Ornament is not a crime

Adolf Loos once said that the “Absence of ornament has brought the other arts to unsuspected heights” but I tends question this after visiting the National Gallery of Singapore. Within the building, there is carefully crafted walls, balustrade and widely sized openings. They are dressed up in pleats. There is folding, layering and depth. I am not so sure if that’s what the architect’s intention to keep the heritage element and therefore the ornament, but it definitely convinces me to think that ornament is not a crime.

The other thing that fascinates me is the manipulation of light in the space. The roof is composed of big skylight supported by bracing systems and the roof hold water. So that when the light strike the building, the light penetrate the roof and casting glittering effect on the walls. It is almost like the light is dancing on the wall.

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Woollahra House

This weekend, an old friend of mine invited me to visit the construction site of her future home in Woollahra and take some photos. She is a material supplier and she want to use her brick and tile for her future home. She has engaged with an interior designer to make sure they are delivered in a thoughtful way. When I was in her site, there are several moments that strike me the most. The junction between the skylight and the brick wall, I was amazed of how it was executed as perfect clean lines and how the light dances upon the brick wall, slowly revealing its textures. The perception of the depth of space, almost reminds one of Mies Van Der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion. Openings in brick wall frames the space, adding extra layers to the eye, the space is perceived to move forward and backward at the same time. The bespoke feature ceiling in an inverted arch form, the kind of organic gesture usually employed in public space making. It is very interesting to see how it was made for

Bedtime Architectural Stories

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