edition Archives

a peek into world architecture festival’s 2023 edition in singapore

previewing world architecture festival 2023 in singapore

Landing in Singapore after almost a decade, the annual World Architecture Festival (WAF) is launching its 2023 edition at the city’s Marina Bay Sands between November 29 and December 1, 2023. This year’s program, themed as Catalyst, encompasses the prestigious WAF live award judging, inspirational talks and keynotes led by 76 renowned speakers, as well as fringe events around Singapore — including a Mario Cucinella exhibition and a Wes Anderson-inspired film. Overall, this highly anticipated three-day festival invites experts and the public to uncover the latest debates and concepts put forth by the architectural community, which designboom has packaged into a comprehensive preview right here. Read on to discover the highlights of WAF 2023.

Marina Bay Sands | image © Ravish Maqsood

outlining the main stage program

The World Architecture Festival 2023 program breaks down into five categories: keynotes and talks, live awards judging, gala dinner, exhibitions and networking at The Festival Hall, and Fringe events. Following this year’s theme, Catalyst, the keynotes and talks will unpack how architecture and design catalyze beneficial change for the environment, individuals, and institutions. In three days, 76 international speakers will lead these discussions on the Main stage and in The Festival Hall. Highlights include Charu Kokate from Safdie Architects; Mario Cucinella, Sir Peter Cook; OBMI‘s Islam El Mashtooly; Verform‘s Mouaz Abouzaid; and Herzog de Meuron‘s Wim Walschap. Running in parallel is Inside, the World Festival of Interiors that the likes of English RIBA architect Nigel Coates will headline. You can see the complete list of speakers here. Complementing the speaker event is the live WAF awards judging, where 495 shortlisted projects will compete in front of a jury across 17 crit rooms. Categories are Completed Buildings, Future Buildings, and Landscape — with projects ranging from hospitality and mixed-use to education, religion, and sport. Discover all the 2023 finalists on the festival website.

Gardens by the Bay | image courtesy WAF

WAF’s fringe events — from guided tours to short film

World Architecture Festival 2023 completes with a series of Fringe events: (1) Seven guided architectural tours, (2) the Architecture Drawing Prize exhibition, (3) Mario Cucinella Architects’ The Future is a Journey to the Past exhibition, and a Wes Anderson-inspired short film. To begin, the tours will allow WAF attendees to discover local landmarks and previous award-winning projects from the festival. All tours will be guided by qualified architects and, in some cases, the lead architect on the project itself. Landmarks include Heatherwick Studio‘s Learning Hub building, Wilkinson Eyre‘s Gardens by the Bay, W Architects | M Moser‘s St James Power Station, and Safdie Architects’ Jewel at Changi Airport. Spaces are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The complete tour guide program is available here.

Esplanade Theatres on the Bay | image courtesy WAF

Up next is the seventh edition of the Architecture Drawing Prize exhibition, which continues to celebrate the art of drawing in three categories: hand-drawn, digital, and hybrid. Sponsored by Iris Ceramica Group, the Prize has attracted a record number of entries with nearly 250 drawings from around the world. This year’s winners are: ‘Grundtvig’ by Ben Johnson in the hand-drawn category, ‘The Archatographic Map of the Incomplete Landscape on Pedra Branca’ by Eugene Tan in the digital category, and ‘(Re)membering the See Monster’ by Eldry John Infante in the hybrid category. Sir John Soane’s Museum in London will exhibit both the winning and shortlisted drawings from 31 January to 3 March 2024. WAF will host a second exhibition curated and designed by Mario Cucinella Architects. Titled The Future is a Journey to the Past, this showcase explores the past and present of sustainable thinking — focusing the narrative around a timeline that traces the evolution of environmental awareness and activism from prehistory to today.

Experimental Shortlist 2023 – Absorbent Sand Storm Skyscraper by Kalbod Studio | image courtesy WAF

Last but not least, the WAF Fringe event features a wrap-up of a three-year architectural adventure documenting the built environment in Singapore by architectural photographer and content creator from Singapore Kevin Siyuan. The short film — dubbed A Wes Anderson-ish Singapore Vol.2 — is inspired by the cinematography of American movie director Wes Anderson (‘Asteroid City’ & ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’). It captures the many different aspects of urban land use, paying tribute to signature Wes Anderson aesthetics and infusing the style with Kevin’s own personal touch of cinematographic adaptations and localizations in the local context.

