FREAK OF NATURE

SUTD Term 4  |  4 weeks  |  Architecture Core Studio 1

Final Project

Instructor: Lea Ruefenacht

In this project, I was presented with the challenge of designing a theatre and art gallery space within a narrow pathway in between the shophouses of Bukit Pasoh Road.

Inspired by the rock-cut architectures in India and Cappadocia, I explored the fundamental ideas of force and erosion in nature; carving spaces and circulations out of solid mass. Thus, I designed a building that seems to grow out of the ground, carved out to reveal its inhabitable spaces, and squeezed in between blocks of concrete; a force of nature in the middle of a gentrified district. It has a transitional quality, serving up as a connection between the urban environment and the large park located behind.

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Visitors are encouraged to loiter and wander as they explore the cave-like spaces showcasing various artworks and performances, and hike up along the exterior of the building, experiencing the tectonics and textures of its facade. It is never meant to feel safe. It is an embodiment of a nature that is inviting yet foreboding, pure yet never harmless. A freak of nature, if you may, just as you would describe the unique and diverse group of people who define themselves as artists.