Award-Winning Designers Look Into Singapore's Future in 50 Years
The illustrated book 'Tomorrow: Design Stories of our Future' headlined SingaPlural during Singapore Design Week
What will Singapore look like in 2065? The illustrated book Tomorrow: Design Stories of our Future, conceptualised, designed and published by creative studio BLACK (who also curated SingaPlural during Singapore Design Week 2017) paired 10 President’s Design Award (PDA) winners with 10 illustrators to answer that question. An all- white library featuring this book was the star attraction of SingaPlural.
Each collaborative pair answered a different aspect of the country’s future. For example, PDA winner Danny Tan of Dita Audio collaborated with illustrator Caleb Tan to visualise the word ‘Communicate’ for Singapore in 2065. Danny conceptualised a smart audio device that would sincerely communicate emotion; Caleb illustrated how it would be used (left). Writer Justin Zhuang provided a narrative for the ten words: Communicate, Connect, Dress, Eat, Learn, Live, Play, Relax, Travel, and Work.
Here are some examples that show how our surroundings and homes may be like in 50 years’ time.
Here are some examples that show how our surroundings and homes may be like in 50 years’ time.
Connect
Illustrated by Lee Xin Li
PDA winner and architect Randy Chan of Zarch Collaboratives – who are well known for their vernacular touch in architecture, and their large-scale art installations (see below) – envisioned a Jetsonian Singapore with a hankering for everything retro for the word ‘Connect’.
Illustrated by Lee Xin Li
PDA winner and architect Randy Chan of Zarch Collaboratives – who are well known for their vernacular touch in architecture, and their large-scale art installations (see below) – envisioned a Jetsonian Singapore with a hankering for everything retro for the word ‘Connect’.
Learn
Illustrated by Esther Goh
PDA winner Joshua Comaroff (below, at right) of Lekker Architects conceptualised an environment designed to educate, for the word ‘Learn’. Justin Zhuang’s narrative featured learning disabilities, perhaps inspired by Lekker Architects’ award-winning work for The Caterpillar’s Cove Child Development and Study Centre.
Illustrated by Esther Goh
PDA winner Joshua Comaroff (below, at right) of Lekker Architects conceptualised an environment designed to educate, for the word ‘Learn’. Justin Zhuang’s narrative featured learning disabilities, perhaps inspired by Lekker Architects’ award-winning work for The Caterpillar’s Cove Child Development and Study Centre.
The Caterpillar’s Cove Child Development and Study Centre
Relax
Illustrated by Ng Xinnie
PDA winner and Singapore’s most prolific furniture designer Nathan Yong (below) envisioned the word ‘Relax’ as an escape into one’s head, which in 50 years, will be shaped like a box. The concept is a futuristic contrast to Yong’s organic forms, such as the Pebble coffee table, pictured further below.
Illustrated by Ng Xinnie
PDA winner and Singapore’s most prolific furniture designer Nathan Yong (below) envisioned the word ‘Relax’ as an escape into one’s head, which in 50 years, will be shaped like a box. The concept is a futuristic contrast to Yong’s organic forms, such as the Pebble coffee table, pictured further below.
Other PDA winners and their collaborators and words were:
- Alfie Leong with Teresa Lim for ‘Dress’
- Kinetic Singapore with Chris Chai for ‘Eat’
- Tan Cheng Siong with Sonny Liew for ‘Live’
- Hans Tan with Andre Wee for ‘Play’
- STUCK Design with Dan Wong for ‘Travel’
- forest&whale with Koh Hong Teng for ‘Work’
Pebble Coffee Table - Ligne Roset
See more of Tomorrow: Design Stories for our Future through writer Zhuang’s eyes here.
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