Singapore Pavilion 2023 | image © Chiara Becattini

The Future is a Journey to the Past by Mario Cucinella Architects | image courtesy WAF

Sir Peter Cook at WAF 2022, joining this year’s edition as speaker | image courtesy WAF

Reference

Interior Design

The Rome Edition opens in converted 1940s bank building

By Zarkon Group,23/08/2023

American entrepreneur Ian Schrager’s The Edition group has landed in Rome, opening a hotel in a converted bank that makes use of its soaring lobby, original marble staircases and hidden front courtyard.

The Rome Edition began welcoming guests earlier this year to the 91-room hotel, located a block away from Via Veneto – the street that was immortalised in the 1960 movie La Dolce Vita.

Bronze pergola covered in jasmine through plant-filled courtyard — Arrival to The Rome Edition is via a path under a bronze pergola that leads to the lobby

Schrager and his in-house team spearheaded the renovation of the grand building, utilising many of the original features including a cipollino marble staircase, central courtyards, statues and lamps.

“Built in the 1940s and formerly occupied by one of the main Italian banks, the building is a striking example of the rationalist style and was created by Cesare Pascoletti in collaboration with the famed architect Marcello Piacentini,” said The Edition team.

Sunken plant-filled courtyard with teak banquettes and furniture — The plant-filled, sunken courtyard acts as an all-day lounge and dining spot

Unusually for Rome, arriving guests are escorted through a sunken garden “piazza” – which acts as an outdoor lounge, restaurant extension and gathering place – before reaching the lobby.

Once inside, dramatic seven-metre-high ceilings, full-height windows and green curtains, and travertine floors and walls set the tone for The Edition’s signature brand of soft minimalism.

Travertine-lined lobby with tall ceiling and full-height green curtains — The dramatic hotel lobby features seven-metre-high ceilings and full-height green curtains

Symmetrical arrangements of custom white furniture and low coffee tables exaggerate the strict geometry of the architecture.

“The lobby is Edition at its most dynamic,” said the team. “It is a place to relax and make merry; a place to see and be seen or play a few games of pool on the custom-made table.”

Restaurant with wooden furniture and chartreuse-coloured upholstery — The Amina restaurant is divided into two dining spaces, one of which is accented with chartreuse-coloured upholstery and carpet

For the hotel’s signature restaurant, Anima, the team partnered with local chef Paola Colucci on a menu that puts a modern spin on family recipes and traditional Roman dishes.

Amber glass separates the kitchen from the two dining areas, one with chartreuse-toned accents across furniture and artwork, and the other blue.

Restaurant with blue artworks and upholstery — The restaurant’s second dining space is decorated with blue accents

The various bar areas on the lobby level each provide guests with a experience. The Punch Room is a concept borrowed from other Edition properties including another recent opening in Tampa and occupies a cosy room with warm wood panelling and deep red tones, for sharing bowls of punch – a 17th-century tradition that’s been given a contemporary spin.

A dark walnut bar, Rosso Levanto marble fireplace, dark pink velvet sofas, and custom armchairs in rosewood and dark brown leather all add to the cosy atmosphere in the dimly lit space.

Cosy bar with walnut panelling and dark pink velvet furniture — Off the lobby, The Punch Room bar is lined in walnut and includes dark pink velvet furniture

With space for just 10, the intimate Jade Bar features a rotating cocktail menu and is fully lined in deep green antique marble.

This small and dramatic room is furnished with emerald-hued velvet soft seating and satin brass and gold accents – including a wall-mounted sculpture influenced by artist Jeff Koons.

Bar decorated with antique green marble, emerald seating and brass accents — The Jade Bar is wrapped in antique green marble, with emerald seating and brushed brass accents

In the front courtyard, The Garden is filled with over 400 plants and lightly perfumed by the jasmine that climbs over the facade.

A bronze awning divides the outdoor space in two, with an al fresco dining area for Amina on one side, and an all-day casual terrace for cocktails and light bites on the other.

