Modern Renovation With a Peaceful Focus
Tough restrictions on how much the building’s facade could be changed were not a problem for the renovators of this home in Singapore. Architects Ong & Ong managed to keep the building’s historic facade intact while creating an entirely new, updated interior.
Perhaps the most striking single feature of the residence is the interior courtyard, complete with a swimming pool. Stepping stones lead between the living room and dining area on the first floor. This thoroughly modern space is delightfully bisected with a mature frangipani tree, creating a comfortable contrast between man-made and natural materials.
This space not only serves to define the interior spaces of the home; it adds some much-needed light and ventilation throughout the house. Partitions on either side of the pool can be closed to segment the space or opened to create one continuous room.
Lining the courtyard is aluminum wall cladding. These lightweight bands add a lovely modern touch to the courtyard, but they also serve the very practical purpose of reflecting light into the interior living spaces. The contrast between the building’s traditional ornate facade and these modern metallic bands sets the tone for this home full of dualities.
The entire second floor of the home’s main section is devoted to a massive combined master bedroom, office and en suite bathroom. Although full of light, this section of the house is softer and much more subdued than the first floor public areas.
