St James Power Station, a glorious industrial power house of Singapore, is now a notable heritage icon in Singapore and a successful example of adaptive reuse. It is important to pay homage to the historical architecture while integrating the heritage trail and gallery with a renewed landscape and interior of the Dyson office. The design direction of the gallery aims to showcase the value of heritage through the legacy of its materials and artefacts.
Moving towards the future, it is pivotal to give the heritage a new lustre and patina. The use of corten steel for the outdoor interpretive panels is reminiscent of the distinctive red brick façade. New materials such as steel beams and granite are introduced to complement and enhance the site’s material palette. The interior design of the upper-level floor slabs in the Dyson office made use of layered wood and white painted finishes, which inspired the principle of cohesively layering and overlapping various materials in the indoor gallery. The L-wall of the gallery features a niche wall with various elements which curate the visitor’s journey into one that has layers of discovery and exploration.
The design intent is to craft a coherent visitor journey of discovery with clear navigation by connecting various themes through a simple and timeless spatial approach. Our evidence-based approach to design defines the design language to allow the new elements to merge with ethe xisting fabric, ensuring that the historical artefacts take precedence throughout the heritage trail. The intuitive access to information creates a seamless self-discovery route.