For architectural designer lan Chee, finding his flat in the historic enclave of the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood was somewhat serendipitous. Back in 2019, the Singaporean was accompanying one of his clients to a viewing of apartments they were interested in and needed help redesigning. Walking around the area with his clients, Chee was drawn to the neighbourhood's charm and rich architectural heritage.
I have always loved old architecture because it gives the space character. In fact, when I was living in the United Kingdom, I lived in a Victorian-era house, he fondly reminisces.
And so began the quest to find the right flat in the vicinity. However, despite the charms of the architecture and the neighbourhood's ambience, none of the apartments viewed at the time worked for him. A trained pianist, Chee, who used to play in the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in his younger days, needed a place to accommodate his cherished Steinway piano. He adds that the apartments were all on the upper levels, and moving the Steinway up the narrow stairs would be impossible.
Then, a ground-floor unit became available, and Chee seized the moment without hesitation. When the agent showed me this apartment, it piqued my interest, he shares. I liked the high ceiling, and the street outside is relatively quiet. I could immediately envision what the space was going to be like.
Stepping into the apartment, set in a white lowrise apartment block, one cannot help but be pleasantly surprised. Within the unassuming building, built in the 1930s, was a far more extensive and extraordinary space than its exterior suggests. It is akin to an architectural illusion, where the modesty of the facade belies a spacious and ingeniously designed interior.
Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av Harper's BAZAAR Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av Harper's BAZAAR Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Great Unknown
It's a fresh chapter for Thai actress Nuttanicha "Nychaa" Dungwattanawanich as she strikes out on her own.
FINDING XANADU
Adventure, magic and freedom await in the land of the blue sky, Mongolia.
TALKING POINTS
From the worlds of Art, Culture, Travel and Design.
TIMELESS LUXURY
In Hosanna Swee and Tom Chng's stunning apartment, an eye for detail and love for horological collectibles reveals an elegant and minimalist escape.
PRIM FOR PRIMETIME
Chanikarn \"Prim\" Tangkabodee reminisces on her journey from a child actor to a superstar in-the-making.
INSPIRATION
The suave music artiste is no stranger to the world of fashion. In fact, he describes fashion as the forefront of his and his family's personal expression, as well as a form of manners.
WELL, SUITED?
As attitudes towards dress codes shift, is the suit about to exit our closets?
DARK HORSE
In his next role and what is easily his most challenging character to date―actor Brian Ng wants one thing from you: your hatred.
THE POWER OF PERETTI
In a hidden village of Sant Marti Vell in Spain, where Elsa Peretti lived, loved and created enduring symbols of design and beauty for Tiffany & Co., Kenneth Goh traces and marvels at her 50 years of legacy.
REDEFINING ROYALTY
Chaumet's Charles Leung talks to BAZAAR about the beauty and the resilience of the 244-year-old French jewellery brand in a new era.