I felt very honoured to be invited as a feng shui consultant
for DUO Residences, a S$ 3 billion mixed development in the Bugis precinct that
combines prime residences, Grade A offices, a five-star hotel and 80,000 square
feet of retail spaces.
This was no ordinary challenge as DUO is situated in between a
rock and a hard place—Parkview Square and the Gateway respectively. These two
local properties are well-known more for their feng shui ramifications
than their aesthetic appeal. The average person’s understanding of feng shui
is that buildings should be constructed in a harmonious way, and that sharp
edges directed at your property are heavily frowned upon. How then can I work
with DUO’s developer, M+S Pte Ltd (the joint venture company formed by Temasek
Holdings and Khazanah Nasional) and the world-renowned architect, Bruno Ole
Schereen, on constructing harmony in spite of the gigantic Parkview Square
restricting qi flow, and the two massive,
sharp edges in the East and West wings of the Gateway? Once we overcome these,
we can truly maximise DUO’s prime location and connectivity.
DUO Residences
Image© Buro Ole Scheeren
Before going into the details, I must first say that I’m very
impressed and satisfied with Ole Schereen’s interpretation of the task—he
designed two stunning beauties which go beyond being merely iconic
embellishments of Singapore’s skyline, more importantly, their circular open
spaces create harmony, bringing balance to the Ophir-Rochor area and peace to
the people living and working there.
When faced with two imposing structures, many may think of
creating something that is even more striking, to overpower the existing
Gateway and Parkview Square. But that is really not how feng shui should
be practiced. Harmony is the key to peace and a sinuous energy flow. So what we
need to do is overcome the immense pressure and excessive qi tunnelled
by Gateway’s two sharp edges. We want to rechannel this qi, but yet
retain some of the qi to be circulated through the development.
qi flows
Image© Buro Ole Scheeren
It’s great that Schereen focused on creating spaces instead
of creating masses. His touch of genius was creating circular open spaces that
give the entire development the ability to “breathe”. On its own, qi
cannot be seen as good or bad, it is the balance and organization of qi
that is important. Too much qi makes
occupants nervous and stressful, but a lack of it would make the entire
development feel listless.
circular open spaces
Image© Buro Ole Scheeren
Breaking free of the rock and the hard place through the
concept of harmony and balance is like two people practicing tai ji. The overarching idea is to
create and maintain a balance, by connecting the minds and bodies of these two
individuals. The same goes for buildings, reduce the imposing feel if it’s
overpowering, and add some commanding presence if it is lacking in the area.
Schereen agrees, though he feels that the construction is more akin to two
people dancing. He says Singapore is increasingly dominated by isolated
concrete towers, leaving us more socially excluded than connected, an irony
given that Singapore is ranked as one of Asia’s most livable cities! Whether
it’s practicing tai ji or dancing, the idea is to move in sync and in
harmony.
tai ji - the concept of harmony and balance
Image© Buro Ole Scheeren
That DUO can break
free and emerge from in between the rock and the hard place signifies much
more. Part of a land parcel exchange agreement signed in 2010 between Prime
Minister Lee of Singapore and Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia, DUO was quickly
alluded to as the exemplar for future collaborations between the two countries.
This joint venture is symbolic of how both countries can work together for the
benefit of future generations, thawing the frosty relationship over the last
five decades. Besides DUO, Marina One and other projects in Iskandar (Malaysia)
will likely bring the two countries ever closer. We can do our part to boost
this process by consciously creating harmony and balance in these developments!
