Design is a big part of everyday life, and it’s about to play an even bigger role in March, when the annual Singapore Design Festival (SDW) will be held.
Design is a big part of everyday life, and it’s about to play an even bigger role in March, when the annual Singapore Design Festival (SDW) will be held. Organised by the Design Singapore Council, and into its fourth year, the SDW takes place from March 3 to 12 this year, and features local as well as international design activities, conferences, exhibitions and workshops.
Part of it includes industry-geared events, such as the International Furniture Fair Singapore, Asean Furniture Show, and design conferences, but there are plenty of activities the curious public can check out as well. Anchor event Singaplural, at the F1 Pit Building this year, features the work of over 100 participants and a pop-up store with new products by local designers. Design Trails bring participants closer to creative communities to learn more about their work, and the Design, Make & Craft Fair at the National Design Centre will offer workshops and hands-on activities for adults and kids.
This year’s festival follows the announcement of the Design 2025 masterplan in March 2016, which has a vision of Singapore as a thriving innovation-driven economy. Working towards this goal, “we are aiming for greater excitement and buzz for SDW 2017. We are putting stronger emphasis on making people aware of design around us, and the possibilities of using design to enhance our environments. We are aiming to make Singapore a liveable city, and a loveable city – by design”, says Yeo Piah Choo, festival director and director of industry development and outreach, for Design Singapore Council. Get clued in on what’s happening with our handy guide.
DESIGN TRAILS 2017: DESIGN DAY OUT IN THE CITY
When March 11 to 12, 11am to 6pm
Admission Free, register at http://www.designsingapore.org/sdw
Where Hop on and off the trail. The free shuttle service can be boarded at any featured stop.
In its fourth year, the popular Design Trails brings participants up close and personal with the creative community – through talks, interactive demonstrations and exclusive entry to their workspaces. This year’s trail, developed by Shophouse & Co, will take participants to eight locations – Collision 8, a co-working space at North Bridge Road; the Airbnb office in Tanjong Pagar; Oasia Hotel Downtown; the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre in the CBD area; Chong Wen Ge, a heritage landmark at Telok Ayer Street; Journey East, a furniture retailer; and Sing Mui Heng, a specialist in fashion craft materials. One stop features “a surprising urban intervention” at Telok Ayer Park.
SINGAPLURAL
When March 7 to 12, 11am to 10pm
Admission $10 each for tickets sold at the door (unlimited entry). Local students, children 12 years and below, and senior citizens aged 60 and above enjoy free entry
Where Level 3, F1 Pit Building, 1 Republic Boulevard
This year marks many firsts for Singaplural, the anchor event of SDW – a new location, a new curator, new collaborators and new segments. Its location at the F1 Pit Building is “quite large”, says Jackson Tan of the award-winning design firm Black, who is curating the festival for the first time.
With the theme “Stories – A New Perspective” in mind, he says visitors can expect more than 100 design installations at the event, which aim to give guests an insight into the minds of their creators.
Organised by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC), Singaplural’s key installation is Tomorrow: Design Stories Of Our Future, where 10 past President Design Award-winners imagine the lives we’ll lead in 2065. New segments Partners, Pop-up and Projects have also revitalised the programming. Partners will feature the KYO Project, a collaboration with the Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry. For this, Singapore designers such as Chris Lee of Asylum, Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell of WOHA Architects, and Colin Seah of Ministry of Design worked with Japanese craftsmen to create new items.
Pop-up supports local brands by giving them a platform to showcase and retail their works. “This is the first time visitors to the event will be able to purchase the unique design creations from local brands directly at the site,” says Jackson. Look forward to product launches and items from brands such as Supermama, Shermay’s Fine Food and Ette Tea.
Under Projects, well-known designers and brands team up to create thoughtful installations. One example is Uniqlo’s collaboration with local design studio Machineast and Roots to feature the quick-drying properties of Uniqlo’s Airism clothing line in fun, interactive ways. http://www.singaplural.com
INNOVATION BY DESIGN CONFERENCE
When March 7 and 8, 8.30am to 5pm
Admission Free, register online at http://www.designsingapore.org/sdw
Where To be confirmed
Through a series of talks, gain valuable insights into the minds of prominent international and local design, business and public sector leaders, to find out how innovation and value can be created by fusing design and business. The Innovation by Design Conference is a signature event of SDW and, this year, speakers such as Tim Kobe (pictured right, bottom), the founder and CEO of Eight Inc.; local designer Patrick Chia (pictured right), of Squeeze Design, Design Incubation Centre and d. Lab; and Neal Cross (pictured right, top), the chief innovation officer of DBS Bank, are in the lineup. “There will be opportunities for participants to meet and network with these leaders in the field of design and innovation, design thinking, customer experience, human behaviour and organisation transformation,” says Yeo Piah Choo, the festival director of Design Singapore Council.
DESIGN MAKE & CRAFT FAIR
When March 4 and 5, 11am to 8pm
Admission Free
Where Open Plaza – Ground Level, National Library Building, 100 Victoria Street
Get in touch with the vibrant designer and maker community in Singapore, and try your hand at making something under the supervision of designers, makers and craftsmen. Produced by Supermama and Clara Yee, one of the 30 people included in the inaugural Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2016) list, the Design, Make & Craft Fair is themed “Creating A Better World By Design”, and focuses on thoughtful consumption and living. “Visitors are encouraged to look beyond the object, and to appreciate the thoughts, processes and the personalities behind the independent designers, makers and craftsmen in Singapore and across the Asia-Pacific region,” says Clara.
The workshops will be adapted to suit all age groups, including kids (accompanied by adults). At the end of each session, participants will not only take away their own unique piece of craft, but also an appreciation of how we can play a part in designing a better world.
http://www.designsingapore.org/sdw
SINGAPORE PRESENTATIONS AT THE 15TH INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE EXHIBITION (LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA)
When March 3 to April 8, 9am to 9pm
Admission Free
Where Level 1 Atrium, National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road
This is a rare chance to catch Singapore’s contribution to the 15th International Architecture Exhibition (La Biennale di Venezia) that was held in Venice last year. The consolidated work of three exhibitions will be on display, including the Singapore Pavilion, Space To Imagine, commissioned by the Design Singapore Council and curated by the department of architecture of the National University of Singapore; Room For Everyone, Limit/ Limitless by MKPL Architects, and Living Shelter by WY-TO and POD Structures. These presentations “responded to the Architecture Biennale’s exhibition theme, Reporting From The Front, which encouraged exhibitors to share the battles they face at home and how the community have been able to improve their own built environment and quality of life”, says Clara. http://www.designsingapore.org/sdw
