Changi Airport isn’t the only one to get first in the world, do you find this building familiar?

Last Updated on 2016-05-20 , 9:37 am

Ever cruised down Alexandra Road and spot a funky looking building designed to remind you of irregular building blocks? Well that’s The Interlace for you, and it is more than just building blocks. We know that Changi Airport is definitely one of the best airports, but The Interlace beats that – it won the 2015 Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival!

The Interlace is designed by Ole Scheeren, a German architect a partner of Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), an architecture firm based in the Netherlands.

By definition, ‘Interlace’ means to cross or be crossed intricately together, to interweave.

interlace 1
Image: straitstimes.com

The Interlace features apartments buildings seemingly stacked atop of each other to create precisely the ‘interlaced’ or ‘interwoven’ feel. The Interlace adopts a radical design, stepping away from the common vertical apartment buildings such as the HDB or high-rise condominiums of Singapore. Furthermore, each block is connected to the next, which also features a refreshing design that breaks away from the isolated blocks of HDBs and high-rise condominiums.

Nestled amid foliage, The Interlace also emphasises nature. The architectural design of these blocks stacked at rather irregular angles also allows for light and air to flow through the landscape.

The Interlace was completed in 2013, and Scheeren, the architect, was inspired by the conditions of HDB living in Singapore – therefore, this brainchild of bold, radical and contemporary design greatly stands out against the high-rise buildings of the usual Singapore architecture. The design also speaks beyond architecture – it was designed not only to provide a living space for the residents, but also built to aim at fostering community, social connectivity and a return to nature. In fact, The Interlace was described as a “trailblazer” in the World Architecture Festival in 2015, meaning that it is a design that is worth emulating.

Here are some fun facts about The Interlace. Being a condominium, of course you can’t be shocked when you realise that a 2 bedroom apartment (Type A) in the condominium goes for $807 to $1604 per square feet, and a penthouse (Type F) is priced at $3154 to $6308 per square feet. Furthermore, it has 8 retail shops, a lotus pond, a 50 metre lap swimming pool, and a clubhouse with pool. Of course, who doesn’t want to live in The Interlace – its stunning architectural design and extensive amenities would totally win us over!