at once luxurious, practical and flexible.

From a larger perspective, site orientation and view angles are carefully considered; while on the micro level, no detail in unit layout is overlooked. The variety of unit layouts caters to different market demands and society trends, while giving prospective owners a chance to create unique lifestyle experiences.

Above left: Sketch of Sky@ eleven – the 43-storey towers are arranged along a slight arc to provide views towards the city and MacRitchie reservoir.

DESIGNERS FACE THE CHALLENGE OF ASSIMILATING UNIQUE ELEMENTS AS HOMEOWNERS GROW MORE DESIGN-CONSCIOUS Formerly known as La Mansion, Hills Apartment is located in the highly sought-after Bukit Timah area. Extensively retrofitted, the original six-storey building has been transformed into a thoroughly modern apartment block with ten luxurious units.

This boutique ensemble is characterised by the introduction of horizontal and vertical cantilevers to provide additional floor area for each apartment, and the use of thin aluminium louvres to improve sun-shading and maintain privacy.

ledges provide visual continuity and legibility to the development’s façade. The addition of vertical and horizontal fins to all floors eventually distinguishes Hills Apartment, becoming the prime articulating element of the façade.

Only two units per floor share a common lift lobby.

Designed for extended families, each apartment is about 300sqm in area and includes four bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. The use of full-height glazing with glass spandrels ensures bright and cheerful interiors. The apartments are located from the second storey upwards, which enable a generous main entrance and foyer to be carved out at ground level.

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To further enhance the rhythm created by planter boxes and random fenestrations, vertical reinforced concrete fins joining horizontal

Above: Typical storey plan – only two units per floor share a common lift lobby.

Left: Hills Apartment is characterised by the use of horizontal and vertical cantilevers, and aluminium louvres.

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Completed in 2009, Pavilion 11 consists of two elegant towers that stand proudly on a gentle sloping site in a staggered arrangement for optimum solar orientation and full capitalisation on the magnificent views towards Orchard Road, the Central Business District and the nearby nature reserve. The design ensures all units face southwards, with neither blocks overlapping each other, to achieve optimal views.

The concept in the spatial design of the units is that of ‘pavilion lifestyle’. Living rooms are deftly nudged slightly out of alignment, resulting in 270-degree, unobstructed, extraneous views from the living area balconies. Creative positioning of dedicated lifts allows access to units via the living rooms, and the flowing seamless space creates an expansive view beyond the balcony.

Among the tallest condominiums in Singapore, Sky@eleven was completed in 2010 and is sited along Singapore’s MacRitchie Reservoir, not far from the city’s downtown. The 43-storey towers are arranged along a slight arc with reference to these regional focal points, with apartments organised linearly to achieve a shallow plan depth that permits effective crossventilation and ample sunlight to reach into the apartments. The tower orientation also allows each unit to enjoy both views, the city to the south and MacRitchie Reservoir to the north.

Above right: The two towers of Pavilion 11 are oriented to

Right: Typical floor plan showing unit layout.

Viewing Span Balcony

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UNIT LAYOUTS HAVE TO BE CONDUCIVE AND FLEXIBLE TO COMPLEMENT THE LIFESTYLES OF HOMEOWNERS Above: Sky@eleven's typical L-shaped unit plan.

Left: The elliptical pod serves as visual interest and a connective node to link the towers into pairs.

A community space in the shape of an elliptical pod becomes the formal focal point and programmatic centre of activity, serving also as a connective node to link towers into pairs. The two pods are implemented at the midpoint of each elevation, adjacent to sky terraces, host the gym and observation deck.

Each apartment has extensive balconies which act as sun-shading. Exclusivity is reflected in the planning of the typical vertical circulation core, where just two or three apartments share a common lift lobby. By strategically stretching the unit layout, and situating the entrance to open to the family space, long narrow corridors leading to bedrooms are avoided while enabling all bedrooms and living spaces to have unobstructed views. Such a layout is conducive to family life as it brings family members past common living areas before entering the individual space.

