6 Reasons To Visit Singapore Design Week 2017 – See Underwater HDBs Of The Future!

Unlock your potential at Singapore Design Week 2017

Our human powers go as far as walking to the nearest bus stop but that does not mean we cannot make the world a better place. Don’t forget, we still have the unlimited possibilities of the human mind: creativity. Creativity is all that’s needed to add so much more colour to the world we live in, and if you’re looking to awaken that dormant part of your brain, you can start at the Singapore Design Week 2017.

Held from 3rd-12th March, Singapore Design Week 2017 celebrates all-things design with over 100 local and international events and activities. Be it you’re a design connoisseur or just looking for something interesting to do this week, this festival is for you.

1. Dine in a traditional temple turned cafe

Source: @jacq_splash

Get a breath of fresh air with Singapore Design Week’s Design Trails held on 11th and 12th March 2017. Design Trails will start from the National Design Centre and bring you to various locations across Singapore leaving you in awe of the efforts that have been put into the designing of these spaces.

The route will take you from cultural landmarks like Chong Wen Ge, a quaint Peranakan café built in a traditional temple, to a modern co-working space Collision 8 that will show you how modern companies are embracing innovative concepts.

There is a loop shuttle bus service that will take you to any of the stops and you are also free to join in the journey from any of the stops.

Design Trails: Design Day Out in the City
Date: 11th – 12th Mar 2017
Time: 11AM – 6PM (Bus runs at approximately 30-min intervals)
Venue: National Design Centre and various locations
Admission: Free with registration

2. Browse #housegoals pieces that you’ll never find in chain stores

The “Shoe Tree”, a vertical shoe rack that saves lateral space Source: Wallpaper* Handmade

A room full of Ikea furniture isn’t everyone’s interior design dream, and no one’s going to fault you for wanting a little more sophistication and edge. Get inspired at Singapore + Wallpaper* Handmade MultipliCITY, a specially curated showcase of unique design collaborations by internationally renowned talents.

One such novel invention is the Shoe Tree project (image above) – a jenga-esque shoe rack that tackles the issue of space constraints in our homes while doubling up as a statement piece of furniture in your home that’s bound to rake in a load of praises.

This just goes to show us you don’t need a PhD in Physics to solve your everyday problems – Singapore Design Week will provide you with the perfect ideas to make your house atas yet functional.

Singapore + Wallpaper* Handmade Classics
Date: 9 Mar 2017 – 11 Jun 2017
Time: 12 pm – 7 pm
Venue: Gillman Barracks, 9 Lock Road, Singapore 108937
Admission: Free

DIY chair Source: @supermamasg

And if  you prefer to get crafty, join the Design, Make And Craft Fair held on the 4th and 5th of March 2017 for a curated list of funky workshops and activities! Meet and view the works of 40 independent designers, makers and craftsmen from Singapore and the Asia-Pacific, and see how simple objects can improve our everyday lives

Note: Slots for the workshops are filling up fast – if you don’t manage to secure a slot, you can still head to the fair to jolt your right brain into conjuring up your next DIY project.

Design, Make & Craft Fair
Date: 4th Mar 2017 – 5th Mar 2017
Time: 4th March: 11AM-9PM 5th March: 11AM-8PM
Venue: National Library Building, Level 1 – The Plaza, 100 Victoria Street, Singapore 188064

3. Join a show and workshop created exclusively for cat people

Source: @9livesdesignshow

A house fit for royalty is exactly what is needed to appease the cat at home. If you’re enslaved to such a cat, the 9 Lives Design Show will be your stepping stone to freedom.

9 different designers will showcase pragmatic yet creative designs to improve cats’ living conditions, especially for adopted stray cats that may not be used to an indoor lifestyle.

9 Lives Design Show
Date: 4th – 6th Mar 2017
Time: 11AM-8PM (Sat & Sun), 11AM-1PM (Mon)
Venue: Visual Arts Centre, #01-02 Dhoby Ghaut Green, 10 Penang Rd, Singapore 238469
Admission: Free

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After settling your cats’ needs, it’s time to spoil yourself. If you’re looking for some stylish furniture, head down to 3 EXPO halls of furniture at the International Furniture Fair Singapore 2017 to marvel at the furniture that could make your home look like a million-dollar New York penthouse.

