Location: Singapore, Singapore.

Architect: Buro Ole Scheeren.

DUO is a new civic nexus for Singapore that integrates the surrounding context around a 24-hour accessible public plaza, forming a new civic nexus for Singapore. It marks a historic joint venture development between the governments of Malaysia and Singapore and symbolizes the symbiotic relationship between the two Southeast-Asian countries. DUO is a sensitive insertion into Singapore’s urban fabric that unites a group of existing buildings through spatial integration and establishes a coherent overall urban figure. The design for DUO subtracts circular carvings from the allowable building volumes in a series of concave movements that generate urban spaces. The two towers are not merely an addition of independent objects, but perform as a space-generator. These spaces integrate the neighboring buildings, while creating a vibrant and diverse landscape of public exploration through the whole district. DUO represents a historic collaboration between the governments of Malaysia and Singapore. The plaza is open to the public 24 hours a day and mixes a series of gardens and landscaped leisure zones which are linked to the rest of the city through multiple connections above and below ground and integrates direct access to the Bugis metro station. The development incorporates environmental strategies through passive and active energy efficient design and naturally ventilated spaces. The building’s orientation is optimized to prevailing sun and wind angles, while the concave building massing captures and channels wind flows through and across the site, fostering cool microclimates within the shaded outdoor spaces. The orientation of DUO maximizes unobstructed views in multiple directions while its sweeping curves capture and channel prevailing wind directions throughout the development. The public ground floor is entirely passively cooled to create a comfortable and friendly public space that can be left open and accessible around the clock without concern for the energy consumption of air conditioning.

Photo credit: Iwan Baan.