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Design solutions

On the other side of the scale spectrum, The Minton, completed in 2013, comprises ten 15-storey and eight 17-storey apartment blocks, with a total of 1,145 units including 24 units of penthouses. The design takes full advantage of the site topography in the use of open spaces and landscaping to create distinctively different experiences, facilitated by bridges and sky terraces connecting the blocks.

Unlike older developments, The Minton provides not just the basic amenities but a much wider range that is set attractively within a cleverly designed landscape. Beyond the amenities commonly found in condominiums, The Minton has dedicated rooms for activities like yoga, billiard, table soccer, karaoke, piano and tabletennis. Further commercial facilities are housed in the clubhouse’s annex building, including childcare and retail facilities. Other recreational and sports facilities, including pools, Hydro-Massage pavilions and ‘onsen’ spas, are strategically placed around the entire development. This extensive provision is made possible by the critical mass of households in this large estate.

One of Ti’s latest projects, Paterson Collection is a freehold development consisting of two 19-storey towers with close proximity to the Orchard Road shopping belt, and is targeted to complete in the third quarter of 2014.

CREATIVE INTEPRETATIONS OF THE LANDSCAPE AND AMENITIES PRODUCE DIFFERENTIATED OFFERINGS THAT DISTINGUISH EACH RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

Previous page: The Minton takes full advantage of the geography of the site in the use of open spaces and landscaping.

Facing page: A feature design landscape deck bridges different levels of The Minton development.

Left: Sketch of Paterson Collection.

The 85-unit development is made up of two or three-bedroom, single-level and duplex penthouses. All units enjoy magnificent views as they feature full-height glass openings. Fixed aluminium screens that are set away from the glass walls and arranged in a playful pattern ensure privacy for residents. Rhythmically placed around the whole façade, these screens add another dimension of material layering that changes the quality of light with the sun movement throughout the day.

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Design solutions

Right: Sketch of Twin Peaks showing sky terraces.

Far right: Sky terraces interrupt the shear verticality of Twin Peaks' symmetrical towers.

Below: Paterson Collection's full-height glass openings allow all units to enjoy magnificent views.

Reflecting and fulfilling the lifestyle needs of the residents, two levels of amenities are located within the landscaped deck. The sky terrace also allows outdoor dining and houses a Jacuzzi with view of the surroundings.

The selection of interior finishes exudes a modern, elegant style while the details of the furnishings accentuate clean lines and chic styling. As a whole, Paterson Collection embodies a contemporary architectural language with a living faรงade that changes throughout the day.

A DESIGNER'S ABILITY TO REFLECT AND FULFILL THE ASPIRED LIFESTYLE OF RESIDENTS IS VALUED IN TODAY'S HOME PROPERTY MARKET

Rising from the slopes of Leonie Hill, Twin Peaks towers above the city skyline. It is a premier luxury residential development designed for high society. Given the expansive site, Ti decided to restrict the development’s building footprint and extend the towers upwards, leaving more room for resident facilities. This resulted in the design of two symmetrical 35-storey towers that house 231 units each.

The articulated volumes and interlocking forms that break the linearity of the tower block also serve to maximise the views from all units. The layered sunscreens across the façade provide shading and privacy while infusing it with the visual delicacy akin to a lace veil. Capable of being deployed by each user, it creates an everchanging texture to the skin of the two towers.

Sky terraces interrupt the sheer verticality of its form. Geometric reliefs that mark out the individualised gymnasiums and recreational amenities act as contrast points in a façade which features a nearly pure form.

To ‘value-add’ to the development, Ti unlocked the potential of the expansive estate grounds with a varied landscape, from simple manicured lawns to rich landscapes that provide serendipitous pockets of quietude and the luxury of space. The variety of unit layouts provides ample selection, and the flexibility to combine adjoining units gives owners the luxury of expanding their homes.

In today’s highly competitive home property market, what is valued in a designer is the ability to accurately pinpoint opportunities to differentiate the living experience, and to accurately predict and interpret the market trends.

Above: Twin Peaks' vertical volume is punctuated with a signature void that houses the landscaped sky gym.

