Building the Dream
Architect Edmund Ng takes inspiration from his childhood memories to design modern homes attuned to our tropical context
The founder of Edmund Ng Architects tells us how he discovered his calling
For architect Edmund Ng, his Lego collection was a career catalyst. As a kid, Ng enjoyed building things. “I grew up playing with Lego; it sparked a desire to create my own architectural spaces and micro-environments,” he says. When the young Ng travelled the world on family vacations, he was also enamoured with the ancient churches, temples and houses he saw. “Travelling is my greatest inspiration,” he says. “I enjoy exploring (historical) sites as I can learn from the principles of history and apply them to my modern designs.”
As the founder of his namesake firm Edmund Ng Architects, Ng has worked on over a hundred projects; these include modern houses and show apartments locally and around Asia, as well as the Montigo Resorts Nongsa in Batam and a football field for Tanglin Trust School in Singapore.
“We are guided by innovation, and often take the path less travelled even though it requires lots of research, testing and failure,” he says. “I put my name on the firm not out of ego, but to be held responsible for each and every project.” His practice currently employs a team of 12 staff, and sometimes juggles up to 25 projects simultaneously.
TIME AND PLACE
Known for his elegant, minimalist designs, Ng’s projects have resonated with homeowners and developers alike. As impressed as he is by historical monuments, the architect’s design language is bound to time and context. “In Singapore, I will not design a classical house featuring ornate decorations and gargoyles,” he says. “Rather, I’ll create projects with a design language relevant to modern Singapore, such as contemporary tropical houses.”
Among Ng’s most memorable projects is One Rosyth, a 17-unit condominium in Yio Chu Kang Road completed in 2011, which features a stunning facade clad entirely in perforated panels that create a hologramlike effect as the sun casts shadows on them throughout the day.
Another standout for the architect is his marital home; Ng’s bungalow was envisioned as a love letter to his wife, gallerist Jazz Chong. The abode clinched the Best Architectural Design accolade at the first edition of the Tatler Design Awards in 2017. Throughout the abode, fair-faced concrete walls act as a canvas for artworks. Other highlights include a basement gallery and a staircase with f loating concrete steps. “I designed it for my wife, incorporating elements from both of us,” he says of his home. “It holds much emotional value for me.”
OUT OF THE BOX
Although the ongoing pandemic has presented challenges to Ng, it has also thrown up opportunities. While it can be difficult to communicate design concepts to clients via a screen, the outbreak has opened up the possibility of collaborating remotely with partners and homeowners from all over the world. “Instead of f lying out to present design ideas to clients, presentations over Zoom are now acceptable, cutting down on the time it takes to get projects approved,” he says.
The firm is currently designing several
Good Class Bungalows in Singapore, while crafting resorts in the Himalayas, Lumbini in Nepal, and Sikkim in India—the latter notably involves the conservation of an ancient grotto used by monks plying the route to receive Buddhist scriptures. Ng also hopes to eventually expand his company’s footprint by landing more projects outside Asia.
“I believe we will be remembered by the last project we have accomplished, hence, every project I have embarked on has been a career highlight and inspired me to achieve greater heights,” he smiles.
How is a chair made, who crafts it and where do its materials come from? This search for provenance inspired Singapore industrial designer Gabriel Tan to start his own furniture brand, Origin, in 2020 in Porto, Portugal.
“We often do not know the origins of our products at the point of purchase,” he shares. “With Origin, (we wanted to) tell an honest story about where and by whom our products are made, educate the consumer about the process of making, and rebuild the relationship between objects and people.”
Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Tan was shuttling frequently between the US, Singapore and Europe to work with international manufacturers including Blå Station, Design Within Reach and The Conran Shop. Plans to relocate to Europe were already in the works for a few years at the time, pandemic notwithstanding. “I wanted to strengthen my relationships with existing clients while expanding my portfolio in Europe,” he says.
Of the countries he visited, Portugal stood out for its rich craft traditions. Although Tan first travelled to the country in 2014 to sightsee, he ended up visiting local artisanal workshops during the trip and was blown away by what he saw. “I was amazed by the amount of industry and craft that resides next to beautiful landscapes (in Portugal),” he says.
NEW DIRECTION
From the start, Tan wanted to make locally sourced materials and techniques a priority for Origin; his team currently uses materials such as linden wood, sand-cast brass, blown glass and Portuguese stone. The Charred Vases series is among the highlights; these vessels are crafted with the traditional barro
preto technique, a labour-intensive process
technique in which black clay is fired in a soil pit fed with firewood.
