ARCHITECTURE OF DARKNESS

The overall project agenda looks into the over conditioned environment of Singapore, from air condition to light condition and how Singapore sits within the global context.

 

We are in the moment of history where political relationships between countries, politicians and governments are turning sour. As a reaction to the current deglobalisation issues, exemplified by the Brexit phenomenon in Britain and the Trump administration in the US, the project proposes an Institute for International Summit Negotiations sited in Singapore. One recent historical event, Trump and Kim summit meeting held in Singapore, underlined its status with SE Asia and the world. Singapore, seen as a neutral territory, together with its active diplomacy with 189 countries, could potentially host substantially more historical summit meetings. The proposed building facilitates these historical summits between world leaders, providing a space for press conference talks and private intimate discussions between diplomats.

 

The Institute of International Summit Negotiation is a place where important global issues are discussed from political, social to environmental. The project aims to address these themes in various different levels through the architecture, also relating back to the global issues that essentially need to be addressed.

 

Situating the project within the Singapore context in environmental, cultural and political terms, the project investigates the potential of a new prototype for sustainable Singapore architecture.

 

The programme exists in duality, the private and public-facing of the event. The highly theatrical aspect of politics and summit meetings is expressed through the play of light and darkness within the architecture through careful studies of the light conditions of 9 chosen paintings and also in-depth study into the gradation of darkness and the degradation of sight.