The original structure of the residential complex Habitat `67, proposed 40 years ago, assembled, as a constructor, from cells-houses, turned out to be suitable for the creation of modern mega-complexes of elite housing. Safdie has already presented a similar project in Qinhuangdao, China, where apartment modules were assembled into three giant pyramids. And in Singapore, this principle was taken as the basis of the Marina Bay Sands hotel complex, which accommodates an entire city of casinos, hotels, museums and recreational areas.
For the current residential complex, located in the prestigious Bishan district of Singapore, the architect chose a composition of two stepped skyscrapers, 38 stories each, connected by three bridges. The traditional prismatic form of the skyscraper with a communications core has been transformed into a more dynamic truncated pyramid. On the sloping sides of the towers, turned in opposite directions, cells of apartments with private gardens climb, creating a semblance of a settlement on the side of a mountain.
Safdie uses the suspension bridges as common gardens and recreational areas for settlers, since only a third of the 500 apartments, as well as penthouses, have their own terraces. At the base of the complex, up to 70% of the total area is given to landscaping, swimming pools, pedestrian paths and areas for holding various events in the open air.
Each apartment is a full-fledged small villa ranging from 680 to 3,000 m2.
This condominium is the last in a series of modifications to the 1967 experimental project. The disadvantages of modern high-rise buildings with apartments here are smoothed out by the porosity and openness of the structure, permeated with air and light. The fractal pattern of cellular surfaces, the dynamics of "steps", light suspension bridges level the gigantic scale and, according to Safdie, create a more humane and comfortable living environment. In addition, the complex makes the most of the possibilities of natural ventilation in a tropical climate and optimal orientation with respect to insolation.
N. K.
