Well yes (and fabulous, we might add), but our mission is the same: to bring you what matters most in design in Singapore and Asia. And what a fantastic mission it is.
On the cover of Cubes 85 is City Dining Room by Karya
Warehouse Hotel by Zarch Collaboratives and Asylum. Photo by Darren Soh (courtesy of Zarch Collaboratives)
National Taichung Theatre by Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects and Da-Ju Architects & Associates. Photo by Sergio Pirrone
Naoko Takenouchi and Marc Webb. Photo by Justin Loh
Ibis Styles Hotel Macpherson by A D Lab. Photo by Masano Kawana (courtesy of A D Lab)
City Dining Room by Karya
Alan Barr of greymatters. Photo by Justin Loh
Uber Hong Kong by Bean Buro. Photo courtesy of Bean Buro
Javier Perez, Ben Gattie and Saranta Gattie at The Working Capitol on Keong Saik. Photo by Tawan Conchonnet
31 March, 2017
It’s fitting that the theme of Cubes issue 85 (Apr/May) is hospitality, because in a new environment – even on the page – we always look for a comfort zone and a sign that we’re welcome. You’ll find plenty of welcoming signs as you flip through our pages. Our new format brings you everything you love about Cubes and more. But while we’re looking at our industry and our region with the same curious, research-driven and conversational lens, we’re presenting the results in a concise – and we think slick – new package.
This issue we tackle hospitality from numerous angles. What happens when designers become restaurateurs? We ask Alan Barr of greymatters. What do we need more of in social spaces, according to entrepreneurs in the F&B and co-working sectors? We throw some questions to Javier Perez (Series of Intentions) and Ben and Saranta Gattie (The Working Capitol). Is ‘theme’ a dirty word in restaurant design? We see how EDG handles it (Fat Prince and The Ottoman Room). Is it attention to design details that makes or breaks a hospitality space? Absolutely, according to Takenouchi Webb. Can conversations be engineered by the shape of a table? Bean Buro thinks so (Uber Hong Kong office).
We also look at transformation. How do architects and designers deal with the complex process of turning historic structures into hosts for hotel ventures? We see how A D Lab (Ibis Style Hotel) and Zarch Collaboratives and Asylum (Warehouse Hotel) tackled things. Could a theatre perform like a park? It can if it was designed by Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects (with Da-Ju Architects & Associates, National Taichung Theatre).
Do we need to rethink the food court and the hawker centre? Sure do, say Karya and our regular columnist Justin Zhuang; we should demand a better experience. Should hotel brands keep diversifying to give the people what they want? We present the views of Claus Sendlinger (Design Hotels). And what are the limits of hospitality? Could our next holiday destination be outer space? It might just be.
There’s plenty to digest in Cubes 85 so grab a copy, make yourself at home, and enjoy the issue! My thanks to the whole Cubes and Indesign Media team – and our very valued contributors – for all their input and efforts on this revamped issue of Cubes.
Note by Editor Narelle Yabuka.
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