The restrooms are situated in a cluster of conservation shophouses called Cluny Court. The main building is distinctive for its decorative elements, representative of Singaporean shophouses in the early 1900s.

For the design, we wanted to challenge how the practice of conservation often creates “untouchable” objects. Instead, we leaned into the idea of tactility by etching the building façade ornaments onto stainless-steel sheets that wrap the walls of the common areas, making them accessible to the users.

These ornate decorations of the main building are influenced by multiple sources of different historical periods — Shanghai style roof tiles, Peranakan wall tiles, Neo-Classical inspired balcony and column details.  To extend this layered history further, we superimposed the ornaments upon each other to the point of distortion as though time itself has made its mark. At moments, the scratching untangles for some clarity — its hidden artifacts — the repeated oval of the balustrade, the circles of the ceramic roof capping piece and the underlying grid of tiles.

Further emphasising this element of time, the stainless-steel sheets bend and unfurl along the walls like a tapestry. This metal ribbon unravels seamlessly into the cubicle doors. They are designed to be flushed and full height, cladded with the same stainless steel with the etching pattern aligning throughout. Behind this metal scroll, visible from the spaces of privacy, is a manual for reading it. Here the ornaments are recorded in scale, serving as a reminder to have a second look at the façade users pass by every day.

One of the original inspirations for the design was the ornamental cast iron facades of Victorian and Edwardian public facilities in the 21st century. There was a desire to replicate this contrast between a very functional use purpose and its seemingly over extravagant treatment, only achievable through a repeatable manufacturing process.

In our case, we worked closely with metal fabricators to find a photosensitive etching method that could achieve the thin lines required for the design. We also worked hard to reduce the design to only three mold types without compromising the visual complexity.


Finally, the stainless-steel was hand brushed to reduce the contrast between the etching lines and the overall surface finish.

Finally, we chose a contrasting red travertine for the sanitary areas behind the stainless-steel ribbon. The stone was arranged and cut such that its veins laid horizontally to emphasize the layered effect.

Using the opportunity of recycled flowers from the Chinese New Year celebration, we staged a flower installation to further emphasize the transition from the more private travertine spaces into the stainless-steel clad public area.

Retail, Refurbishment
Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore
Copperdome
60 sqm / 645 sqft
Delivered September 2023
Amongst (Design)
Patriot Rose (Contractor)