Cover Additions in pale wood balance out the darker material palette of the apartment’s original interior
Additions in pale wood balance out the darker material palette of the apartment’s original interior
1 / 1
Inspired by Chinese calligraphy and the transience of lunar phases abstracted from a Song dynasty poem, Goy Architects elegantly articulates the interior of this Singapore apartment with soft colours, handcrafted textures and sophisticated details
Fitting out a property with an impressive design pedigree can be a daunting task. Such was the case with this apartment unit in an award-winning luxury residential development near East Coast Park, which boasts an architectural design by Woha, interior spaces by Yabu Pushelberg, and landscaping by Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl. The key was to find a design professional with matching energy and fervour for exploration, which the owner of this 2,971 sq ft apartment discovered in Goy Architects.
The homeowner felt that the existing interior, which featured a dark material palette with strong contrasts, was a little too masculine for her taste. A lawyer in her 30s who is on a sabbatical from a UN posting to help out with her family business, she longed for a softer approach to her living space. Her design brief included interior and furniture design for the apartment’s bedrooms and living area.
“The client was drawn to our studio’s emphasis on working with the region’s material culture,” shares studio founder Goy Zhenru. “She appreciates that we work with makers across Southeast Asia to create unique textures for our projects. She wanted to have a meaningful showcase of materials in her home as a conversation piece.” Thanks to this mindset compatibility, what could have been a relatively simple fit-out assignment evolved into a fruitful research and development project that yielded elegant, poetic spaces.
Don’t miss: AI Art: How Goy Architects used Midjourney to imagine a futuristic world with Asian roots
Inspired by moon gates, this circular window articulation gives the interior a soft glow with its light-diffusing paper finish
1 / 3
The client had a special request: that part of a poem by Song dynasty poet Su Dongpo, popularised as a song in the 1980s by Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng, be reproduced on her balcony wall. The specific portion, called Prelude to Water Melody, expresses the sorrow and joy of parting and reunion, comparing them to the waning and waxing of the moon. “Even though we are apart by a distance of thousands of miles, we still share the same moon”, so the lyric goes.
“We wanted to translate the ambience and mood of the poem into the client’s home. There was something transient and nostalgic about the poem’s meaning and a sense of calmness that created space for one’s philosophical thoughts about life,” says Goy. The Goy Architects team, comprising Singapore-based Goy and Nichole Ho, Bali-based Dessy Anggadewi, and Chiangmai-based Cindy Kornrawee and Sutira Sukra, were careful to avoid the trappings of pastiche Japandi, zen-style or expressly Eastern looks that tend to emerge from such inspiration. “We wanted to be able to interpret these influences in a more contemporary way. Thinking about the design abstractly helped us to think more creatively,” states Goy. In the end, the team arrived at two ideas: the transient nature of the moon and the characteristics of Chinese calligraphy, which formed the basis of the furniture and interior design concept.
The apartment’s loose furniture plays a key role in defining the spacious open-plan living area, demarcating it into the sitting area, the dining zone, and the bar. Entering the premises, one is greeted by the sight of a majestic circular window articulation inspired by moon gates. The translucent paper panels around it gently diffuse the daylight and cast, in Goy’s words, “an ambient glow of light similar to the moon shining behind passing clouds”.
Read more: Ask the designers: How to create a social kitchen made for entertaining
Above The glass-laminated patterned banana paper sliding doors lend subtle tactility to the bar area
Above This storage space is hidden by sliding doors finished with ink-effect wallpaper
The glass-laminated patterned banana paper sliding doors lend subtle tactility to the bar area
1 / 2
Above The kitchen exudes a moody ambience
Above Like the kitchen, the study evokes a moody and calming state
The kitchen exudes a moody ambience
1 / 2
Manufactured in Thailand, the custom furnishings include a dining table, console, coffee table, study desk, bookshelf, bed platform, and pyung sang table that serves as the balcony’s seating. All share a few common design traits: curvature derived from the crescent moon, and joinery details that pay homage to traditional Chinese architecture.
One of the project’s main challenges was the pristine condition of the original developer-issued apartment. The design team steered clear of hacking away the existing finishes and materials to start anew. “Instead, our intention was to see how we could modify or add to the existing design elements and reframe the space into something that resonates more personally with the client,” Goy elaborates. This is done through a carefully curated colour palette comprising natural materials sourced from across the region.
The client likes the colour of aodamo, or Japanese ash. Since the wood isn’t native to Southeast Asia, the team substituted it with bleached teak wood and complemented its warm tone with oak veneer, sofa upholstery and drapery in muted tones. Other special interior materials include handmade wallpaper from the Indonesian brand ROA and banana paper from Greenman Banana Paper Studio in Ubud, Bali. The latter had been part of the studio’s arsenal for a while, awaiting its debut in the right client’s project.
In case you missed it: Ask the architects: How to build and design a greener home
Above A bespoke multi-purpose platform offers the perfect spot for lounging on
Above This tranquil corner is simply furnished yet full of layered textures
A bespoke multi-purpose platform offers the perfect spot for lounging on
1 / 2
The bedroom features a platform bed with storage, a bench with traditional Chinese joinery details, handmade gold foil wallpaper and a pair of New Works Tense wall lamps from Made & Make
1 / 2
“We brought this idea to the client, and to our delight, she was keen on using the paper as well,” Goy recalls. Thus, the team incorporated the materials into certain design details, including the custom ceiling lamp and a screen in the bar area.
The home’s materials and finishes were also chosen in consideration of another occupant of the house: a three-year-old cat named Ume, who had inspired its owner to start a cat furniture side business called Ume’s Stash. “Having a cat as a client posed some new design challenges,” says Goy. For instance, the custom-perforated banana paper screen planned for the bar area was laminated with glass to prevent the cat from scratching it. The design team also added small jumping steps next to the TV console to facilitate Ume’s roaming.
All in all, Goy Architects elegantly elevated the interior of this prestigious apartment unit using a clever mix of poetic materials and design details that harmonise with the existing architectural features, while expressing the client’s preferences and paying tribute to superlative regional craftsmanship.
Above This banana-fibre pattern depicts falling cherry blossom petals and was inspired by delicate Japanese kumiko woodworks
This banana-fibre pattern depicts falling cherry blossom petals and was inspired by delicate Japanese kumiko woodworks
1 / 1
Credits
Photography: Fabian Ong and Khoo Guo Jie
