Singapore Supergarden

The DesignSingapore Council presents the Singapore Supergarden at the 11th. International Architectural Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia from 14 September - 23 November 2008. In line with the theme of this year's exhibition «Out There: Architecture Beyond Building» the Singapore Pavilion is displaying the up-and-coming designers of the city state with special focus on a selected group of young creative talents.

Singapore Supergarden is a forum for young Singapore designers across a number of design areas – a meeting place for involvement in a general discourse on design and architecture. The auditory and visual networks of designer interaction are captured in the form of installations and consequently become a provocative interaction with design, architecture and the creative scene in Singapore.

Documented dialogues provide insights into local design thinking, cultures and processes which highlight the interconnections within the scene. The influence of various creative areas in shaping new architectural thinking is presented, similarly to the culture which is formed by Singapore's multi-cultural heritage.

«The Singapore Supergarden articulates the dynamic and vibrant nature of Singapore’s architecture and design community. It showcases the on-going interdisciplinary partnerships, encounters and conversations that shape Singapore design today. This presentation has been curated by a group of young Singapore designers and reveals a more inclusive design process in keeping with our global outlook,» said Dr Milton Tan, Commissioner of the Singapore Pavilion and Director, DesignSingapore Council.

Following an open call for nominations, three architectural groups, comprising FARMWORK, Design Act and ReallyArchitecture [re:act], were selected to develop a presentation on Singapore’s new emerging architectural thinking. Working together, the architectural groups developed the SINGAPORE SUPERGARDEN concept to capture the networks of influence among the new generation of designers.

The main installation at the SINGAPORE SUPERGARDEN draws visitors into the Pavilion through a continuous green surface from the exterior of the walled space. In the courtyard, this surface forms a footpath with park benches in a garden setting. In the main exhibition room, the surface is transformed into a table that stretches across the entire space.

The 22 individuals and design groups each contribute a self-designed object that is placed along the table. These are connected to one another through a web of lines linking the influence each object has in shaping other design groups.

Building on the presentation’s theme of capturing design thoughts through dialogue, visitors are encouraged to contribute to the design dialogue by sharing their thoughts on leaf-shaped mementos that will be hung at the exhibition space.