British designer Thomas Heatherwick's firm Heatherwick Studio has unveiled design for a "super-luxury" residential tower in Singapore. Named Eden, the new apartment building is inspired by Singapore’s vision as a "city in a garden" and features iconic hanging balconies with hand-picked tropical greenery, offering residents a "private garden in the sky". 

Developed by Swire Properties, the tower will be the first residential building of Heatherwick Studio in Singapore. Heatherwick Studio previously completed the Learning Hub for the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

"We wanted to create something distinct for Singapore to contrast a skyline filled with angular steel and glass towers. Our design recreates the verdant garden access once ubiquitous in the city’s homes, extending the landscape of Singapore from ground level through the building via hanging gardens," said Thomas Heatherwick.

"This is truly a home in a garden, where residents can enjoy an unparalleled lifestyle."

The new apartment is located at 2 Draycott Park in the prestigious District 10 Orchard Road neighbourhood, Eden will accommodate 20 residential units in total, each occupying the entire floor. Each unit has a saleable area of over 3,000 square foot (278 square meters) and comes with four en-suite bedrooms.  

The concept of Eden represents natural unspoilt beauty which has been incorporated into the property’s design; with the aim of reconnecting residents with nature and offering a truly extraordinary living experience. 

The striking features of the project are the iconic rounded bulb shaped and hanging balconies incorporating hand-picked tropical greenery. Due to the rounded shape of the balconies, they will offer amazing unobstructed 270-degree views and complete privacy. 

"We are excited to make our Singapore debut with a phenomenal residential project in the heart of the city, and are delighted to once again work with Thomas Heatherwick after our collaboration to contemporise Pacific Place mall in Hong Kong," said Adrian To, Director, Residential at Swire Properties.

"Swire Properties is well-known for creating exclusive residential developments, such as OPUS HONG KONG. Thomas Heatherwick and his team have brought our vision of creating an exceptional living experience to life, and EDEN will undoubtedly set a new benchmark for sustainable ultra-luxury residences."

Designed as "a tribute to Singapore" architecture, the unconventional tailor-made concrete core features an abstract topographical map of Singapore’s terrain, creating a unique three-dimensional texture. The building breaks tradition and moves away from the use of a boxy floorplate. 

Natural ventilation has been set a key green component in design and the cantilevered balconies offer solar shading while windows open on three sides to allow natural cross-ventilation – both reducing the need for air-conditioning and energy usage. 

Concrete was specifically chosen as a building material, for the façade as well, and plays a role in the property’s environmental performance; as its mass reduces the amount of warm air that enters the building’s interior, aiding natural cooling.  

Eden is set to be completed in the fourth quarter in 2019, details will be shared later about the project.

All images courtesy of Heatherwick Studio

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