New Builds in Shanghai (2016) Published on Interior Design’s website, this short news piece puts the focus on new architecture in Shanghai. Featured projects include MVRDV’s Flower Building, Kengo Kuma’s Wuxi Vanke Yunhe Waitan Complex and the Shanghai Natural History Museum by Perkins+Will.
Craft Culture (2015) Throughout Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, a new wave of artisans and creative entrepreneurs are injecting life into cultural landscapes by tapping into the rich narratives of their home cities. Published in Colours, Inflight magazine of Garuda Indonesia Airlines.
Living Art (2015) Part architecture, part artwork, this redesigned 1950s era terrace house in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur is an eloquent ode to one architect’s personal creative journey. In this feature piece for Habitus magazine, Farah Azizan of Studio Bikin shares her love of raw forms and unfinished surfaces.
Ipoh Perks Up (2014) In and around its famed Old Town, home-grown entrepreneurs in Ipoh are putting a new spin on the Malaysian city’s laidback charm. Published in DestinAsian magazine.
Urban Oasis (2014) Built as suburban housing during the 1970s and 80s, terrace houses in Kuala Lumpur are making a comeback as alternatives to condominium living. I visited the suburb of Bangsar to review a local firm’s reinterpretation of one such classic for Habitus magazine.
Uniqlo (2014) As the revered design lead for Uniqlo, Naoki Takizawa is redefining the idea of bare essentials as he strips away anything that threatens to impinge on the clothing brand’s famed “Made For All” ethos. Published in Surface Asia’s Asian Power issue.
Jimmy Choo (2014) An inspiration to a generation of forward-thinking designers, the Penang-born shoemaking icon stays on the move in both life and work. Published in Surface Asia’s Asian Power issue.
Manish Arora (2014) Creating wild wearables for the likes of Lady Gaga and M.I.A, Manish Arora celebrates life through his exuberant designs, one candy-coloured embellishment at a time.
Ng Sek San (2014) Founded by Malaysian landscape designer Ng Sek San, Sekeping is an experimental hotel brand that puts a twist on the conventional boutique hotel template. Published in Surface Asia’s Asian Power issue.
Memo from Kuala Lumpur (2014) My take on design and architecture highlights in Malaysia’s capital, as requested by Interior Design magazine. Happy to oblige!
Water World (2014) Luxury hotelier COMO’s coral propagation programme at Cocoa Island, Maldives lets you leave a part of yourself in paradise while doing the environment a world of good. Published in Surface Asia magazine.
Net Value (2013) Sustainable carpet-maker Interface aims to purge the Filipino waters of discarded fishing nets with Net-works, an inspiring new product range that turns one man’s trash into another man’s treasure. Published in Dwell Asia magazine.
Mighty Machines (2013) Armed with a can-do attitude and a daringly playful approach, Thai studio Supermachine injects a dose of whimsy into big and small projects alike. I interviewed founder Pitupong Chaowakul for Surface Asia magazine.
Travel Feature: Kuala Lumpur (2013) For an intimate glimpse into Kuala Lumpur’s colourful side, skip the taxis and tour buses – a bicycle and a good road map are all you need to get up close and personal with the inner workings of the vibrant Malaysian capital. Published in Colours, Inflight magazine of Garuda Indonesia Airlines.
Shipping News (2013) Specialising in high-grade recycled timbers, a Sydney-based imports company’s refreshing take on a fabled mercantile tradition is enabling architects and designers a new sustainable means of expression. Posted on habitusliving.com.
Natural Logic (2013) Milan-based Studio Ito’s future forward designs instil a newfound appreciation for nature by celebrating the beauty of imperfection. Published in Surface Asia magazine.
Modern Day Rites (2011) The turbulent inner workings of the Malaysian cultural landscape serve as creative fodder for The Light Surgeons’ live cinema performance, Super Everything. Published in Surface Asia magazine.
I Sleep in Taxis (2010) A bird’s eye view into the life and work of then emerging Dutch media artist Daan Roosegaarde. Prior to appearing in a recently published monograph on Roosegaarde titled Interactive Landscapes and published by Rotterdam-based NAi Publishers, an unbridged version of this article was included in a small catalogue launched on the occasion of his first permanent interactive work, Dune.
For a bite-size glimpse of Interactive Landscapes, click here.
Happy Together (2009) What do increased migration and heightened mobility mean for urban life in the long term? Does cultural hybridity prompt innovation or mass-homogenization? How can design help us live together better? On a chilly afternoon in Rotterdam, I met up with Kees Christiaanse, curator of the 4th Architecture Biennale Rotterdam, to discuss some of the most dire challenges faced by the cities of today. Published in Blueprint Asia magazine, Malaysia.
Hussein Chalayan: From Fashion and Back (2009) A review of the Hussein Chalayan retrospective, From Fashion and Back. The exhibition ran from January 22 to May 17 at the Design Museum in London. Published in Blueprint Asia magazine, Malaysia.
Interview with Michael Rakowitz (2009) American artist Michael Rakowitz continues to attract international attention for politically charged, Fluxus-inspired works which prod at the existing social dynamics of the urban environment. I spoke to Rakowitz about his practice of facilitating discourse on social issues via in situ art, his obsession with visionary architecture and how five boxes of imported dates reestablished his connection with his Iraqi-Jewish roots. Published in Blueprint Asia magazine, Malaysia.
Maas Appeal (2009) MVRDV co-founder Winy Maas is easily one of the most energetic personalities in the business. During a post-lecture drive to the airport in Kuala Lumpur, the Dutch architect shared his thoughts on sustainability, MVRDV’s upcoming projects and why he thinks the Future is Now. Published in Blueprint Asia magazine, Malaysia.
Notes from the Singapore Art Biennale 2008 Published in Blueprint Asia magazine, Malaysia.
Alvar Aalto through the eyes of Shigeru Ban (2007) A review of the 2007 exhibition for the green architecture/design site, http://www.inhabitat.com.
Adele Chong 