Inside A Family's Timeless Penthouse Inspired By Airport Runways | Singapore

This three-hole penthouse is about 216 square meters with a large roof terrace that suits the owner's lifestyle. The family wanted to see if we could create something unique for them. A timeless design to be clean and clutter-free where everything can be kept behind closed doors. We focus on the design means which in this case Geometry in terms of composing the spaces in clear volumes and materiality in terms of using material contrast to heighten the play of light and shadows. Furnishings and furniture to reinforce the design intent. With the unit almost perfectly aligned to the sun the design also shapes the spaces to allow sunlight to flow in. I am Wen Chong Yen. I'm an architect and interior designer and founder of Meter Architects. The main door opens directly into the apartment. So we had to design an entry foyer that wasn't there in the first place. We shaped the area by using the island counter to cantilever towards the entrance as if gesturing a pause. The shoe cabinets are shallower than the rest of the storage cabinets which helps to suggest a transitional space as well. We line up the two sides of the living and dining area with storage cabinets which also conceal the TV. The feature walls extend the cement upwards and the back cabinet is a light sculpture that's also visible from the entrance. This space is clear and simple with a row of lights along the central axis. In the morning, the sunlight showers through the area. This also gave us the first idea of a runway because a fashion runway is clearly exhaled and there is a certain sense of focus in the space. The dining table's glass top lightens the area and reflects the sky inwards. The tables and chairs' legs are both angled making the spatial axis more perceptible. Instead of having all six chairs in the same walnut veneer, I suggested to the family, why don't we get one in black veneer like a black sheet to add just that bit of variation and humour to the space. The sofa's backrest is also angled similarly. They can be placed anywhere and kept in place by friction. And we chose a fabric that matches the micro-cement floor to blend in. In fact, the fabric, micro-cement, laminate and engineered quartz, these are the four different materials that we tried having in the same colour as much as possible because the fewer the colours, the stronger they will be perceived. The open corridor to the bedrooms is given a darker timber-lined material to emphasise the boundary between the public and private zones. It is also to play up the contrast between light and shadow and to make the frameless doors to the bedrooms and common toilet as discreet as possible. There used to be two bedrooms and one common toilet here and we combined both rooms to create a larger master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. The rounded corners also do suggest a transition between the living and the bedroom with timber-like laminate that is not too grainy as the owners preferred. There are sunken planters on three sides of the open-roof terrace above and they lowered the height of the bedroom along the perimeter. We added a ceiling with cove lighting to brighten the corners and to soften the feel of the space. They also wanted the basin to be separate from the water closet and shower areas for simultaneous usage. Their wedding photos were taken in Iceland and they felt it would be nice to have a material that is reminiscent of Iceland. So we found this stone-like mosaic that is very rustic and perfect for bending around this curved wall. Originally, their son's bedroom used to be the master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. The design is concentric with functions along the periphery and circling an open space in the middle. We use a very light material scheme almost like a blank canvas to balance out the colours from the toys and books. But the same rounded corner details follow through and we've similarly built the study table on top of the bay window to save space just like what we did for the other bedroom. The common toilet functions very differently from the bedrooms in the sense that usage duration is shorter and guests get to use them. So we thought of making this space more dramatic by using very dark materials which play up the contrast against the diffused lighting from the windows. When the kitchen's sliding door is open it feels like an extension of the living space with the continuation of similar materials and it provides good cross ventilation. When closed, the frosted glass diffuses the light and allows the living room to be animated by light from two directions. We managed to integrate the stairway door at the end of the storage cabinet in the living room. This staircase is 1m wide and the selected floor tile is 90x90cm. So instead of just having a joint line at the side we created a three-dimensional skirting that is about 10cm deep. It was a challenge to construct and we were quite happy with how it turned out and it did intrigue their guests enough to ask them whether there is a name for this type of skirting. For the roof terrace, the requirement was to have an area with artificial turf for kids to run around and perhaps different floor materials to define the terrace into different zones. We felt that it makes sense to continue the similar material from the living space on to the roof terrace but perhaps a three-dimensional element would be more effective in demarcating the spaces. So we came up with this series of structures almost intuitively and when we first showed the design to the family without explaining and asked how they felt they replied with words like animal-like stick figures, miniature columns, tables and seatings which aligns with the design intent. It also fulfills their large gatherings during Chinese New Year as it became ad-hoc tables and chairs for their guests. This is where we followed the idea of a runway, the row of floor lights along the same east-west direction as the living room's seating lights with the exact same spacing apart. But this time, it's more likened to an airport runway. Many find the huge roof terrace a waste of space but for this family, it's a perfect space for them to host their regular BBQ dinners with friends and it has since become their favourite hangout spot. It's a privilege to be able to work with owners who have such unique requirements. If a design is to achieve something functional yet unconventional, it certainly takes two hands to clap. And for projects with higher levels of alignment, it feels as if the design doesn't come from us but comes through us.