The Dark Knight

From his brand-new premises, Roy Teo, founder of The Mill Group, has his sights set on shaking up Singapore’s design industry. In this exclusive feature, he reveals his grand plans for the design consortium.

- Polly Sweet

In the depths of Redhill, among the depots, warehouses and garages, lies a sight akin to a real-life Batman’s lair. A Neo-Gothic structure that stands 45 metres high, the twin-towered edifice commands an imposing presence in the neighbourhood, fronted by a handful of handsome vintage cars. To say that it’s eyecatching is definitely an understatement.

From inside, Roy Teo emerges, impeccably dressed in a blue-checked suit. Teo is the owner of the building and an eminent personality in Singapore’s design industry— he’s the founder of design consortium The Mill Group, which comprises interior design firms Kri:eit Associates, Splendor, The I.D. Dept and XXII Century. This brand-new building, which just opened in September, is its latest incarnation, serving as The Mill Group’s new headquarters and as a mixed-use compound that will include a restaurant, communal work spaces and retail outlets.

CREATIVE STRONGHOLD

“I wanted it to resemble a fortress,” explains Teo of the namesake building’s unique design, which was masterminded by him and American architect James Adams; in Singapore, the architect’s most famous project is Parkview Square, the grand Art Deco-inspired office and hotel complex that stands tall at North Bridge Road. “In our work as designers, we are so often surrounded by chaos, ideas and noise—so I wanted to create somewhere that was the opposite, somewhere that feels calming and safe,” continues Teo.