Does Singapore need more 'funky' buildings?

[huaiwei]

Originally Posted by Kit

Yeah, which is kinda sad but that's how things work for some firms. You get some projects that's good enough to slip into your portfolio and you get others that you wouldn't even want to mention them to your friends. Those unfortunately, are usually the bread and butter projects.

I figured that is how things might happen in the realistic world out there, where there is no "code of ethics" of sorts which is firmly entrenched in the industry? So long that money alone speaks more for some clients and/or architects, as well as any other individuals or groups of people who might have an influence, then I suppose asthetics will often have to take a backseat....

Still...it does raise questions when even high-profile and high-budget projects get revolting designs sometimes, and these are theones I find absolutely repulsive!

[Kit]

Originally Posted by huaiwei

I figured that is how things might happen in the realistic world out there, where there is no "code of ethics" of sorts which is firmly entrenched in the industry? So long that money alone speaks more for some clients and/or architects, as well as any other individuals or groups of people who might have an influence, then I suppose asthetics will often have to take a backseat....

Still...it does raise questions when even high-profile and high-budget projects get revolting designs sometimes, and these are theones I find absolutely repulsive!

Well, there's certainly a code of ethnics but that mainly oversees the architects responsibilities in terms of contract administration which includes, financial management, time management and other techinical details. Other things like design and sensitivity to the surrounding are pretty subjective and depending on where your project sits on. No hard and fast rules to govern them, just guidelines. So if you fall within the guidelines(aka being safe with your design), there won't be any problem usually. At the end of the day, the performance of a project is gauged on how well it function as perceived in the design stages. I've personally encountered who potato stamp one design on a few projects with some amendments of course but hey they work so nobody could really fault her.

[RafflesCity]

Peck Hay Mansion

It has been around since the 80s.

[redstone]

Can you take pictures of Balestier Point?


It's very cubic and funky.

[huaiwei]

Unlike Balestier Point which is so over-hyped and over-seen, that Peck Hay thingy was a pleasant surprise!

[redstone]

Still, nothing beats Colonade!

[RafflesCity]

hehe..I will try to get a snap of Balestier Point although I dont really notice it.

This Peck Hay Mansion used to have a facade of maroon tiles

[redstone]

Like Balestier?

[RafflesCity]

I'm not sure what color is the Balestier one..light pink or beige right?

maroon is dark red.

[redstone]

"With this building, recipient of an SIA Award, RDC attempted to merge the commercial and the residential into one. Building further on the ideas of Moshe Safdie, Balestier Point ascends in steps from a single-storey street frontage to a maximum height of 18 storeys. This gradation provides an opportunity to build up the viewer's expectation and also the visual link between the shopping block and the apartments above. The four-storey podium block contains two levels of shops and two car park levels. It is linked aesthetically to the main block by means of the square grid and cascading modules. The concept for the shopping complex stems from the recognition that the shaded "five-foot way" which in the past provided the sense of intimacy and scale typical of tropical shopping can be abstracted in the form of a framed hollow cube, used here as a mod-ule upon which the overall scale is based. For the apartments, the recession allows a reduction in traffic noise from the road below. The colors are chosen to denote inner and outer planes of the facade."

Paiseh, forgot the colour...

[huaiwei]

Balestier is pink lah...no way similar to this one!

[Kit]

Hmmmm...... just wondering...... does that pattern on Pech Hay "spills" into its interior? Any influence on space planning inside? Or is it just the facade that looks interestingly different? Where is it btw?

[RafflesCity]

I dunno about the inside..next time I will walk to its back.

It is at Peck Hay Rd, on a hill. Near ACJS, near Anthony Rd/Cairnhill/Newton MRT that area

[heirloom]

you should have a look at the gateway (145m) too i find it rather fascinating. it's just behind parkview square from bugis mrt station.





incredibly sharp












that shit building beside it is still there but the clay-coloured sands are of course green now

[redstone]

Heir, do you know that that little building was built in 1953?

Considered very tall for Singapore then, when most buildings were just 5 storeys max.

[heirloom]

um no i didnt know... but it sure looks out of place!

[redstone]

The entire row beside it, as well as behind it, and where PVS now stands were shophouses.

[heirloom]

uh... i'm glad parkview square took over..

i think the current number of shophouses are quite sufficient for heritage purposes actually.. those shophouses along that sultan mosque road should really be refurbished. they look like they're falling apart. i was quite shocked to see such a state of decay in this day and age.

[redstone]

Those beside the New Seventh Storey Hotel are gone for some reason whilt the hotel still stands.

[babystan03]

Business Times - 09 Sep 2004

URA relaxes guidelines on rooftop usage

By ANDREA TAN

DRAB or plain rooftops of commercial buildings and hotels could give way to food and beverage outlets as the Urban Redevelopment Authority relaxes its guidelines on roofs.

URA said it loosened the guidelines to encourage more innovative and better design of rooftops. It has relaxed gross floor area (GFA) exemption guidelines for rooftop covers from September 6. For uses such as F&B outlets, the space used would be considered as GFA.

However, for commercial and hotel developments that share common boundaries with homes, URA says there should not be any activity-generating uses such as restaurants on the rooftops.

URA will also allow for the screening of mechanical and electrical services and car parks on roofs and building facades within the Central Area, except for homes in Newton and River Valley. The GFA exemption for covered mechanical and electrical areas is for one floor only.

'The roofscape is one of the elements that contributes to a city's memorable skyline,' URA said in a circular.

'Besides the screening of unsightly air-conditioning cooling units and water tanks at the roof tops, it is desirable to have varied and well-articulated roof forms.'

The new rules will not be applicable to conservation buildings, areas with urban design guidelines for roof forms such as Tanjong Rhu and Singapore and landed housing areas.

In a separate circular, URA has revised guidelines on GFA exemptions for covered public spaces. This is to encourage more varied covered public spaces and to allow for more gathering places and centres of activities in the city-state.

'As more buildings provide covered public spaces, our city will become more pedestrian-friendly, more memorable, exciting and thriving with many gathering spaces for social interaction,' URA said.

URA's definition of major public space include office, shopping, hotel and institutional developments and tertiary educational institutions. They must also be located within commercial areas in the central area, regional centres such as Tampines and Jurong East and major commercial areas around the MRT stations of Bishan, Buona Vista, Paya Lebar and Serangoon.

The areas must also be open to the public at all times, and cannot be enclosed or converted to other uses in the future.

URA said both sets of relaxed rules were in response to feedback received at the URA Power (Public Officers Working to Eliminate Red-tape) session held in September 2003.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.