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| : 21 ELITE PARK in review |
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| Bali in a Box Number 21 Elite Park Avenue stands out from the row of terrace houses that it is the end unit of. It should. It is a full storey taller then its neighbours. However, mere physical presence is of secondary value, many awful buildings have had their faults magnified to monstrous proportions buy their sheer size. Instead Number 21 distinguishes itself through an intriguing architectural exploration into various bi-polar concepts in urban domesticity today. In doing so, the architect collectively addresses pressing questions concerning privacy, publicity and the meaning of tropical living, but more importantly, demonstrates how these factors may come together to make more meaningful and enjoyable habitable spaces in the city. Coloured a pleasant light ochre and standing three storeys tall on a long and narrow site, the formal arrangement of the house is surprisingly simple. It consists primarily of two roughly square planned volumes which are attached to a long and slim spine running longitudinally along the site and abutting the neighbours party wall. As it forms the end unit to a terrace row, one side is open and faces an absolutely thin slither of garden and garden wall. Service areas such as toilets and circulation are neatly contained along the linear spine. The other two columns are located apart, one at the front and the other towards the rear of the plot, separated by a three-storey void between them, forming a courtyard. The front and rear are connected by a series of bridges that run alongside the court. A Koi pond at the heart of this court forms not only the visual but also auditory focus of the house. The front volume contains the living area on the ground floor, bedrooms on the upper floors, and is topped by a pitched roof, in compliance with envelope control guidelines. The kitchen and dining spaces are across the pond from the living room, above them are located an audio-visual entertainment room and a secondary bedroom. On the third story, an empty gallery awaits the owners' private art collection, while a timber roof deck from which fantastic views of the city can be had, roofs the rear volume. Excited by the "walless" pavilion architecture that they had seen on trips to Bali, the clients had clear requirements. However, designing in a traditional vernacular style would have been totally inappropriate for an urban setting such as this one and would have amounted to no more than a contrived and mindless parody. Thankfully, the architects chose not to take this route, perhaps mindful that there are too many examples of pretentious "tropical architecture" in the form of transplanted resorts in this densely populated city already. The task of Number 21 was thus clearly spelt out as a reconciliation of opposites: open, well, ventilated, "close -to-nature" vernacular structures to contemporary, private and secure dwellings that have become assumed prerequisites for urban living. Despite the restrictive size of the site, the most apparent experiential sensation that one perceives of the house is the exceptional openness about it all. Space flows effortlessly from interior to exterior and back again, such that boundaries between garden and house remain ambiguous. The most interesting sequence of spaces occur between the living room, the garden and the dining area. The living area, located at the front of the Koi pond is by no means a large space. This is no doubt restricted by the variety of spaces required by the client and the nature of setbacks. The orchestrated flow of space visually pushes the boundaries of what may be ordinarily perceived as the extent of each space and gives the illusion of enlarging them. Such fluidity is enabled through the use of implied space and the open courtyard. The term implied space here refers to a similar concept of "borrowed landscape", used in Japanese garden design. In "borrowed landscape", the spatial limitations of the garden is visually extended by incorporating into the gardenscape, elements beyond the actual boundaries of the garden itself. Similarly, the house at Elite Park appropriates the garden as a purposeful extension of the living spaces, and pushes the perceptible space to the limits of the garden wall itself. This is especially evident in the living area whose narrow width embraces the strip of garden sandwiched between the house and the garden wall. The garden, though an external space, is "implied" as part of the living space and invited into the house through calculated architectural manipulation. It is interesting t note that as such the garden wall itself becomes part of the architecture rather than merely playing the mundane role of demarcating site boundary and deterring intruders, Through this subtle sleight-of-hand, the architects have both fulfilled the demands of the owners to create the openness of Balinese architecture, while also surfacing exciting options into questions about the absoluteness of inside /outside, architecture/landscape - bi-polar concepts that have much mileage for development and debate. The connection between interior and exterior is further enhanced through the careful use of the courtyard. Instead of a fully enclosed model, an open one is adopted. It is not an autonomous space, but one that has again, a sense of continuity with the garden. In fact, it is read as part of the garden. Open to sky and with only three "hard" edges, the court is formed by the space between the front and rear volumes and, on the third, by the circulation bridges and staircase that link the columns together. Due to the nature of the court and its spatial connection with the garden space, the living and dining spaces are actually open on three sides to the outdoor garden. Furthermore, both spaces are encased in a series of folding and sliding doors that promote this sense of ambiguous territories when fully open, allowing the garden air and sounds to percolate into the "interior". Thus, the spatial experience of the living and dining spaces can be likened to that of two separate pavilions set within a garden space. As a consequence, the clients' wishes have been realised in essence If not in form. |