Teak banquettes and free-standing furniture are surrounded by “an Italianate arrangement of lanterns to give it the feel of a traditional Roman garden”.

The roof terrace on the seventh floor features a pool and bar area that offers sweeping views over the Eternal City’s rooftops.

Bright guest room with walnut panelling and beige furniture — Walnut wall panelling and herringbone floors feature in the bright guest rooms

In the bright guest rooms, walnut wall panelling and herringbone floors are paired with custom beige leather furniture.

Carrera marble basins and brushed brass fixtures stand out against the grey stone bathrooms, and frosted glass partitions are used to conceal showers and toilets.

Bathroom with Carrera marble sink and frosted glass panels — Carrera marble sinks contrast the dark grey stone in the bathrooms

The Rome Edition is the group’s 16th global property, following locations that include Times Square in New York, West Hollywood in Los Angeles, and Tokyo.

The Madrid Edition, designed with British minimalist John Pawson, was longlisted in the hotel and short-stay interiors category of Dezeen Awards 2022.

The photography is by Nikolas Koenig.

Reference

Architecture

edition office’s fenwick homes balance concrete & delicate copper

By Zarkon Group,17/07/2023

fenwick st: design-focused homes for hew, australia

Melbourne-based architecture studio Edition Office presents Fenwick St, a newly completed residential development situated on the edge of the Birrarung/Yarra River in Kew, Australia. This location offers unobstructed connections to breathtaking landscapes rarely found in such close proximity to the city. With the site surrounded by well-preserved 1950’s and 1960’s post-war houses, the architects sought to create the concrete complex as a contextually sensitive addition that balances density with visual porosity, while ensuring a connection to the lush natural surroundings.

images © Rory Gardiner | @arorygardiner

a trio of residential pavilions

To maintain a strong connection to the distant vista while preserving the link between Fenwick St and the public realm, Edition Office emphasized drawing these connections deep into the plan and through the site to the street. In order to achieve this, the architects designed three visually independent pavilions rather than a single large structure. This approach allowed for a balance of similar scaled forms with neighboring houses and enabled the framing of views within the site itself.

The pavilions, connected by a common basement, were strategically positioned to optimize the site’s characteristics. Located at a sharp bend in the street, the split between the pavilions occurs at the fulcrum, creating a dynamic arrangement. As the pavilions extend past the site, they lower in scale at the street level, aligning with the neighboring residences, while gradually increasing in height as they integrate with the terrain leading to the escarpment.

nine new dwellings are created on a site that previously accommodated only one

edition office Integrates the lush landscape

The living spaces within Fenwick St were carefully planned to open towards the north, the river, and the valley, allowing the distant landscape to become an integral part of the internal experience. Circulatory paths were strategically designed to draw the surrounding environment deep into the plan, while bedrooms and ancillary spaces opened to the green spaces between pavilions, offering views through a copper mesh privacy veil. This nature inspired the team to blend the architecture into into its surroundings, with landscape designed by Eckersley Garden Architecture.

The need to anchor the building into the site led to a construction that appears rooted to the ground. By slightly shifting and rotating each floor plate, movement was introduced to the shear walls, softening the overall mass and scale. Copper screening was used to bring delicacy to the purposefully heavy pre-cast concrete construction, with the screens expected to age gracefully over time.

copper screening delicately balances the heavy pre-cast concrete construction

In addition to connecting with the landscape, creating light-filled private spaces filled with comfort and attention to detail was a key driver for Edition Office in the design of Fenwick St. Flack Studio, responsible for the interiors, imbued the spaces with warmth, calmness, and moments of dramatic nuance. Material tactility and the evolving patina of surfaces, such as the weathering copper screens and the maturation of the surrounding gardens, added depth and character to the interiors. The careful craftsmanship of junctions and thresholds enhanced the joy of navigation throughout the spaces.

the complex takes shape as three visually independent pavilions rather than a single large structure

The project brief called for the creation of nine new dwellings on a site that previously accommodated only one. In order to respect the immense environmental and cultural value of the location, Edition Office aimed to minimize the perceived mass of a single large volume. Instead, the design resulted in three distinct forms that conform to the domestic patterns and scale of the existing streetscape. These wedge-shaped pavilions meet at their narrowest points, creating moments of architectural exuberance and unobstructed sight-lines both within the site and towards the horizon.

the environment is drawn deep into the plan, while interiors open to the in-between green spaces

Reference

Interior Design

Dezeen launches China edition of Dezeen Awards

By Zarkon Group,12/06/2023

Dezeen has launched a new edition of Dezeen Awards to celebrate the best architecture, interiors and design in China. Start your entry today!

