The Interlace, Singapore, Singapore

Ole Shereen design departs from the ordinary in high-rise Singapore
If you've ever played jenga or stacked stirring sticks in a cafe, even, you'll understand the excitement encased in creating a precarious form, the thrill of not knowing if or when it will tumble and the necessity to pay attention to it in case it does. While perhaps not the desired effect, Ole Shereen's design for The Interlace joins the ranks of the leaning tower of Pisa and the immense cantilever of Foster's Zenith to provide this amusement nonetheless.

In a departure from the norm in Singapore, the freshly released images of the OMA architect's design show layers of horizontal towers stacked askew of each other creating an array of aspects for street-side interactors to gaze at in wonderment, a selection of views for future residents to fight over, and an engineering challenge worth talking about.

An impressive 31 six-storey blocks are arranged on four main ‘Superlevels’ comprising 24 stories, although most Superlevel blocks range from 6 to 18 stories to form a stepped building topography. Thought has been put into the arrangement of the blocks in terms of responding to the natural elements of sun, wind and micro-climate and cascading balconies and terraces add green space and allow residents to interact with the outdoor space.

The Interlace is set to create new Beverley Hills-style luxury accommodation, set in the lush Gillman Heights suburb of Singapore and providing a total of 1,040 apartment units set within 8 hectares of land at the Southern Ridges of Singapore. The concept symbolises a new way of living for Singapore, taking rich city-slickers out of the high-rise centre of the city and offering a commutable green hub that retains just enough of a city-feel within the community of buildings.

“The design addresses concerns of shared space and social needs in a contemporary society and simultaneously responds to issues of shared living and individuality by offering a multiplicity of indoor/outdoor spaces specific to the tropical context," commented Shereen.

Ms Patricia Chia, CEO of CapitaLand Residential Singapore, added: “This is a great opportunity to create and build a residential destination at the Gillman Heights site that will challenge the present architectural definition of the living space. In developing the dramatic external form, we have also focused much attention on creating comfortable internal spaces. Our vision for the site is to build homes that will last through the generations and to define an address that the home owner identifies with. The name, The Interlace, reinforces the interconnectivity between man and the space, community and natural environment surrounding him. Ole Scheeren has created a new postcard for Singapore.”

Niki May Young
News Editor
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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