The outward looking nature of the design raises some inherent
concerns with respect to the need for privacy and security in such urban
conditions. Privacy is still maintained because of the proximity of the
garden wall to the main house, reducing the visual angle required to actually
peer into the spaces. The difference in ground level between the neighbouring
house and Number 21 was also taken advantage of. In this respect, a boundary
wall taller than otherwise would have been allowed was build. Careful
zoning of spaces also establishes a hierarchy of increasingly private
zones, with the public areas placed on the more open ground floor, and
the sleeping areas on the upper floors. Of course there is also the added
security of a good electronic alarm system. Beyond the engaging spatial relationships of the design, attention to detailing enhances the quality and character of spaces. Fluidity of boundaries is also not lost within the smaller elements of the house. In particular, one's attention is drawn towards the architect's substitution of horizontal timber planes that act as shelve, in place of the usual railings at the staircase landings and along connecting bridges. The shelves with the owners' art collection form a permeable barrier. At the risk of loading this element with too much meaning, one wonders if the exhibits, as a projection of the owners' personalities, transcribes into a "mask", fittingly taking its position as a territorial marker between public and private zones. This multiplicity of roles is encountered too in the stained timber screens that feature prominently in the house's elevations. Even before entering the plot, one is faced with a screen of horizontal timber strips: the front gate. In a game of hide-and-seek, only partial glimpses are possible into the house. The glass walled showers of the bedroom toilets have their exhibitionist nature subdued through a tall vertical screen attached to the external facade. Hence, one can shower in privacy whilst looking out onto the world. Perhaps the most effective instance of the screens' application is the one that spans across the upper levels of the courts open edge. Two storeys high and as wide as the court, the timber screen of vertical strips filters the morning sun's rays, casting intricate patterns of light and shadow into the spaces beyond. It also creates a greater sense of privacy by visually closing off and demarcating the court. Climatically the screens make good sense, providing ample shade from the harsh sunlight and driving rain. They are also called on fulfill a multitude of other roles; including those of controlling light and views. Aesthetically, they serve as a unifying element for the entire design, providing a distinctive vocabulary of "line, edge and shade". The reason as to why the rear of the house is shaded using a different element is puzzling. A series of large louvres made of blue sail fabric tautly pinned onto a steel frame is used. In itself, the innovative use of materials is commendable, but in the context of the entire house, it is jarringly out of place. Neither entirely a service yard nor a second courtyard the three storey void that these louvres protect is an uncomfortable one. Caught between the party wall and the rear bedrooms the voluminous space seems to hold little purpose other than that of containing the air-conditioning condensers. Internally, the use of colours and finishes show less control and consistency as compared to the overall planning and detailing. For a relatively small house, a wide palette of materials and colours are used. For instance, sandstone is placed alongside both timber and granolithic pebbles as floor finishes within the confines of the narrow living and dining areas. Similarly, colours stray from the dominantly ochre exterior, to an uncomfortably even mix of greys, blues and ochre inside the house. However, these perceived failings are negligible in the light of the exciting manner in which the architects have managed to address wider issues at hand, and in doing so extend a little further the boundaries of the meaning of dwelling in the city. The architects should be given due credit for a clear and concise design that grapples with a balance between issues of climate, privacy, aesthetics, and site. Capturing the essence of tropical living in a definitely contemporary and urban architecture, Number 21 can perhaps be described as "Bali in a box". Perhaps the roof deck at the back portion of the house best summarises the essence of the relationships between the private and the public, between the city and the retreat, present in Number 21. It is a sort of open plateau, an extremely exposed location yet highly and intensely private and personal: the sort of space where you can sip chilled wine from a tall glass and watch the sun slowly slip away from the city. |
Reprinted with permission from: Singapore Architect no. 199.98 Writer: Peter Sim Wei Chiang Photography: Albert Lim KS |
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