Blossom, an international Asian cuisine restaurant, is one of the many restaurants that sets foot in Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore. As a 550-square-metre space, its footprint is rather miniscule compared to the vast and extensive lobby where it is located. Many restaurants in this case, whether in large hotel lobbies, shopping mall atria, food courts, or airports, are usually designed to be as open as possible. These restaurants are common to be only bounded by low partitions, which usually function to demarcate the dining space so that it does not interfere with the overall circulation.

Recently, compact design has gained much popularity as a solution to a denser and more expensive space in cities around the world. In terms of functionality, compact design boasts its spatial flexibility—being able to cover multiple needs within one space. If most compact designs are usually applied for residential buildings, the recently finished Deloitte Center for the Edge (Asia Pacific) office in Singapore explores the possibilities of this design approach for a shared space.

With the development of material technology these days, architects and interior designers are enabled to deliver designs of various ambiance and forms. In many cases, this convenience ends with instant designs, which are done without thoughtful considerations and only to pursue trending looks and forms. It is no wonder that many designs these days are alike, if not, mundane, and at times without a context.

DP Architects and its group of companies announce the appointment of Ms. Angelene Chan as its Chairman and Mr. Seah Chee Huang as its Chief Executive Officer, effective from 1 February 2021. This new appointment is part of the leadership renewal and continuity plan for the 1000-strong multidisciplinary design practice, as it moves into its next phase of growth.