Space Asia Hub’s Singapore flagship has received a major renovation by the award-winning team at WOHA architects that further enhances the building’s dynamic interiors, and, as Space’s CEO Leighton Clarke remarks, develops the richly layered spatial experiences allowing pieces by designers from Piero Lissoni to Patricia Urquiola to sing. Photography by Finbarr Fallon.
‘Space Asia Hub is one of the most beautiful showrooms in the world,’ remarked Giorgio Busnelli, the second-generation founder of B&B Italia at the building’s launch. ‘I am sure it will become a reference point, a window and a destination store for all of Asia’.
In the 10 years since its opening, the collection of shophouses making up Space Singapore’s South East Asia flagship, has established itself as the destination for not only furniture, lighting and accessories by the world’s best designers and brands, but a place where the lived experience of those designs and brands comes into play. As Space Furniture's CEO Leighton Clarke remarks, ‘We have such respect for the architecture that surrounds our exceptional brands and that architectural experience allows designers like Piero Lissoni and Patricia Urquiola to sing.'
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
‘We have such respect for the architecture that surrounds our exceptional brands and that architectural experience allows designers like Piero Lissoni and Patricia Urquiola to sing.'
Leighton Clarke, Space Group CEO, Asia Pacific
When Space opened its South East Asian flagship in 2011, the award-winning firm of WOHA architects (The Met in Bangkok, Thailand, and the School of the Arts in Singapore) were instrumental in the building’s development. Their deft restoration of two nationally gazetted conservation buildings within Singapore’s Bras Basah Museum and Arts District, and the careful articulation of a new and very contemporary glass building between them, would receive a prestigious Urban Redevelopment Authority Architectural Heritage Award.
‘When we first took on this project, the buildings had a presence and it was important for us to preserve that presence and to make sure it is there for years to come, and to signify a very important part of Singapore’s heritage,’ remarks Ee Mun Chan, a director at WOHA and the project lead. ‘We took it upon ourselves to try and restore the shop buildings to their former glory, the form, spaces and spatial feeling… The minute everything was stripped away, the raw beauty of the internal volumes was very clear. Then we used the glass infill building to deliberately talk about what’s old and what’s new.’
That glass infill, the jewel that connects the showroom’s heritage fabric, would be the focus of a refresh to commemorate Space’s 30th birthday in 2023, and the opportunity to further enhance the interior's spatial experiences.
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
‘At WOHA we always have an agenda, we like to think that a building is not just a building. Singapore is a city and a lot of our buildings need to reach out to the community as well. Around Space, everything is built up, so this was the last opportunity to create a space for people.’
Ee Mun Chan, Director, WOHA
Photography © Finbarr Fallon
Working within the voluminous glass arrival space, dark tones and textured surfaces were juxtaposed against sleek metal lines and creatively articulated lighting to produce an engaging location for events and installations. Central to the brief for WOHA, was the elevation of the showroom experience. ‘What has shifted in retail is the expectation of the customer. It’s not just the new products or collections, it is the customer’s expectations of experience,’ Clarke remarks, ‘and that has shifted in the last five years. So the driving force behind this renovation was about meeting those expectations.’ Architect Ee Mun agrees, adding, ‘If Space is going to be the taste arbiter when it comes to furniture you have to be in step with the trends that are happening, so I think that was also part of the motivation.'
Layers of colour, texture, and light-filled interiors, and a carefully curated selection of materials, including metal mesh, granite and timber, creates an atmosphere of refinement and elegance. One of the central pieces is a dynamic display of Flos Coordinates that greets visitors as they enter the building. This is further enhanced by the purity of an immersive lighting system that clearly articulates the geometry of the space. 'So I think that is also part of the motivation,,' continues Ee Mun. 'The new grid lighting system is amazing, and it fitted right into the space we were working with…’ adds Ee Mun Chan. ‘Once these lights came in, it became very clear to us that it was going to be an amazing installation especially within this urban setting… When seen from outside and with the mirror doubling its scale, suddenly it has the full expression of arrival.’
Space Asia Hub's major renovation of its Singapore flagship by WOHA architects, including the complete makeover of the Poliform Kitchen Gallery, is now open.
