See how Singapore-based architect Gary Chang has redesigned his tiny apartment using sliding function-heavy partitions of the dwelling.
Singapore architect Gary Chang has devised an intense interior reprogramming of his tiny apartment, collapsing functionality into a series of shifting vertical planes, all packed into a fairly typical high-rise residential block.
The 32 square-metre apartment, which is nested among hundreds of similar cell-like dwellings has been kitted out with functional sliding panels, each housing a typical function, the kithcen, pantry or entertainment centre for example, and each revealing and creating new surfaces and spaces for Chang to adjust his home.
The idea is not especially new, but its rarely pulled-off, probably because of the obvious effort required to maintain the mechanics, as well as being bothered to haul your walls around when you need to watch a DVD or cook an egg. People are lazy, they say. But, like a great teacher I know of says about the 'short attention span of a student' being the short attention span of a
bored student, I'd like to think that even the act of living in this sort of environment would stimulate a bit of pro-active living, rather than the distracted or languid styles of occupation most of us can admit to now and then.
To combat the eternal heaving of walls, it's interesting that the main moving panels are suspended from the ceiling, meaning they're much easier to slide across, and to me, seem to evoke a theatricality to the interior, which is compounded by the bizarre choice of tinting the windows with a warm yellow. All up, the space(s) are far from anything 'domestic' and maybe with this combination of effects, can actually provoke a more active interaction with the apartment.
The space looking from the entrance, with the 'shelves' spread out. Photo Marcel Lam
A diagram of the space.
The cleared out living area with bookcase on left and kitchen at right.
The laundry snuck in behind the bookcase (left) and looking back towards kitchen and entry.
You can check out a few more images
here (photographs by Marcel Lam for the NYT), and a nice
walk through description, from the New York Times which illustrate some of varying spaces and functions.
You can also get a
video tour here, which is pretty neat.
I don't know though, is it just me or should buildings stay still? Let me know Calatrava... let me know.