TROPICAL TRANQUILLITY
Designer Lim Hong Lian’s stylish sanctuary emerges from Singapore’s urban sprawl to offer privacy, space and a bold aesthetic identity設計師林豐年時尚的新加坡家園集私隱、空間與矚目美學於一身
Singapore’s architectural identity is informed by grand colonial structures, art decoinspired public housing developments and skyline-shaping postmodern high-rises in glass and steel. However, when it came time for Lim Hong Lian, founder and principal partner of LTW Designworks, to realise his own home, he decided to look beyond local traditions to create a stunning – and often surprising – sanctuary within the modern metropolis.
Perched atop a hill and surrounded by evocative tropical verdure, the three-storey abode Hong Lian shares with his wife Christine whisks you far from the urban sprawl below, although panoramic vistas presenting Marina Bay Sands and other icons in miniature affirm the property’s
新加坡建築素以宏偉殖民地結構、裝飾藝術風公共房屋發展和以玻璃、鋼材建成的高樓大廈為定位。然而，談到LTW Designworks創辦人及首席合夥人林豐年設計的自家大宅，他卻決定遠看當地傳統方式，在現代大都會中開出一個驚喜處處的美麗家園。
屹立山上、被翠綠熱帶植物包圍的三層大宅就是林豐年跟太太Christine共享的安樂窩，儘管遠看依然望到Marina Bay Sands和其他標誌城市建築，甫內進卻即時把你帶到鬧市之外，讓人同時置身於大都會與天然綠洲中。林豐年指：「我想創造出『熱帶家居』的氣息，並以四周天然
cosmopolitan situation. "I wanted to create a ‘tropical home’ and the site’s natural surroundings became my primary inspiration," explains Hong Lian. The resulting design is one that plays with convention and breaks down the boundaries between interior and exterior to create a seamless flow – both palpably and aesthetically – from the dwelling to its environs and back again. A generous open-plan layout and leeward position induce a comfortable micro-climate with plenty of air, while water features, including a swimming pool and pond, also play a role in keeping the residence cool, particularly at night.
Materials were chosen for their rustic tones and textures, with unpolished Italian marble, reclaimed teak and iron cladding favoured for their unique qualities and ability to age gracefully together. "The iron facade connects the house with its surroundings," says Hong Lian. "The patina of the iron is formed over time after prolonged outdoor exposure and natural oxidation. We want the house to react to and change with its setting."
環境作為我的主要靈感來源。」成果就是一處大玩傳統模式、無縫連繫室內與戶外空間界限的美學天地，誘人魅力從內流動至外，再從四圍環境走回家中。寬敞的開揚設計佈局和背風選址為家園營造舒適的天氣氛圍，而泳池和池塘等水裝飾則讓住宅時刻清爽涼快，晚上效果特別顯著。
設計師仔細挑選帶田園風色彩與質感的用料，還有不經處理的意大利大理石、重新回收利用的柚木和鋼覆料，無非鍾情它們的獨特氣質和能隨年月過去展現的做舊魅力。「鋼面材把房子和四環景色連繫起來。」林豐年解釋：「鋼料因長期曝露室外氧化而起悅目綠鏽。我們希望房子能因應設計和所在設定而起回應和變化。」