Design Anthology, Asia Edition #26

The journey from Changi Airport into Singapore’s city centre is a memorable one, especially the first time. Walking out of one of the world’s most advanced and efficient airports, new arrivals are greeted with dense, lush flora and foliage that bring to mind the phrase ‘welcome to the jungle’. My first visit to Singapore was in the early 2000s, and I immediately liked the people (how can you not? They’re some of the chattiest people I’ve ever come across), the food, the shopping, the City in a Garden concept, and above all, since I really enjoy an outdoor shower, the climate — there aren’t many others in the world where you can have the pleasure of bathing al fresco year-round. Singapore is an island nation that punches well above its weight.…

Flexform Tokyo Travertine walls, metal slat ceilings, dark walls and green spaces characterise Flexform’s new showroom, which remains in Tokyo’s tony Minami-Aoyama district but is now in a larger and more spacious building. The new flagship store boasts floor-to-ceiling glass panels separated by geometric yet deconstructed lines distinctive of modern Japanese architecture. Along with its signature furniture offering, the store also showcases Flexform’s outdoor collection, including daybeds, tables, sofas and accessories, for the first time in Japan. flexform.it Føerni Hong Kong Hong Kong-based start-up Føerni is an online subscription service offering furniture rental that promises lower costs and less commitment than traditional furniture stores. The label stocks standard pieces like sofas, chairs and beds, as well as home decor and appliances, from brands including Louis Poulsen, Muuto and HAY. Deliveries, refurbishments and deep cleaning help to…

Stellar Works × nendo Shanghai-based furniture brand Stellar Works has unveiled its first collaboration with Japanese design studio nendo, launching three distinct collections: Blend, Frame and Kite. The characterful yet functional collections embody unrivalled craftsmanship and the studios’ combined design expertise, and feature the metal and solid wood Blend bar stool (pictured); Kite, a compact armchair with a generous backrest; and the multifunctional Frame, an L-shape steel frame system that can be customised with various mirrors to be used as a shelf, towel rack, clothes hanger or more. stellarworks.com / nendo.jp Andrea Ponti Inspired by his recent visits to Rajasthan, Neel is Hong Kong-based Italian designer Andrea Ponti’s take on classic Indian architecture, frescoes and bas-reliefs. Named for the Hindi word for ‘indigo’, the set of 12 hand-painted porcelain plates represents the interior and…

Co-Working Space Designs edited by Kenny Kinugasa-Tsui (images Publishing) Hong Kong studio Bean Buro has designed user-centric workspaces for clients as diverse as Grosvenor, Klook, Warner Music and AstraZeneca, as well as an award-winning co-working space for The Work Project. Those experiences have showcased the studio’s rigorous, research-based design methodology and its dedication to creating humanistic outcomes, and in this book, co-founder Kenny Kinugasa-Tsui shares Bean Buro’s approach and the fruits of its research. Kinugasa-Tsui’s four-part introduction offers insight into context, drivers and success factors for co-working space design, and is followed by 40 case studies from around the world, designed by Bean Buro and others. Each includes plans, photographs and explanatory text, and is categorised into one of five typologies covering mature and young companies, large and small spaces, and styles from…

Although Singapore is one of Asia’s smallest countries, it’s difficult to neatly sum up what ‘Singaporean design’ looks and feels like. This is a compliment from a critical perspective, but a conundrum from a promotional one. Could this be because Singapore’s material culture is influenced by so many different references? With its history as a trading settlement dating back to the late 13th century, Singapore is the last remaining example of a very particular urban typology, says Kennie Ting, director of the Asian Civilisations Museum, who recently opened the ACM’s new Materials and Design galleries. As Ting explains, the ‘cosmopolitan Asian port city’ once included ‘sister cities’ Guangzhou, Nagasaki, Mumbai, Jakarta, Yangon, Melaka and Ho Chi Minh City, among many others, that, unlike Singapore ‘have all “returned” to their hinterlands with…

Singapore’s product and industrial design scene has made great strides from the time the country was thrust into independence in 1965. In the formative years of nation building, design was an appendage to industrialisation, but the landscape has since transfigured, from local vanguards making waves overseas to Singapore’s induction into the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The city-state’s design industry may be considered young compared to its East Asian counterparts, but there’s a crop of prodigious designers who are contributing to its growth — each of them unequivocal in their pursuit to elevate Singapore design, at home and abroad. While a singular style remains to be seen vis-à-vis design identity, there’s a groundswell of belief that a quintessential spirit among local creators has begun to take shape. This approach is partly the…