Housed in a conservation Art Deco building, the city’s latest design hub is far from flashy. But the SCDA Architects-designed National Design Centre doesn’t have to shout to be heard. Apart from housing the DesignSingapore Council (which promotes local design) and indie studios, the building is also the locus of design programs for the public.
Having played host to fresh events like The Made in SG Market last month, it is now one of the primary venues for the ongoing Singapore Design Week. “The inaugural edition brings together over 50 local and international design activities open to the community, businesses, design students and the general public,” says Jeffrey Ho, executive director of DesignSingapore Council.
It looks like Singaporeans are set to become more design-literate. “We believe more people will learn to appreciate good design and make better design choices in their daily lives,” says Ho. “More design-savvy consumers will drive the demand for well-designed products and services.”
Industry insiders agree that we’re looking at a sea change in the local market. “People now have more choices in terms of products than before, so I think we’ll become more design-centric as a society, rather than being intimidated by design as a high-brow, alienating thing,” says Dennis Tay, founder of online store Naiise.com, which currently has a physical presence at urban rooftop farming pop-up NÓNG. [see the full interview here]
And it sure looks like up is the way to go. Architect and TV host Jason Pomeroy considers “skycourts and skygardens” the future of urban planning for an increasingly cramped Singapore, and are important spaces in which we’ll grow not just our greens, but also “a sense of community and neighborhood.” [see the full interview here]
Goes to show that design doesn’t just belong in luxury magazines—it’s an everyday aspect of city living that you can’t afford to not care about. Get involved with our top picks during Singapore Design Week:
Maison & Objet Asia
The famous French design fair comes to town. Expect a range of chic, quirky furniture and home furnishings from a seemingly endless list of international exhibitors. Mar 10-13
30 LifeStories
Check out 30 tree logs that were salvaged from pruning and transformed into works of art. Mar 12-16
Tokyo Avant Garde 90’s
Founder of Tokyo design company E&Y, Yoichi Nakamuta curates fantastically experimental objects created in Japan during the 90’s design boom. Mar 13-16
Aspects
Local design studios—including Hjgher and The Little Drom Store—create glassware inspired by Singapore. Yoshifumi Saito of Shotoku Glass Company will also talk about the craft of glassblowing. Mar 14
The Whiteboard Dialogues
This series of talks about design in Singapore kicks off with the question “what makes a design Singaporean?” Mar 14
OBJECTIFIED
National Design Centre’s monthly design film screenings kick off with indie film OBJECTIFIED, exploring the relationship between us and our possessions. Mar 15
Creative Circuits
Hop on a shuttle bus and tour six “design havens” around the city, including NÓNG, craft hub Tyrwhitt General Company, and boutiques Foundry and The Redundant Shop. Free with registration. Mar 15
Collective Consciousness in 3D
Scan yourself in 3D at this archival/installation project and print out a creepy facsimile of yourself. Mar 15-16
SIP Cycle
This group cycle ($10; bring your own bike or kick scooter) takes you around the Bras Basah/Bugis district. There’s also a pop-up Levi’s bike store (10am-1pm) if you want a tune-up or shop for some biking gear. Mar 16
