Driving into the basement carpark of Eden on an afternoon is like entering a cave – quite unlike the typical Singaporean experience of using the functional grey carparks ubiquitous in our urban jungle. Surprisingly, the air is not stuffy and the brown walls are clad with an undulating texture revealed by slivers of daylight from above.
When I mention this experience during my videocall interview with Thomas Heatherwick, he seems pleased. A carpark would appear an inconsequential amenity to many, but here we are talking to an eminent British architect who dreamt up the magnificent honeycombed Vessel in New York, two massive Google buildings in Mountain View, California, the Olympic Cauldron and a variety of cutting-edge projects in his native London. Also tasked with designing Changi Airport Terminal 5, the man is meanwhile set to unveil the 1000 Trees multi-use complex in Shanghai and the Little Island pier by the Hudson River in New York this year.
Preferring to call himself a designer, Heatherwick is known as a cross-disciplinary maverick who straddles the worlds of art, architecture and engineering. Nature and sculptural, organic forms are signature features of his works – and they are the defining traits of the Eden project that took a team of around 200 experts some five years to realise.
EMBRACING THE OUTDOORS
Esta historia es de la edición February 2021 de Prestige Singapore.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición February 2021 de Prestige Singapore.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Power To The People
Boucheron creative director Claire Choisne's latest high-jewellery creations are stylish statements of authority and achievement.
Walking into the Blue
Dive into luxury at Depth of Blue, Johnnie Walker Blue Label's first flagship bar in Southeast Asia. Dive into luxury at Depth of Blue, Johnnie Walker Blue Label's first flagship bar in Southeast Asia.
IN THE FLOW
For ANDRÉ FU, travel isn't so much a means of inspiration as it is a way to detach from everyday life to approach his work from fresh perspectives.
CHIC VOLUMES
Impractically oversized but utterly beautiful tomes featuring an eclectic subject, coffee table books serve to kick-start conversations in addition to being subtle avenues of sophisticated self-expression. Here are six titles to consider having on your living room table.
VICTOR OVER TIME
35 years after they broke convention as renegade art students, Phillip Lim catches up with eminent artist SUZANN VICTOR to reminisce about past escapades and how far the artist has come.
Circle of Friends
A Singapore family that has set up a second home in remote Kenya shares their connection with the local communities with guests of their lodge.
VIVE LA WEAVE
Chanel's latest high jewellery collection celebrates the innovation that put her squarely in the pantheon of legendary fashion designers.
VIEW BEYOND THE RACES
For Richard Mille, life in the fast lane is more than just performance-driven machines, it's a profound appreciation for excellence in various forms.
OFF TO THE FAIR
Watch clients are increasingly dropping into Watches and Wonders, a trade fair meant for retailers and media personnel. Here's why.
STEP LIVELY
In the original design of Hermès' Mon Premier Galop shawl by Chinese artist Tong Ren, a horse with an awkward yet happy gait is depicted in simple lines, colour blocks, and decorative-trimming inspired by traditional basketry.