SINGAPORE – The 12th edition of Singapore’s annual festival celebrating architecture and the built environment, Archifest 2018, has announced that Kite Studio Architecture will be presenting the winning design for the festival’s highly anticipated Pavilion taking place from 28 September to 10 October. An anchor event space for the festival, the Pavilion will feature programmes such as exhibitions, talks, Architours and other fringe events over the two weeks.
Following an open call for local architecture firms to submit design schemes for the Pavilion according to this year’s festival theme of “Design for Life”, the team from Kite Studio Architecture won over the five-member jury panel with its scheme centered on the concept of familiar void decks within Singapore’s typical HDB public housing. The esteemed jury panel consists of Christina Thean (SIA Council Member and Archifest Organising Committee Co-Chair) from Park + Associates, Archifest’s Festival Director Yann Follain from WY-TO; Wong Ker How from ASOLIDPLAN; Randy Chan from Zarch Collaboratives; and Joyce Poh from Akzo Nobel.
Mr. Khairudin Saharom, Principal and Director of Kite Studio Architecture, shared, “Our design for the Archifest 2018 Pavilion was inspired by two main elements – the dynamic open space of Marina Bay and the art photography of Nguan, a Singaporean photographer who is known for his impactful portrayal of everyday Singapore. With these, we based our design set on the ubiquitous HDB void deck that is so iconic of Singapore and reimagined it as a fluid, multi-purpose open space for the festival.”
Artist impression of Archifest 2018 Pavilion by Kite Studio Architecture
The Pavilion will consist of the following key design elements:
A physical parameter based on the typical HDB void deck design, with slanted walls and columns for display of exhibition works
Multi-entrances without physical demarcations to allow flexibility for visitors to enter the space from any direction
Prominent columns of the Pavilion’s façade created by skewering three-hole bricks through rebar cages that will be anchored by mild steel plates
Pastel hues of bricks to reflect Nguan’s photography works and to induce a sense of familiarity and nostalgia
Sustainable materials and construction methods with the use of dry construction techniques for the brick ‘walls’ that will be fastened with rebar cages. This allows easy dismantling so the bricks can be used for future construction, while the TAG welded rebar cages can be reused for structural steel works. A new sustainable material made of bamboo charcoal, ‘Bamco’ flooring, will also be used.
The jury panel collectively concurred that the winning scheme is definitely the one that has responded the best to this year Archifest theme “Design for Life”. Taking its reference from Singapore modern history, it successfully translates one of the unique typologies most of us experience on the daily basis into an innovative and festive temporary structure. The narrative and porosity of the famous void deck are reinterpreted through a refreshing expression of fundamental construction elements: brick, steel, dry partition and paint. Celebrating life, the result is playful, inviting, welcoming and inclusive while responding well to the site. It is the ideal setting for the various and diverse activities Archifest offers this year.”
The first and second runners-up of the open call were awarded to Super Assembly and DP Architects Pte Ltd / DP Design Pte Ltd respectively.