Dezeen Awards China is the first regional edition of Dezeen Awards, which has grown rapidly to become one of the most entered awards programmes on the planet and is a benchmark for international design excellence.

Dezeen Awards China to spotlight Chinese design talent

Launched in partnership with Bentley Motors, Dezeen Awards China will shine a spotlight on the best Chinese architecture, interiors and design, providing international recognition from around the globe.

Dezeen Awards China will be a celebration of Chinese design talent. It is therefore for architects, designers and studios based in China, rather than for projects by international firms that are built in China.

Multinational firms that have an office in China are free to enter, as long as the majority of the work on the project was completed by the Chinese office.

Just like the international edition, Dezeen Awards China is open to studios large and small and will celebrate both established names and emerging studios working in China today.

Judges include Rossana Hu, Alex Mok and Michael Young

Dezeen Awards China will be judged by a stellar jury made up of the top Chinese architects and designers, as well as high-profile international names with experience working in China.

Judges confirmed so far include architect Rossana Hu, interior designer Alex Mok and designer Michael Young. More names will be announced in the coming weeks.

Seventeen categories spanning architecture, interiors and design

There are 17 project categories to enter across architecture, interiors and design. The winners of these project categories will go head to head for the chance to be crowned one of three project of the year winners across architecture, interiors and design.

In addition, six China Designers of the Year awards will celebrate the leading emerging and established names working in China across architecture, interiors and design.

However, these awards are nomination-only and our judges will shortlist names – it is not possible to enter these awards.

Dezeen Awards China is open for entries now until 24 August 2023, but studios can save money on their entry if they enter before 13 July 2023.

Dezeen Awards China WeChat code — *Scan the code above using WeChat to download entry forms*

Go to dezeen.com/awards/china to find out more about Dezeen Awards China, including how to enter and information on the categories and entry prices and deadlines.

Or, scan the code above using WeChat to access the WeChat mini app for all the information about Dezeen Awards China in Chinese and to download entry forms.

Dezeen Awards China launches in partnership with Bentley

Dezeen Awards China launched in partnership with Bentley, as part of a wider three-year collaboration that also includes headline sponsorship of the international edition of Dezeen Awards, which closed for entries last week, and a design competition to redefine the future of luxury retail that launched last month.

“We are thrilled to be working with Bentley to launch Dezeen Awards China, our first regional awards programme,” said head of Dezeen Awards Claire Barrett.

“We are looking forward to discovering a wealth of design talent and promoting it both locally and on a global stage, showcasing the country’s rising position as a design powerhouse.”

“We are delighted to be working with Dezeen to deliver a new global platform that will celebrate both new Chinese design talent and established names,” added Steven De Ploey, Bentley’s global head of marketing.

“Partnering with Dezeen in this way enables us to reward and support cutting-edge innovators in the design industry who strive to deliver transformational experiences and best solve the design challenges of our age.”

Winners to be announced in December 2023

Dezeen Awards China is open for entries until 24 August 2023

Shortlists will be announced in October and the winners will be revealed at a ceremony in December 2023.

Sign up to our Dezeen Awards China newsletter

Join our mailing list to get updates about Dezeen Awards China 2023! Subscribe here.

Questions?

If you have any questions about Dezeen Awards China, please email [email protected] or send a message to our WeChat account DezeenCN and someone from the team will get back to you.

Good luck with your entries!

Reference

edition

a peek into world architecture festival’s 2023 edition in singapore

previewing world architecture festival 2023 in singapore

outlining the main stage program

WAF’s fringe events — from guided tours to short film

The Rome Edition opens in converted 1940s bank building

edition office’s fenwick homes balance concrete & delicate copper

fenwick st: design-focused homes for hew, australia

a trio of residential pavilions

edition office Integrates the lush landscape

Dezeen launches China edition of Dezeen Awards

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