„I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past“ – quote by Thomas Jefferson that encapsulates MOD’s approach to Canvas House, Colin explains, founder MOD.
Canvas House is an amazing transformation of a department store in Singapore into apartments that explore history and our relationship to the past, present and future through the concept of layers. A fixed budget and 4 months to show the interiors, led the designers from the architectural studio Ministry of Design (MOD) to paint the whole house white and focus on upcycling where the old elements were perfectly repaired and got a new breath, of course white. „Not only is this highly sustainable in terms of upcycling, it is also budget friendly, time-constraint friendly, and conceptually striking.“ Incredible neutrality and purity appear from this modern historic apartment, which hides a deeper meaning of the mentioned time stages.
According to MOD designers, the white color hides parts of the past, but at the same time it is ready to reveal the future. „In a sense, the white blurs the distinction between new and old, it also blurs the distinction between the spatial elements, and the objects that sit within it. With everything white, object/space dichotomy is blurred.“ The apartments near Blair Road seem extremely minimalist at first glance, but on closer inspection they hide a number of elements and objects that complete the right atmosphere, combining history with contemporary modern design. „The house becomes more whole rather than a space populated by objects and people that move in and out.“ Booking Information.
„The house rhythmically reveals parts of its past, with Shadows of old timber as well as Layers of revealed brick and intricate details of re-purposed and upcycled furniture.“
„To pay homage to the past, yet give it character for the future, MOD painted these pieces all white but carved out playful peek-a-boo reveals of vignettes on the decorative dragon or longevity vases, ceramic plates hung on the wall, and wooden screens, vanity dressers and chairs.“
Architecture: Ministry of Design
Photography: Edward Hendricks, CI&A Photography
