Described by developer Wing Tai Holdings Limited Deputy Chairman Edmund Cheng as a love affair between himself and Japanese architect Toyo Ito, Belle Vue Residences is not just another luxury property development in Singapore. The legendary architect, who also designed the city-state's Vivocity mall, graced the project with his presence at the launch proper in September, 2010. This was of course a nice touch considering that Cheng courted Ito and convinced him to grace Belle Vue Residences with his vision.
Ito (pictured below) is much more than a purveyor of mall style, as those familiar with his work in Japan will know. A famous proponent of conceptual architecture, Ito thinks of his designs as "clothing" for city dwellers and simultaneously tries to express the interior and the exterior. "Architecture should be a sort of media-clothing, which is necessary in order for man to have a relationship with and integrate himself into the environment." This is amply evident in the shape and structure of Belle Vue Residences. At the launch of the luxury development, Ito himself confirmed that one of his aims was to bring the outside inside, and vice versa, thus eliminating or at least redefining boundaries.
Standing amidst the splendour of Belle Vue Residences' nine five-storey apartment blocks, the truth of Ito's words is plainly evident. Common area water features spill over and meet individual residences in such a way that one cannot tell where anything begins or ends. The blocks even look to be floating on the water. Similarly, greenery is not confined to a corner or even a central location, instead sprawling all across the property. With plants arranged for show on individual units by the developer, it even seems like the green areas outside have found a way into the homes.
The visual effect of Belle Vue Residences is made a little surreal thanks to the underwater lights and lantern shaped pole lights, a lighting concept by French consultant L'Observatoire. In its official documentation, Wing Tai says that the living spaces were "designed to parallel nature's branching pattern, seamlessly integrating interior and exterior spaces." Large windows on all sides of every apartment add to this vaunted transparent appeal.
Inside one of the 176 freehold units, those same windows lead one to feel completely enveloped by nature yet comfortingly screened by it as well. The naturally finished floors of the living and dining areas and the exotic timber strip flooring of the bedrooms also adds to the feeling of having invited nature into the home. Without exception, everything here feels organic, like it wasn't so much built as grown. Asked about this, Ito said he felt people need to be a part of the natural world and this guided his design philosophy. His first venture into residential territory outside Japan, Belle Vue Residences certainly lives up to his reputation.
"Good design means not to design, not to make shapes deliberately. My inspiration was to create a dwelling environment that enables us to rediscover our intimate relationship with nature, extending the tranquility of the outdoors into personal living spaces," said Ito.
Despite this assertion, Belle Vue Residences is indeed well designed, which you may have inferred from the above passages and the pictures. Aside from the flooring described above, all bedrooms also feature walk-ins from Ximula, while all bathrooms come with fine marble flooring and sanitary ware from Duravit and fittings from Hansgrohe. The kitchen in every unit comes fully equipped with built-in cabinets from Siematic and a full range of appliances from Miele, including cooker hob and hood, oven, steam oven, dishwasher and coffee machine.
Given that Belle Vue Residences recently received its Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP), and can be both bought and moved into immediately, it is perhaps appropriate to take a break from waxing lyrical and provide some hard facts.
The total site area is 248,000 sqf and it is hidden away within Singapore's District 9, in the Orchard-Oxley neighborhood. There are seven two-bedroom units (1,300-2,300 sqf), 103 three-bedroom units (1,500-4,200sqf), 62 four-bedroom units (2,000-4,800 sqf), one five-bedroom unit (5,400sqf) and two penthouses (4,800-5,000 sqf).
Location
- 15 to 33 Oxley Walk, Singapore
Tenure
- Freehold
Site area
- 23,003.50 sq m (247,609 sq ft )
Units
- 176, Total
- 7 2-bedroom (1,300-2,300 sqf)
- 103 3-bedroom (1,500-4,200sqf)
- 62 4-bedroom (2,000-4,800 sqf)
- 1 5-bedroom (5,400sqf)
- 2 Penthouses (4,800-5,000 sqf)
Facilities
- Barbeque Area
- Children's Pool
- Children's Playground
- Clubhouse
- Courtyard Garden
- Gymnasium
- Jacuzzi
- Leisure Lounge
- Multi-purpose Games Court
- Multi-purpose Room
- Steam and Sauna Rooms (with changing rooms)
- Theatrette
- Viewing Veranda
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