Note: There are two different types of admissions – trade and public. For public admission, it’s only on 12 Mar 2017, 12pm – 5pm.

International Furniture Fair Singapore 2017: Celebrate Inspiration
Date: 9th-12th Mar 2017
Time: Trade admission: 9th to 11th March (9.30am – 6pm) | Public admission:12th March (9.30pm – 5pm)
Venue: Singapore EXPO, Halls 3 – 6 1 Expo Drive, Singapore 486150
Admission: SGD20

4. Pick up local designs for unreplicated one-of-a-kind looks

Source: @woonhung

There are times when we have found ourselves walking down Orchard Road and coming face to face with someone wearing the exact same thing as you. Good for you if you’re unfazed, but if you’re not the type to go “hey nice top”, Singapore And Beyond 2017 will give you fool proof options to avoid such awkward situations.

This boutique fair has over 150 local and independent brands for you to shop till you drop. Drawing all aspiring local fashion designers, it is also a launchpad for the next Ong Shunmugam to break into the local and even international markets.

Singapore and Beyond 2017
Date: 10th – 11th Mar 2017
Time: 9AM-8PM
Venue: F1 Pit Building, 1 Republic Boulevard, Singapore 038975
Admission: Free

Source: @hilistudio

To up your indie game, learn more about the process of finding inspiration and designing your own clothes with the HLS Open House.

HLS Open House
Date: 10th Mar 2017
Time: 1PM-7PM
Venue: National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road, #03-11, Singapore 188969

5. See a Bikini Bottom-fied Singapore if we were an underwater city


An artist’s impression of underwater HDBs of the future Source



Underwater homes instead of HDBs – that is just one of the many futures envisioned by local designers and illustrators. To see the wondrous possibilities of Singapore 50 years into the future, head down to SingaPlural 2017’s feature exhibition, Tomorrow: Design Stories Of Our Future.

The exhibition will feature designs and sketches from ten designers and ten illustrators, including renowned comic book artist, Sonny Liew. In response to speculative questions — of how we will communicate, connect, dress, eat, learn, live, play, relax, travel and work — these creatives from a variety of disciplines have each designed their own story for this feature exhibition of SingaPlural 2017.

SingaPlural 2017 – The anchor event of Singapore Design Week

Date: 7th – 12th Mar 2017

Time: 11AM-10PM
Venue: F1 Pit Building, 1 Republic Boulevard, Singapore 038975
Admission: Free for kids below 12, elderly above 60 and students with valid ID. Otherwise, there’s a $10 entrance fee.

6. Catch a glimpse of 54 HDB home designs at one location

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We’ve long seen photosets of the incredibly cramped, but functional living spaces in cities like Hong Kong, but what about in our own Lion City? “Frontliners in Action” is a collective exhibition which highlights the everyday challenges behind the architecture of our homes, and how architects and the community work hand-in-hand to address and overcome them.

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Walk through ‘Space to Imagine, Room for Everyone’, and take a peek behind the doors of over 54 Singapore HDB homes. These 54 illuminated customised lanterns celebrate the creativity and individuality of our fellow citizens, and might just lit the spark for a major home revamp.

Don’t forget to check out the two other exhibitions in the area – ‘Limit/Limitless’ by MKPL Architects and ‘Living Shelter’ by WY-TO and POD Structures!

Frontliners in Action

Date: 3rd Mar 2017 – 8th Apr 2017

Time: 9AM-9PM
Venue: National Design Centre, Level 1 (Atrium, Design Gallery 1 & Courtyard)
Admission: Free

The importance of design in Singapore

We often go through life without stopping to take a look at what’s around us – the designs and colours that fill every wall, every corner, up above and down below. Even the comfortable, soft chairs you’re sitting on right now was once a plain, hard and wooden piece of wood. That’s the beauty of design – it may change the smallest of detail but it makes the biggest difference in our lives.

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Take this chance to inspire yourself at the Singapore Design Week 2017 and open up your mind to new ways to furnish your house or making your workspace more people-friendly like that of the Airbnb office. This will make you that superhero, not of the world, but starting from your own room first.

Find out more about Singapore Design Week here

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This post was brought to you by DesignSingapore Council.