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WHAT do residential condominiums like the Habitat at Ardmore, The Tomlinson,
The Edge On Cairnhill, The Colonnade, the newly opened Cathay Residences, and
the upcoming Reflections on Keppel Bay have in common, besides their high per
square foot price?
Besides being high-end, high-rise residences in Singapore, they also form
the growing clout of 'branded' condominiums designed by renowned architects;
the likes of Moshe Safdie, IM Pei, Paul Tange, Paul Rudolph and Daniel
Libeskind.
Singapore has had well-known architects designing residences since the 80s,
but while it might have been done with less buzz in the 80s and 90s, now, such
properties are more prominently branded and marketed as architectural
masterpieces which those with the means can own a piece of - a few thousand
square foot piece, that is.
Developer Keppel Land has gone to town to brand its Reflections on Keppel
Bay project, for instance, making the most of the fact that it's a Daniel
Libeskind project - given that Libeskind is well-known as the architect's
architect.
'Residential projects designed by internationally renowned architects are
quite highly profiled now, a trend which indicates that Singapore has become a
rather sophisticated place, with developers being able to appreciate the value
of design and market it to their target audience,' says Erwin Viray, an
associate professor of architecture at the National University of Singapore,
and who's also the co-editor of the international a+u (Architecture and
Urbanism) magazine.
Engaging internationally renowned architects for residential properties are
in vogue now in the island republic, agrees Kelley Cheng, editor of design
magazine iSH and editorial director of Page One publishing, known for its
design titles.
'Developers have recognised that there is now a pool of buyers who are ready
to pay a premium price for a designer label' tagged to their condo, the same
way that luxury products work. It speaks of a certain lifestyle' that buyers
want to be associated with,' she notes.
Joseph Tan, CB Richard Ellis director (residential), sees it happening in
areas such as District 9 and the Central
Business District - for their real estate value - and Marina Bay - for their
prime views. 'It's happening at unique sites with some form of attractive
views; and then the architect can design something out of the norm,' he says.
It wasn't the norm say 10 years or so ago, he thinks, and this is partly
driven by the market. 'As time goes by, buyers of higher-end properties are
looking for something different from the run-of-the-mill property,' says Mr
Tan.
Ms Cheng concurs. 'We can safely say that just 10 years ago, few saw
architecture as a possible brand' and reflection of social status, as people
would rather pay for bigger space and not better design. But there's now a
substantial pool of people who are sophisticated enough to compromise space for
quality design. Clothes, bags, watches, cars are luxuries of yesterday, this is
the age of branded architecture'.'
The most exciting projects are in the residential sector in Singapore, says
Ms Cheng, the reason being that a lot of Singapore's homegrown architects have
been doing fantastic jobs.
Homegrown designer architects such as SCDA and Woha, for example, had made
their names in private residential design. 'But now that architecture is seen
as the luxury goods of today, foreign and internationally renowned architects
are increasingly being brought into the residential sector as there is now a
demand of such 'goods',' she adds.
Since our own architects, who have won awards for their condominium and
bungalow creations, have raised Singapore's architectural profile in more ways
than the (arguably duller) public or commercial buildings have done - what's
the added benefit of engaging international names?
'I think there are local architects that are as good,' says Choo Meileen,
Cathay Organisation's CEO, 'but we wanted to have input from an international
architect who would give The Cathay some fresh elements.'
The company engaged Tange & Associates for its redevelopment of the heritage
cinema site, the retail podium and the residences behind it. 'We wanted an
Asian architect who could understand the history behind the building and who
would value our history as much as we did and transpose this into a building
that would reflect this.
With regards to the marketing aspect, Ms Choo says that the intrinsic design
was far more important, especially as The Cathay Residences aren't for sale,
but for long-term lease only. 'The Cathay Residences in a way encapsulates true
urban living in Singapore,' she adds. 'The urban skin' that Tange designed
makes for a very quiet environment, so you get the view, the buzz and
convenience of living in the city but not the traffic noise.'
In the Pontiac Land group's experience - a long-time, if low-key supporter
of architectural design - engaging architects such as Paul Rudolph for The
Colonnade is a way of enriching the community, says the group's spokesman.
'We believe that bad architecture screams, while good architecture resonates
with who you are,' he says. From the group's viewpoint, it has also observed
and understood that 'people's homes are extensions of who they are'.
'Many well-travelled and cosmopolitan homebuyers in Singapore are looking
for ways to express their personal aesthetic identity through their residence,'
he adds, hence the long-established practice of engaging Pritzker Architect
Prize laureates to 'raise the bar of aesthetic excellence' in Singapore.
Dr Viray notes that there is actually a good collection of innovative and
well-designed residences here, which is often overlooked in the discussion of
architecture development in Singapore - probably due to the fact that these
residences are private.
In fact, because of his contacts in the architectural industry, he has often
hosted and taken many VIPs around - who want to gain insight into Singapore's
architectural development - and they've been won over by Singapore's
residential projects.
'These private residences, many of which have been designed by local
architects, really changed their perception of Singapore and the present
impression is that Singapore is a very liveable space; because these
developments project a certain lifestyle and way of life,' he says.
Detractors will point out, however, that the extra premium for engaging a
world-renowned architect might be a little misspent - given that architects can
better show their flair in designing public institutions, or commercial ones
such as a hotel, as an industry observer highlighted. Also, is it just a case
of form over function?
Dr Viray sees it differently, saying that these architects can have the
liberty to be more experimental. 'A lot of revolutionary ideas about spaces are
made and done through residential design,' he says.
As Ms Cheng points out, there are housebuyers out there who are clearly able
to afford premium property with their designer architecture, while as a
society, Singaporeans get enriched in less tangible ways - culturally and
aesthetically. 'I like it that these foreign architects have helped to liven up
the architectural scene, educating the public about architecture, and on the
whole, making Singapore a lot more desirable and seductive for other good
architects, designers, and artists to come and create something here.'
Here's the million-dollar question, however: Does branded architecture
really draw big spenders? Ultimately, says CBRE's Mr Tan, it's still the 'three
factors' - location, location and location - that sells real estate. His
practical take on it is that Singapore is seen as an attractive place to invest
in, given its lower real estate prices compared to cities like Tokyo and Hong
Kong, New York and London. 'That's the one key factor why we've seen more
international buyers in the last 18 months,' he says. 'And investors still look
at location.'
So when a property fulfils the three conditions, having a 'branded' design
doesn't hurt its profile, and definitely not its sales.
Reflections at Keppel Bay : Developer Keppel Land is making the most of the
fact that it's a Daniel Libeskind project - given that Libeskind is well-known
as the architect's architect
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