“This process is classified by Unesco as a cultural heritage in urgent need of safeguarding as there are few craftsmen in Portugal who continue to practise barro preto,” he shares. “The earth piled on top of the vessels creates an oxygen vacuum that causes the pieces to have a charred appearance in nonuniform hues. You never know the exact colour you will get with this technique because it all depends on how much soil is used, and how close the pieces are to the fire; this process creates an imperfect beauty.”
He hopes to collaborate with artisans outside Portugal soon to produce new collections for Origins. “While the brand is now telling a story about Portugal because all our products are made here, we are not discounting the possibility of creating new collections made in other parts of the world and telling the stories of other cultures.”
DESIGN DIALOGUE
Through his design studio Antimatter, Tan has taken on more interior design commissions in recent years. He is now working on his first hospitality project in Mozambique as well as a house in Singapore with Tokyo-based architect Keiji Ashizawa; he is also designing new furniture collections for several brands including Japanese label Ariake.
“Our interior design projects push us to think about how products and spaces work together to create a harmonious, holistic living environment,” he says. “We think about both furniture and space in tandem—we could be designing a space around a chosen piece of furniture, or the other way round.”
He has high hopes for the Singapore design community and his newly minted brand; he plans to open the first Origin showroom in Portugal this October. “I hope that Origin can be an internationally recognised brand for design objects made with a human touch,” he says. “For aspiring young designers, I would urge them to discover their own path, but never underestimate the grit that is needed to achieve big things.”
Art collections are often private and intimate, as they ref lect the personal journey of the artist. As the owner of Ode to Art, Jazz Chong believes that the art she curates should connect with collectors, rather than finding mass appeal in a particular artist or art trend.
Celebrated local artist Lim Tze Peng is among the homegrown talents Chong is proud to represent. “(Lim’s works) have been precious to our collectors. They contain a sense of heritage that echoes the personal history of our local buyers and also resonates with international collectors,” says Chong of the impact of Lim’s artworks.
The legendary centenarian’s Chinese ink works depict his impression of Singapore’s transformation from fishing village to the modern metropolis it is today. “Local art carries with it an inherent sense of the rich heritage and culture in Singapore,” she adds. “Our collectors may also want to support the local art scene, or develop a new understanding of the local cultural perspective.”
FORTUITOUS ENCOUNTERS
It was during the 2019 exhibition of Lim’s artworks at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai that Ong felt her decision to back local artists was justified. Through her interaction with exhibition visitors, she witnessed first-hand how Mumbai residents drew parallels of their home country to Singapore through Lim’s artistic depictions.
She adds: “I feel a great sense of pride to see the work of a local artist being recognised and appreciated overseas.”
But Lim wasn’t the first local artist Chong worked with; rather, it was Chinese-born artist Hong Zhu An, who has been based in Singapore for nearly three decades. “I came to know him through what I’d like to call a fateful encounter. A mutual friend introduced us back when he happened to be looking for a new gallery to represent him,” said Chong, who has been a long-time admirer of Hong’s works. “I really enjoy his work; the Asian aesthetics of it and how his painting language is universal, such that international collectors feel close to his art as well. It is a joy for me to see his works being collected by museums in Europe and the US.”
Besides representing the artist, the gallerist has become Hong’s close friend. “I love his works so much that every few years (when) he develops a new series, I will always get a few paintings for myself too,” she quips.
Apart from Lim and Hong, who are known for their Chinese aesthetic, Ode To Art also represents artists such as Lee Jung Woong, who is famed for his hyper-realistic, still-life oil paintings on Korean rice paper. The gallery
also retails works by blue-chip names such as Colombian superstar Fernando Botero and Spanish surrealist painter Salvador
Dali. “We have always represented a mix of international and local artists,” shares Chong. “Diversity is an important factor for our wide collector base; we have found it very helpful for our corporate projects with international firms based here, whether for developments or hotels in Singapore or overseas.”
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Ode to Art’s digital transition began even before the Covid-19 pandemic; the outbreak simply accelerated the process. The gallery currently offers virtual tours via communication platforms such as Whatsapp or Zoom to provide collectors with a clearer idea of the artworks as well as prospective venues for exhibitions.
Ode to Art has also held digital adaptations of its recent exhibition openings, alongside tours of the artists’ studios on Facebook Live. However, it was important to Chong that the gallery did not lose the personalised aspect of its services, which has come to define it.
“The collectors place their trust in us to provide them with the best experience when trying to find an artwork that they can resonate with,” says Chong. “We have seen the development of a ‘click-and-mortar’, or ‘phygital’ (physical and digital) experience with our collectors. Visits to the gallery begin from the comfort of their own home; when they are sure (of their decision), they will visit the gallery to see the artwork in person.”