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Short takes on notable projects

A SELECTION OF TI'S PROJECTS Ti and his design team have handled projects spanning nearly every typology in Singapore, Malaysia, China and the Middle East. While the locations are varied and the design language continues to evolve and adapt to the specific context and environment, what has remained consistent is the sensitivity to inhabitants and function. In this special edition of In Brief, we explore a few of Ti’s design projects in Singapore and abroad.

01 Carlton City Hotel 2013 | 20,300sqm | Hotel | Singapore The architecture of Carlton City Hotel articulates the programmes of a business hotel through its simple and thoughtful detailing, selective use of colours and formal expression.

A high degree of porosity, created visually through high-volume spaces and use of glass, characterises the entrance facing Tanjong Pagar Road. The design maximises use of the tight urban site and yet maintains a strong distinction between the 29-storey hotel tower and podium. The tower is made distinctly vertical and ‘light’ through the use of vertical fins and dark grey tinted glass. The granite-clad podium is expressed as horizontal and ‘solid’, and is distinguished by a corner rotunda. The podium’s vibrant material expression and detailing respond to the human scale while expressing a harmonious contrast to the tower above.

02 Haitang Bay Resort Hotel 2008 | 36,600sqm | Hotel | China The design for Haitang Bay Resort Hotel in Sanya, Hainan province seeks to merge nature with built work, immersing guests within the coastal landscape.

The layout builds upon the proportions of the nautilus, often considered a symbol of nature’s beauty. Six guestroom pods are planned concentrically about a central atrium, with vertical and horizontal green elements in the atria serving as communal and private gardens. Outer irrigation rings that coil around the pods are illuminated at night to provide a special visual experience.

Revolving around the eco-friendly design concept, the pods are designed in elliptical form with porous louvres to capitalise on sea views and facilitate cross-ventilation, while solar roof panels provide geo-thermal energy for the project.

03 Carlton Hotel, Bras Basah 2011 | 17,200sqm | Hotel | Singapore This second extension to Carlton Hotel along Bras Basah Road establishes new functional connections between the hotel and its surroundings, strengthening the building’s presence within its urban framework via a ground-level entrance rotunda and colonnaded canopy. The former mirrors an existing rotunda at the opposite end, balancing form and function of the ground floor.

While the extension responds formally and materially to the original hotel, the design expresses a clear merger of old and new: the new L-shaped 16-storey tower is clad in spandrel glass, and its block form is broken at one corner to reveal a convex, segmented curtain wall – this comprehensive use of glazing on the façade contrasts with the heavy granite face of the original building, while articulated bay windows establish a complementary pattern.

04 Park Avenue 2018 | 82,900sqm (Cendana & Dalit towers and villas) Residential | Malaysia Located in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Park Avenue is a luxurious residential development comprising four premier towers and 20 park villas. The Cendana and Dalit towers feature a simple, contemporary façade defined by a stack of double-volume recessed balconies. A communal sky deck on the 19th storey breaks the monotony of the façade, which differentiates the iconic landmark from its neighbours. Residential units are strategically oriented to face views of the surrounding landscape, aided by an elevation of 10m above the roof podium on the fourth storey. Designed to accommodate luxurious living spaces, the villas follow the terrain’s undulating contours to minimise land reshaping and to allow the villas to blend respectfully with nature.

05 Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road

2013 | 79,500sqm | Hotel | Singapore Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road is situated in the vibrant enclave of Beach Road and Arab Street. The new 15-storey hotel tower is juxtaposed above an existing multi-storey car park, and provides a compelling visual counterpoint to the distinctive triangular prism form of the neighbouring tower.

The contemporary façade is an animated composition of vertical fins and twotone reflective glass, positioned at different planes to achieve a layering effect.

This treatment extends to the multi-storey car park to lighten the otherwise heavy appearance and to visually connect the entirety of the complex. A series of new link-bridges enhances the connectivity of the once disparate blocks while a generous 15m setback, defined by lush landscape buffers, maintains the boulevard character of this stretch along Nicoll Highway.

