Paradise In The Sky
Prestige Singapore|February 2021
Rising high above Draycott Park is new ultra-luxury condominium Eden, the brainchild of internationally renowned architect Thomas Heatherwick, who speaks to Yanni Tan about how the development is his vision of biophilia and the humanity the urban environment needs now.
Yanni Tan
Paradise In The Sky

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

This story is from the February 2021 edition of Prestige Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the February 2021 edition of Prestige Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PRESTIGE SINGAPOREView All
Youthful Bloom
Prestige Singapore

Youthful Bloom

From evocations of horseback rides to anti-ageing formulas, this month's selection of beauty products shaves off the years.

time-read
1 min  |
March 2024
Private drinker
Prestige Singapore

Private drinker

Whisky and jazz bar Maduro finds its niche in Sofitel Sentosa.

time-read
1 min  |
March 2024
A QUIET SPACE
Prestige Singapore

A QUIET SPACE

The Mercedes EQS 450 4MATIC SUV is one of the most luxurious cars to be driven in.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
IN THE KNOW
Prestige Singapore

IN THE KNOW

As part of well-known names in the hospitality game, these hotels are so much more than places to lay your head for the night. The Prestige team checks in to these newcomers to find out why they're the talk of the town.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024
ESSENCE OF THE TERROIR
Prestige Singapore

ESSENCE OF THE TERROIR

Martell introduces the Single Cru collection in a tribute to the distinctiveness of the region's varying terroir. Prestige visits the brand's home in France to immerse in the savoir-faire of the house and beauty of the spirit.

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2024
STATE OF THE ART
Prestige Singapore

STATE OF THE ART

With Art Basel Hong Kong, Frieze Seoul and ART SG in full swing once more, the region is back on the world stage. But how is it rebounding? Prestige quizzed the industry's top experts.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 2024
A CASE OF GREATNESS
Prestige Singapore

A CASE OF GREATNESS

Prestige dropped into the Australian Open to check out Louis Vuitton's latest trophy trunks...and caught the making of tennis history.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
THIS IS HER ICE SONG
Prestige Singapore

THIS IS HER ICE SONG

Prestige Singapore meets ZARIA FORMAN in Niseko to find out why the artist-activist-explorer from Vacheron Constantin's \"One of Not Many\" collective pursues glaciers and icebergs.

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2024
THE SHINE FROM MIAMI
Prestige Singapore

THE SHINE FROM MIAMI

LVMH Watch Week kicks off the year's calendar of watch events in sunny Florida. Here, Prestige's watch expert talks about her top picks from the show.

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2024
ARTISTS TO WATCH 2024
Prestige Singapore

ARTISTS TO WATCH 2024

Each year, we identify the Asian artists on the rise, shining a light on the exciting and provocative works enriching the region's artistic and cultural landscape. Here are 19 upcoming talents to put on your radar, from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 2024