Imagine Studio at The Trees

The intent was to illustrate an invigorated public realm as a microcosm of the master plan while preserving the essence of the site’s industrial heritage. ^{Existing buildings and its elements were recycled not only to underline their relevance in past eras but also add meaning as important design punctuations in the narrative.} Studio Lotus + GPL Design Studio presented the Imagine Studio as an attempt to re-envision the customer journey for ‘The Trees’. The storyline was grounded in authenticity and a larger vision for the city germinated with timeless values.

Programmatically the buildings adapt into a marketing office, meeting spaces and a café besides several outdoor spaces to showcase upcoming residential and commercial properties. Two former power Co-Generation Plants and a Boiler Plant were repurposed to accommodate new functions as a Studio, Workshop and Cafe respectively. ^{The timeless architectural forms derived from the current industrial sheds and the materiality of Concrete, Corten Steel, Brass and Timber work on the principle of ‘Wabi-Sabi’, allowing the buildings to age beautifully over time.}

The old louvers of the primary plant, now the Studio, were repurposed in Corten Steel and perforated with patterns. ^{The newly-designed interiors derive inspiration from the “memory” of the metal silos - cylindrical units at the site. The silhouette of these forms offers contrast to the rigid geometry of the building, hence acting as a sculptural insert.} Creating the gateway to the entire development with the Studio, the Workshop is a multi-functional space with sample apartments, a meeting area and a multi-purpose gallery for cultural events.

The existing Boiler Plant was converted into an all- day café by retaining the structural framework and a boiler tank as a memory of its original intent. A tall chimney redolent of bygone industrial aesthetic has been treated as a graphic memorial. ^{The Boiler Café, Workshop and Studio together create the edges of a vibrant public space that demonstrates the core philosophies of ‘The Trees’ and comes alive through events, a market street, an urban farm, an amphitheater and areas for public art installations.}

Amalgamating and integrating industrial scrap with the plants, the landscape uses them as a story telling device. A Corten Steel strip inserted into the layout acts as a guiding pathway that subtly indicates the key experiences of the entire marketing journey. ^{The buildings of Imagine Studio are newly defined as the memories of an industrial past; its contemporary form ready to shape new thoughts within its body.} These sit sculpturally into a landscape, which with its places for public engagement and participation, will go on to evolve new ideas for the future.