THE POWER LIST 2007 FASHION & DESIGN
THE name Woha Architects popped up on nearly everyone's lips when Life! asked architects and industry experts for people who have made a mark in the architectural field this year.
TOWERING ACHIEVEMENTS: Wong Mun Summ (left) and Richard Hassell have propelled their architectural firm Woha to great heights. -- ST PHOTO: ALAN LIM
Wong Mun Summ, 45, and Richard Hassell, 41
Founding directors of Woha Architects
Yet, Wong and Hassell seemed surprised when told of this. In fact, Wong jokes that 'it's because we've been so overexposed'.
We think not. The architects, who founded Woha in 1994, must be doing something right.
Wong is a National University of Singapore graduate and Hassell graduated from RMIT University in Melbourne. They have 18 years of experience each.
The name Woha is an amalgamation of their surnames, Wong and Hassell. The partners share the same office space and both oversee each project they do. Though they share the same vision, they do not finish each other's sentences. Instead, each lets the other speak his mind.
The award-winning firm continued its winning streak this year.
REDEFINING DESIGN: The modern-looking Church of St Mary of the Angels in Bukit Batok (above) won the President's Design Award last year. -- PHOTO: PRESIDENT'S DESIGN AWARD 2006
Hassell says one of the biggest prizes won this year was the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for its residential project, 1 Moulmein Rise. The development features monsoon windows in each apartment, which are special horizontal structures to let the breeze in but keep out the rain. The architects each have apartments there.
The award, held once every three years, has a prize fund of US$500,000 (S$739,000), making it the largest architectural prize. This is the first time a Singapore project has won it.
'It got us a lot of media coverage worldwide and even got us onto the BBC,' says Hassell. Wong adds that the triumph got the firm interest from Middle East clients, and even a home owner in Spain wanted Woha to design his home.
The firm's most recent win was also for 1 Moulmein Rise, which won Design of the Year at the President's Design Award this year. The annual award is Singapore's highest accolade for designers and designs.
NO PANE, NO GAIN: 1 Moulmein Rise, which features monsoon windows (left) that keeps rain out while allowing air to circulate, won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and the Design of the Year award the President's Design Award this year. -- PHOTO: AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTUREThis is the second time that Woha has won it. Last year, it won the same award for the modern-looking Church of St Mary of the Angels in Bukit Batok.
Hassell points out that they are now getting awards for buildings that they designed several years ago. 'Winning shows that our buildings have longevity,' he says.
The architects say their fear is when the firm gets too commercialised and loses its innovative streak.
From a firm of two, they now have a staff of 80 in Singapore, in South Bridge Road, and five in Thailand. 'We are bigger now but we have shown that we can still be creative and innovative,' says Wong.
Upcoming projects that will be completed within the next year or two include Iluma, an entertainment centre in Bugis, and the School of the Arts in Selegie.
A recently completed residential project is Newton Suites, which boasts a 30-storey wall covered with creepers and other plants, which is possibly the first in the world. The architects have also put in gardens at the lift lobbies.
With green issues now the hot topic, we won't be surprised if Woha continues to win big time next year.
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