I N T E R I O R S A R C H I T E C T U R E D E S I G N

INDESIGNLIVE.SG #84 | FEBRUARY | MARCH 2017

XTRA BY PRODUCE WORKSHOP | RED BEAN ARCHITECTS | YOUNG ARCHITECTS IN CONVERSATIONPDA 2016 | JARROD LIM ON ‘MAKING’ | 12,000 FRANCS BY EMMA MAXWELL DESIGN

BUILDING A PRESENCE

Above: ‘The Woods’ reference library is a conceptual space that builds the story of the material through its composition

EDL’S NEW SHOWROOM SPACE, DESIGNED BY FORMWERKZ ARCHITECTS, REINVENTS THE CONVENTIONAL INTERIOR DESIGN SHOWROOM WITH A GALLERY EXPERIENCE.

A NEW TIDE

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Top: The abstract hanging foliage in ‘The Woods’ was made as simple compositions of laminated ply hung from a mesh grid

Bottom: Full-size sheets of laminate are revealed when the plywood fins that arc around ‘The Woods’ are pulled out into the space

Above: ‘The Library’ features a rolling ladder and a theatre-style blackout ceiling that ensures one’s focus is on the samples

Since Singapore-headquartered laminate company EDL began trading in 2002, its directors have noticed a distinct shift in the materials market. “We see the industry changing,” says EDL Director Daphne Lim. “Home owners are becoming more interested and involved in material selections for their homes. In the past, enquiries and walk-ins [to our headquarters] were virtually unheard of. Now we are seeing families visit on a daily basis,” she says. The lure of EDL’s new showroom gallery, dubbed EDL Division, is most certainly contributing to that trend.

Gwen Tan, a Partner at Formwerkz Architects and the designer of the new space, has also noticed the changing tide in the industry. She comments, “Homeowners have definitely become a lot more sophisticated and exposed in recent years. Pinterest and online design magazines have made sourcing for design inspiration and materials a lot easier. And with that, we do hear there’s a fair share of homeowners preferring to do their own research and put together their new home on their own.”

That means that the interface between companies such as EDL and their customers must adapt. No longer can the latest collection of materials be communicated solely over the designer or architect’s boardroom table in the B2B language of chip books; a new way of communicating with a new pool of customers is needed. EDL Division was conceived as a B2B and B2C space that would reinvent the conventional interior design showroom by way of a gallery experience – something that cannot be replicated in the online world.

“We envisioned it to be a unique journey that would intrigue and inspire visitors whether they come from a design background or not,” says Tan. She continues, “It needs to be understood by homeowners as much as it can be appreciated by designers.” What’s more, she adds, the venue’s location in industrial Sungei Kadut in Singapore’s north required a space that would provide a sufficient draw for the journey. “The location challenged us to set very high design parameters to make the visitor’s journey a worthwhile one. With this, the typical boundaries and perceptions of laminate applications had to be redefined,” she says.

Tan and the Formwerkz team first collaborated with EDL in 2015 when they created a towering slot-together reusable Christmas tree installation for the Singapore Indesign event. “EDL does know from our past collaboration that we tend to explore beyond common boundaries and definitions, and that most of our works are narrative driven,” says

“THE TYPICAL BOUNDARIES AND PERCEPTIONS OF LAMINATE APPLICATIONS HAD TO BE REDEFINED.”

» G w e n T a n

T e x t » N a r e l l e Y a b u k a

P h o t o g r a p h y » M a r c T a n ( c o u r t e s y o f E D L )

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Bottom left: The notion of laminates dressing our spaces and furniture is alluded to in a colourful installation of laminate garments

Right: The atmosphere of a plush dressing room is evoked in ‘The Boutique’, where full-size sheets can be slid out from the curved wall

Top left: At ‘The Bar’, Lem stools from Lapalma have been finished with EDL’s FENIX NTM material to demonstrate its potential applications

“IT’S NOT OFTEN THAT WE SEE A TOTAL DEVIATION FROM THE CONVENTIONAL SHOWROOM MODEL – EITHER LOCALLY OR ABROAD.”

» G w e n T a n

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Top: A view from ‘The Market’ toward ‘The Pod’ and the ‘Communal Zone’ where casual discussions or design work can take place

Bottom left: ‘The House’ offers a playful shelving niche for the display of models of collaborative installation projects

Bottom right: A series of swinging laminated panels at the lift lobby can be choreographed to suit any pop-up installations or events in ‘The Courtyard’

Tan. “EDL Division is a continued conversation from where we left off with our first collaboration.”

Tan created fragmented zones that purposefully go against the regular form and planning of the building. The space is presented like a story composed of chapters in the form of sculpted zones that showcase laminates. “The rather ‘abstract’ form of communication within the gallery comes from the way we wanted to narrate the laminate story. It’s almost like having art installations in different pockets of space,” says Tan.

At the lift lobby, a wall of two-sided swinging laminated panels sets the tone for a gathering and pop-up exhibition space beyond, dubbed ‘The Courtyard’. Adjacent is ‘The Market’ (where jewellery items created by Thing In Itself using EDL laminates are displayed), ‘The Bar’ (a working kitchen), and ‘The House’ (where models of installations made for various design shows can enjoy an extended life). ‘The Boutique’ zone is a reference library where full-sized sheets of laminate can be slid out for inspection. And the ‘Communal Zone’ provides built-in seating and tables for discussions.

On the other side of ‘The Courtyard’ is ‘The Woods’ – a reference library for wood grain designs with a rippling ply surface of display fins circumscribing a zone of hanging ‘foliage’ and angular ‘tree trunks’. It has already served as the site for a fashion shoot – an indication of the gallery’s broad creative appeal. ‘The Woods’ sits between ‘The Library’ (a comprehensive sample collection in two rooms) and ‘The Pod’ – a bookable meeting room in which Tan had laminates painstakingly applied to both sides of a set of vertical blinds to create an interchangeable backdrop.

“It’s not often that we see a total deviation from the conventional showroom model – either locally or abroad,” says Tan. She continues, “Most showrooms display materials and products as they would be used so consumers or designers can have an easy and direct way of imagining how things could be applied to their own projects.” EDL Division demonstrates the vast applications laminates can take on. Says Lim, with an indication of EDL’s strong commitment to the sharing and promotion of good design, “We hope our efforts in celebrating design possibilities can encourage more creative designs across the industry.” «

“WE HOPE OUR EFFORTS IN CELEBRATING DESIGN POSSIBILITIES CAN ENCOURAGE MORE CREATIVE DESIGNS ACROSS THE INDUSTRY.”

» D a p h n e L i m

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LEGEND 1 Lift | 2 Lift Lobby | 3 Store | 4 The Courtyard | 5 The Woods | 6 The Library | 7 The Library (Opened) | 8 WC | 9 Pantry | 10 The Pod | 11 Communal Zone | 12 The Market | 13 The Bar | 14 The House | 15 The Boutique