Secret Views

Sometimes we are so used to the views around us – the common corridors we walk, day in day out, that our vision becomes numb, deadened and dulled. Unbeknown to most people though, are many of those secret views available only to those who explore and seek.

It’s a surprise, really, when you see an open window framing a perspective you have never encountered, or looking at something suddenly closeup, that it becomes a new spatial experience. It makes you just wish you had a camera handy.

Secret: Outside a shop

Secret: Roof tiles

Secret: Flat roof

(Click on the images to find out where they are taken)

‘s last 3 days in office!

Anything for the Stadium

National Stadium (Sg VS N.Korea friendly match)

Anything, like, going for a soccer match when you don’t watch soccer at all. And not surprisingly, we spent half the time (literally) walking about, roving from seats to seats, snapping away, oblivious of what was happening down at the field. But Singapore won the friendly match eventually, with a score of 2-1 (their opponents being the North Koreans). Of course, with only 1/30th of the stadium filled with people and a slow and friendly game on going, the atmosphere & excitement was only a minuscule of what a 60,000 crowd could do. But I was just happy enough to wander about that night, occasionally observing the event from where I was.

 

 

All in all, I love the texture of the place, remembered the sports meets, ndps and what nots, even the groups of aunties (or uncles) who will walk around selling their fried popiahs or samosas during the various events.

It is afterall these personal memories that have imbued the stadium as a landscape of significance.

Also, thanks Zihao and Ros, for your company that night!

is still mourning over her lost photos of that night!

PIMP-ed!

Friend Z and his 1 week plus of pimping adventure

Recently, friend Z dug out his 3-year old work, buried deep in the dungeons of post-submission, and sets to resuscitate it.

before and after

Friend Z thinks that there is no bad design, only bad communication.

Cairnhill Road

En Bloc? : An area adjacent to Orchard Road.

Student Works #1 – An Alternative Marina Bay

RESISTING THE GENERIC EMPIRE
by Pan Yi Cheng

You are definitely not alone if you feel that the current building typology of tall straight boxy towers is sooo over.

When opportunity rises to redefine the skyline in the new Marina Bay district, what resulted was a disappointing stack of uninspiring blocks, recycled Cartesian planning and a stagnation of architectural progression in Singapore.

Pan Yi Cheng, from the AA, proposed an alternative Marina Bay. Where current blocks taper off at the top, his skyscrapers were inverted – smallest footprint, widest roof. Where current organisation revolves around the 2-dimensional grid, his plan involves a more 3-dimensional urbanism, with a more organic use of space.

(An Alternative Marina Bay)

I think the tapering is great in the way it allows for more shade in sunny Singapore. It looks abit like hotair balloons tethered to the ground! I like that layering between ground/roof and smallness/bigness. It allows for more free space and less visible clutter on the street level. It has a scale befitting of the Marina Bay district, iconic and at the same time not too tacky. Just imagine the possible community spaces on ground as well as across skyscrapers as the broadened roofs meet.

(Layerings…)

It’s about freeing movement, freeing the constriants of hegemony as well as navigating the rocky course between “a political reality and a formal proposition”. (sounds cheem hor.. haha) Not incidentally, this project is the 2nd prize winner of the eVolo Architecture Competition for 2007. Congrats to Yi Cheng!

See more:

eVolo Architecture Skyscraper Competition

Panels and project

BD’s Class of 2006

Marina Bay Singapore

is working on a housing competition.

Perforated Metal

St. Regis Residences

Tan Quee Lan Suites

Adaptive Re-use

St James Powerstation

In between buildings

On Nassim Hill

NASSIM HILL is spotted in our inaugural Shorts & Snippers!
(Show Me!)

Behind the scene lies another

Q. What happens behind an exhibition? How do beautiful displays appear overnight suddenly in shopping centres? A rare glimpse as the City Exhibition is being setup in VivoCity, going on from 24th to 28th June.
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2258: CARPET ARRIVES
The contractor fixes the 2m width “carpet”, while other equipment are being transported in.

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2329: ARRANGE PEDESTALS
Layout according to plan, but, the plan was abit screwed up. It didn’t make sense. So impro on the spot.

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0002: THESIS PROJECTS UP
Okay, finally the key projects are done. They are left to clean and touch up those display shelves, which come from the school.

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0045: ALL PANELS UP
The bulk of the projects, mounted on black boards are stuck onto the pedestals.

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0129: MODELS UP
Something interesting happened. Nicholas’ model was too big and cannot fit into the stipulated size! We had to slice a portion of it off.. so sad and uncalled for, and he doesn’t know! Boils down to bad communication.

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0150: FINAL CHECKS
Those weird lights are fixed, and everything is checked for one final time. Its almost 4 hours after arrival and everyone is soooo tired. Clearing up mess and cleaning those pesky fingerprints off the acrylic boxes.

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1830: OPENING CEREMONY

This is the product everyone sees in the end! Nice and pretty? Well, some opinions:
1) NOT ENGAGING. People, especially the layman, don’t want to read so many stuff while shopping! Even I’m turned off by so many text, tiny text and so-small-it-has-become-a-blur text. Portrays a nerdy and overly-academic NUS.
2) NOT ORGANISED. Exhibitors and the curators behind the exhibition need more communication. Many are given short notice to do many things, and while this is not about pointing fingers, it is important that sufficient and timely information creates a better product.
3) NO LOVE. It’s just another hasty production. No focus, no love from the students exhibiting!
4) GREAT CREW. Despite the above problems, we have to be thankful to those who have put in so much effort to make it possible! If not for this team, the exhibition could have been a lot worse.

VotreX prefers the ID exhibition.