COPPER APARTMENT
COMPLETED
FUNCTION: Residential Apartment
FLOOR AREA: 130 m2
LOCATION: Martaban Road, SINGAPORE
Designing the residence of a plastic surgeon necessarily raises the question of Appearance - the veil that separates perception from reality, exteriority from interiority. The abode should offer the plastic surgeon a place of refuge from his professional burden of reviving, preserving and perfecting an appearance of Beauty. In the flatted apartment block which offers its residence no control over its exterior, a sense of exteriority is inserted within the surgeon's apartment.
The predetermined layout of the apartment was erased to create three distinct curved volumes defining his private spaces- the kitchen, study and bedroom. The respective functions determines the design of the entrances into the volumes. The kitchen is accessed through a bar counter, full height book shelves lead into the study and a concealed curved door hides the bedroom from the exterior.
The in-between spaces, which stretches throughout the apartment, forms an external “open space” for casual gatherings and entertainment. A panel of the bedroom façade can be swung out to close off the entertainment space, turning it into a guest room.
To frame this open space, copper sheets, a common external cladding material, were used to clad the curved volumes, allowing a gentle diffusion of light on the copper surfaces throughout the apartment. Above all, copper was chosen for its changing appearance through time. Every touch of the hand, every brush of the body, hastens the oxidation and aging process of the copper panels. The plastic surgeon inadvertently tarnishes and leaves his mark on the copper façade; shaping the appearance of his home with his own existence.
Image Gallery
CREDITS
PHOTOGRAPHY: Framesg