Tag: Singapore

Nests: An Ode to Domesticity

“We understand the each nest as a living organism that includes the people, the places and the things that inhabit it as well as the daily rituals of its maintenance in a specific context. In this sense, the domestic space is not a static and inert thing. It is the place where life happens, where a lot of effort and work must occur in order to reenact life day after day.” — Manuel and Isabelle

Over the last 20 years, Manuel and Isabelle Der Hagopian have lived between Singapore, Vietnam, and Switzerland. The couple have built various dwellings in each location to house their lives and redefine their domesticity as a fundamental need. Each ‘nest’ arises from intimate conversations between them and the spaces, giving birth to meticulously crafted spaces and lovingly curated interiors echoing with the spirit of the local culture.

In a dialogue between regional influences and their own tastes, seamlessly integrated with Modernist spatiality, the dwellings reflect the pairs voracious curiosity for the spirit of the places they live in. They strip architecture to its most elemental to reveal its raw emotions hidden within, questioning contemporary standards of domesticity and comfort, bringing to life an intimate relationship with each setting and infusing the space a unique sense of belonging. Each is also filled with possessions, including found objects and antique furniture collected from years of travelling, transforming these abodes into biographies of the couple’s lives.

Nests features six of these dwellings—Seng Poh, TB80, Bi Khi Ni, Thi Sach, Beaumont and Diablay De—as seen through the lens of Khoo Guo Jie. The photographer’s images of the life and love that imbue these spaces are curated into booklets that are designed to express the unique character and materiality of each nest. Together, they weave a voyage across different habitats and offer an introspective journey back home, in all the senses.

➜ Read the essays and view the homes in Nests: An Ode to Domesticity

 

 

Malaysia-Singapore causeway: after 100 years, ‘it’s mutual lah’

The opening ceremony of the Johor-Singapore Causeway on June 28, 1924. Photo: Handout/Courtesy of National Archives of Malaysia
Like many Singapore businessmen, Pui Syn Kong drives to work. But instead of the skyscrapers of Shenton Way in the city state’s central business district, he heads for neighbouring Malaysia.

For the past two decades, the 73-year-old has made the 30km commute from his home in western Singapore to his marine engineering consultancy office in Johor Bahru two to three times a week. He established a presence in the city across the border so he could secure local contracts as a Malaysian company after expanding beyond the island republic.

“I can go over any time straightaway,” said Pui, who usually sets off for work at 6am and returns home in time for dinner. “About 30 minutes and we are there already. Actually, faster than going to Shenton Way!”

➜ Read the full story in the South China Morning Post

Built to last, not on human skulls: Malaysia-Singapore causeway’s 100-year history

The Johor-Singapore causeway as seen from the Woodlands end in the 1940s. A popular legend involving its construction claims human skulls were incorporated into the foundations to appease evil spirits. Photo: Handout

When construction began on the Johor-Singapore Causeway in August 1919, it was the largest engineering project in Malaya, costing an estimated 17 million Straits dollars – roughly the equivalent of US$1.6 billion in modern money.

The design by Messrs Coode, Matthews, Fitzmaurice & Wilson stretched 1.06km from bank to bank and its width of 18.2 metres allowed for two metre-gauge railway tracks, a 7.9-metre roadway and space for the laying of a water pipeline.

➜ Read the full story in the South China Morning Post