Firm： Studio iF

Type： Residential › Apartment

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2023

SIZE： 5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft

BUDGET： Undisclosed

Oasis in the Sky is a unique super penthouse project created through the clever amalgamation of two separate and staggered duplexes. Set on the fringe of the prime shopping belt surrounded by lush greenery, we envisioned this home to be a sanctuary for the owners to find comfort and recluse in, an escape from the hustle of cosmopolitan living. This 6,000-square-foot, 3-storey penthouse was created to encapsulate the true essence of villa living with a luxurious master suite boasting a 2000-square-foot footprint over two floors with private spa baths, large private sky gardens, and a private lift lobby exclusive to the suite. This echoes the development architect Antonio Citterio’s vision of having “villas in the sky.”. Drawing inspiration from this “Water Tower,” where the unit is located in, the concept of fluidity and elements associated with flowing water are subtly imbued across the entire home, with a newly created elliptical staircase forming a key spatial anchor. As tea drinking is the favourite pastime of the family, the tea lounge becomes the central catalyst for the living areas on the lowest floor, where it becomes an important connector to all the spaces around it.

The highest few floors for one of the duplex unit typologies had all the bedrooms devoid of external views due to a national security control requirement. Within the structural service core separating two distinct and staggered duplex unit typologies was a 1.2-meter gap in the structural sheer walls. While retaining all the M&E stacks and structural core, we strategically combined the two unit typologies to form a super penthouse. The bulk of the unit that had rooms with no direct external views was converted to a luxurious master villa with three en-suite facilities that did not need city views, namely the his and hers walk-in closet rooms and a study/TV lounge/guest room that can be attached to the master suite or remain independent. The newly crafted unit plan turned a pain point into a star attraction and brought the “Villas in the Sky” concept to its epitome.

The project embraces a high level of craftsmanship and sophistication in detailing and material applications, along a balanced contrast in textures, materials and tonality. The concept of “Fluidity” drives the elliptical form of the sculptural bronze staircase centrepiece, with its open treads and curving glass railings. This influenced the design of the dining room custom wallpaper, featuring gold drips handmade in New York with gold foil amidst sensual brush strokes of ash-tone greens. The sensitive celebration of outdoor living in all the key spaces brings about a quiet elegance that perfectly compliments the lifestyle of the family. Dark, formal tones in the living room are balanced by the pebble-form inspired furniture pieces over the custom rug that extends the external green hues. The decorative lights and loose furniture were carefully selected to introduce the right amount of fluid lines in each space to softly echo the main design concept.

Major remodelling works to the layout were inevitable for this project. However, we made a conscious effort to reduce waste by using and reapplying existing resources. The original timber stripe wall panelling — discontinued and no longer available on the market—was also retained. To ensure that the overall look of the space would not be compromised, we engaged fine timber-works craftsmen to re-stain and recreate similar panelling with available timber wood.

Excess equipment from the original space was strategically re-incorporated into the design. To reduce overconsumption, we combed through an existing furniture inventory list from our clients to source suitable items prior to any purchases. A number of Casa Armani pieces were obtained through this list.

Similarly, the feature wallpaper in the dining room was customised and sized according to site measurements. Concurrently, we collaborated with a local laminate supplier to repurpose offcuts for another project.