Designed by German architect Ole Scheeren, partner of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA ), the housing complex is nearing completion in Singapore. the Interlace, one of the largest and most ambitious residential developments in Singapore, presents a radically new approach to contemporary living in a tropical environment.
Instead of creating a cluster of isolated, vertical towers – the default typology of residential developments in Singapore – the design proposes an intricate network of living and social spaces integrated with the natural environment.
Thirty-one apartment blocks, each six stories tall and identical in length, are stacked in a hexagonal arrangement around eight large-scale open and permeable courtyards. the interlocking blocks create a vertical village of both shared and private outdoor spaces on multiple levels.
While maintaining the privacy of the individual apartments through the generous spacing of the building blocks, the Interlace creates an interactive network of outdoor spaces oriented around the focal points of the courtyards, reflecting and extending the natural surroundings.
The project is located on an eight-hectare site in the verdant Southern Ridges and will complete a nine-kilometer green belt of parks and recreational facilities. Extensive residential amenities and facilities are interwoven into the lush vegetation and offer opportunities for social interaction.
With 170,000m2 of built floor area, the development will provide over 1,000 residential units of varying sizes, each with unobstructed and varying views over the parks, the city, and the sea.
Sustainability features are incorporated throughout the project through careful environmental analysis of sun, wind, and micro-climate conditions and the integration of low-impact passive energy strategies.
The project generates ample spaces and opportunities for social interaction and shared activities while also providing intimate spaces of privacy and quietness – simultaneously fostering a sense of community and maintaining individuality and identity.
Location: Singapore Architect: OMA Partner in charge: Ole Scheeren Associate: Eric Chang Concept Team: Jens Eberhardt, Paloma Hernais, Benny Ho, Jaime Oliver, Hiromasa Shirai with: Benjamin Ahrens, Johannes Oesterle, Shelley Zhang Project Team: Andrew Lo, Toby Wong, Erik Amir, with: Heidi Blais, David Brown, Andrew Bryant, Catarina Canas, Ben Chan, Sean Hoo Ch'ng, Wynn Chandra, Steven Y.N. Chen, Dan Cheong, Ryan Choe, Ying Chee Chui, Benjamin Claeys, Renato Juarez Corso, Sascha Daum, Jasmin Delic, Charles Gosrisirikul, Nozomi Kanemitsu, Winnie Lam, Samuel Liew, Rita Liu, Cora Lutz, Ryan Maliszewski, Luis Aguirre Manso, Sandra Mayritsch, Karine Mellet, Michelle Miller, Eugene Oh, Gabriele Pitacco, Yijun Qian, Mimi Shen, Joseph Tang, Uri Verthime, Shuo Wang, Esther Yang, Ali Yildirim, Jing Zhang Executive Architect: Rsp Architects, Planners & Engineers Pte. Ltd., Singapore Structure and services: Arup, Beijing / Rsp Architects, Planners & Engineers Pte. Ltd. and Squire Mech, Singapore Façade: Arup, Singapore Landscape architect: Icn Design International Pte. Ltd., Singapore Graphic design: 2x4, New York Site: 81,000 m2 Year: 2009-2013 Client: CapitaLand Residential Singapore Photo: Courtesy of A Daily Dose of Architecture