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Short takes on notable projects

06 ARC 380 2017 | 13,700sqm | Commercial | Singapore Set on a quadrilateral site that enjoys wide frontage at the junction of Jalan Besar and Lavender Street, this 16-storey commercial development comprises an office tower, ground-level retail outlets and a multi-storey car park. The curvilinear form of the office tower was designed to maximise panoramic views for all office units and create a dramatic profile. Staggered ledges are recessed into the façade, creating a rhythmic pattern while also providing spaces to house individual air-conditioning units. The curved tower form and upward sloping design of the façade extension create a dramatic profile. Alternating cantilevered sky terraces accentuate the tower’s south and west faces while serving as relaxation spaces for office users.

07 Nanjing Software Park 2012 | 35ha | Master Plan | China The master plan for this 35ha technology park in Nanjing Pukou employs low carbon eco-technology and modern urban design strategies, and is guided by four key principles: dynamic mixed-use, seamless connectivity, unique identity and ecological design.

An extensive network of roads and public transport nodes provides physical connectivity, with a green belt acting as a seamless pedestrian connector throughout the development. Link-bridges between buildings create opportunities for social interaction. Open networking spaces improve the porosity of the technology park. The project also employs many environmentally sustainable strategies such as the generous use of green walls to reduce heat absorption.

08 Addax Tower 2008 (Design) | 154,300sqm | Commercial | United Arab Emirates Rising 293m above the ground, this 60-storey office tower is part of the City of Lights development on Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. The design responds to the site, taking advantage of the pleasant waterfront and providing unparalleled views towards the water, with a podium that is seamlessly connected to the waterfront promenade. Inspired by waves, the curved footprint is extruded upward to create a sleek and elegant form, maximising the views from all office units. The exterior is wrapped in illuminated glass and steel, and is enhanced by alternating vertical mullions that provide shade to the office spaces. Drawing inspiration from the lantern of a lighthouse, a 35m-tall niche is carved out of the crown of the tower, contributing to its unique identity.

09 Kingswealth CBD Centre 2006 | 12,500sqm | Commercial | China This landmark in Nanning’s central business district comprises three 28-storey office towers distinguished by their common semi-circular floor plans. Located at the northwest corner of the site, the third tower serves to provide a visual counterpoint to the more formal pair in the eastern half.

Sheathed in a crisply detailed skin of horizontal louvres on the perimeter with large eye-catching cut-outs, the layered façades define a strong presence and visual focus for the surrounding cityscape. The design enjoys borrowed view of the surroundings, while introducing various green spaces that not only encourage communal interaction but also respect Nanning’s aspirations to be China’s leading green city.

10 OUE Bayfront 2011 | 46,500sqm | Commercial | Singapore Sited along the scenic Marina Bay, OUE Bayfront is a redevelopment of the former Overseas Union House into a sleek 18-storey office tower. The design breathes new life into this historic area by urban placemaking and is sensitive to the context in an understated, elegant way.

The building maximises view corridors and improves access to the waterfront, augmented by the creation of a 12m-high open public plaza. Its two conjoined forms are designed with different façade treatments and feature recesses for recreational use. Veering away from the standard rectangular form, the office plan is designed as a parallelogram juxtaposed with a modified rectangular geometry; the resulting dynamic form is aesthetically pleasing while allowing for expansive views of the bay.

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Published by DP Architects Pte Ltd 6 Raffles Boulevard #04-100 Marina Square Singapore 039594 T: +65 6338 3988 F: +65 6337 9989 E: communications@dpa.com.sg W: www.dpa.com.sg Photo Contributors: Anna Narciso, Bahr Karim, Irfan Naqi, Marc Tey, Pocholo Mauricio, Rida Sobana, Rory Daniel, Sean Lee, ShuHe Photo, Terrence Chua and Xu Xiaoqi.

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A 24-year-old Ti Lian Seng (right) working as an intern in DP Architects’ then office in Golden Mile Complex. Next to him, captured in a blur of motion, is current CEO Francis Lee, then a 27-year-old assistant architect in his first year at the firm. Francis has kept up his energy and leads the firm with his dynamic personality, while Ti has grown from his early days of handdrafting to be an undisputed design leader and mentor to young architects in the office.

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