What’s new for the Singapore Design Week

SINGAPORE — The second edition of the Singapore Design Week kicks off tomorrow. And besides the biggie that would be Fifty Years of Singapore Design at the National Design Centre being unveiled, there is a lot to look forward to with new additions to the scene.

One of them is the much-anticipated In Bed With Designers, which is (more or less) exactly that: A chance to meet and, yes, even get into bed with featured designers who will presenting their creations at the New Majestic hotel. “The event has previously occurred under major design events such as Business of Design Week, Le French May/Art Basel and Taiwan Designers’ Week, demonstrating our strong presence in the Asian design ecosystem,” said Florence Coirier Giraudon, founder of design website BuyMeDesign which curates the selection of designers for In Bed With Designers. “Being part of the official programme of the Singapore Design Week with Singaplural and IFFS is important as we don’t act alone. We can all benefit from their local presence to reach a larger community.”

Another new highlight is the Asia Hotel Design Awards, an offshoot of a longstanding design awards honouring Europe’s best for the past 15 years. Organised by Sleeper magazine, which shines a spotlight on hotel design and architecture, tickets to attend the inaugural Asian edition held at Park Royal on Pickering are already sold out. Editor of Sleeper Matt Turner cited Singapore’s growing status as a “world leader” for design as one reason to hold it here. “Many world leading architects and designers have their APAC headquarters in Singapore, as do several major hotel groups,” he pointed out. “Asia is the world’s fastest growing region in new hotel design and deserves an event that celebrates the work of architects and designers for hotel owners, developers and operators.”

Recently opened landmarks are also in the thick of action. Library@Orchard — an Instagram star of sorts for its design aesthetics — is holding a tour of its premises; while indie cinema The Projector at Beach Road finds itself the host for the first ever magazine symposium, U Symposium Magazines Contemporary where some of independent publishing’s biggest names like Penny Martin of The Gentlewoman will be speaking.

That’s not to say the usual staple is any less exciting. Popular long-running anchor event Singaplural has refreshed itself, starting with a decision to house all its activities within a convenient festival site at 99 Beach Road instead of them being scattered across the island.

With more activities and access going for this year’s Singapore Design Week, we zoom in on where we’ll be this week.

In Bed With Designers

We’re especially excited about this. It sounds so fun. Imagine 100 designers from 15 different countries under one roof at New Majestic Hotel from March 13 to 15 in rooms transformed into “curated caves” to display their wares, from jewellery to lamps, and interact with visitors. Designers are chosen based on “innovation, sustainability, usability, creativity, humour and twist” according to Giraudon. What’s new with this edition of In Bed With Designers is a tie-up with Robinsons to introduce a retail aspect to sell some of the showcased items to consumers. So far four brands — Jonas’ Design, Studio Banana Things, Greenwood Lab and Be Candle — are already in Robinsons. The event is free to all and you can just drop by, although registration is encouraged to receive preview information. Visit http://inbedwithdesigners.com for the full low-down.

Singaplural

Be prepared to spend an entire day here. There are design installations inspired by Singapore icons in Your Hood Singapore Urban Inspired Stories — from stools resembling playground characters to a mat that takes the form of a tiger once sighted in Choa Chu Kang. Project X is a must-see as homegrown brand Lamitak (maker of pressure laminates) collaborates with four designers to reinterpret and create new objects with the material. Also, take a look back into some of the most memorable designs of past year with a collective showcase titled Recognition. Lastly, there’s grub and shopping on site from restaurant The Quarters, cold pressed juices by Gorilla Press and online retailer Naiise. From Mar 10 to 15 at 99 Beach Road. Visit http://www.singaplural.com for the complete programme.

Maison&Objet

The furniture trade fair has decided to open its doors to the public on its last day (March 13) with tickets going at S$35 per person. And we like that there is a stronger focus on Singapore design this year with an equally exciting line-up from local brands, as well as talks and conferences featuring the likes of President Design Award winner Patrick Chia. On the exhibitor side, highlights include Singaporean company Industry+ presenting its furniture collaboration, Tokyo Tribal, with acclaimed Japanese designer Oki Sato’s Nendo studio, as well as local tableware brand Luzerne unrolling products designed by chef Janice Wong featuring Swarovski Elements. Visit http://www.maison-objet.com/en for the line-up.