The Twin-Lah

Looking up towards the Mont-Blanc from Thônex (Geneva, Switzerland) The Twin-Lah isn’t just a project for a house, it is the narration of a story.

Since the very first sketches, the requirements of the clients led the narration and the process through which the house was designed. Living at that time in Singapore, one of the clients’ main wishes was to bring a piece of his hometown back to Switzerland, to contribute to the design of his home for retirement.

With the name “The Twin-Lah” G8A + collinfontaine wink at the colloquial Singaporean dialect Singlish; a mix of six languages that represent the cosmopolitan state of Singapore. And through the façade’s warm pigmentation and texture, is evoked traditional Singaporean shophouses.

The design of the residence establishes a dialogue with its surroundings, playing with strong contrast in order to take place within the neighborhood and the community. As requested by the client, the project includes a villa orientated to enhance the view of the Mont-Blanc and a smaller house to be rented. Similar to the “Twin House” project completed 10 years’ prior, G8A + collinfontaine integrate rather than duplicate the houses producing a single entity with imperceptible separations.

The garden was to remain untouched, so after discussion the house was finally set in a radical gesture, directly against the property’s boundary. Then conceived as a stack of 3 “T” shaped structures, absorbing force from its surrounding context to articulate in and outdoor spaces.

Designed as a sensitive object that responds to its context and to the personal narrative of its owner, this project appears as the storytelling of a Singaporean pink house conceived, adapted and placed, after careful consideration, at the foot of the Mont-Blanc. Powerful contrasts create architectural challenges that The Twin-Lah balances harmoniously.

G8A Architecture & Urban Planning
Partner: collinfontaine architects