moshe safdie: condominium at bishan central

international practice safdie architects has designed ‘condominium at bishan central’, a 38-story residential complex in the bishan district of singapore. the high density housing block satisfies the needs of the growing urban center while providing family and community spaces and amenities. lusciously planted gardens encompass the two buildings and infiltrate the connecting bridges and bountiful outdoor terraces. inhabitants have access to open-air pedestrian pathways at three different elevations with panoramic views of the surrounding tropical landscape as well as cooling breezes as they sweep through the canyon-like void between the structures. this arrangement dually provides air movement to individual units while the matrix of balconies encourages cross ventilation to pass through the interior spaces. the clustered vertical city mitigates the feeling of concentration by maximizing each dwelling’s connection with nature with access to personal outdoor gardens.

ground level complex

at the ground level, residents enter through a series of walking paths bordering swimming pools shaded with native palm trees. the porous and open form of the towers allows daylight to permeate the area. close proximity to the adjacent bishan park will serve as a green buffer to the nearby city with opportunities for recreation.

view of vegetated bridges from pool area

‘while providing an unprecedented quality of life, mitigating a sense of density and concentration and maximising contact with nature, the complex also results in a village-like clustering of residential units, echoing hillside developments and the integration of architecture and plant life into a singular experience. carefully-considered design features have greatly expanded family and community space amenities, in part by providing generous community gardens and outdoor spaces on the ground and in the air as well as individual penthouse-like roof terraces and gardens for more than one-third of the individual residences.’ – moshe safdie, architect

entry garden

pool at ground level

ground level pool and entry to residential tower

facade and balconies

roof terrace with views of the surrounding tropical landscape

personal roof terrace viewing the sky gardens

outward view from sky garden

sky garden connects the towers

view to the ground from highest sky garden

aerial view of complex

video © safdie architects

schematic rendering

project info:

developer: capitaland residential singapore (75%) and mitsubishi estate asia pte. ltd. (25%) lead designer: moshe safdie, safdie architects project architect: dca architects pte ltd number of units: approximately 500 units site area: 11,997 square metres (129,137 square feet) gross floor area: 58,786 square metres (632,770 square feet) unit types and facilities: one-bedroom-plus-study, two-bedroom, two-bedroom-plus-study, three-bedroom and four-bedroom units unit area: ranges from 680 square feet to 3,000 square feet amenities: 50-metre lap pool, leisure pools, children’s pool, play areas, a tennis court, barbeque pits, function rooms, karaoke rooms and a gymnasium. accessibility: five-minute walk to the bishan transportation hub comprising the bishan bus interchange and bishan mrt interchange station (north- south line and circle line). it is close to retail, entertainment and recreational facilities such as junction 8 shopping mall and bishan park, as well as reputable local and international schools like raffles institution, catholic high school, the australian international school and stamford american international school. temporary occupation permit (TOP) date: 2015 (expected)