Design News: Wunderground retail festival, Peranakan-themed hotel stays and Archifest line-up
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Visitors to Wunderground can enjoy tasty cuisine and live entertainment.
PHOTO: WUNDERGROUND
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Shop, eat and experience local brands at Wunderground
The Wunderground festival, which is on until October, offers a new way to shop, eat and experience home-grown brands.
The new lifestyle festival, a three-year retail programme organised by the Singapore Retailers Association (SRA), is not simply a showcase of Singapore designs.
It also corrals the collective talent of local artists, creatives and design schools to feature visually stunning merchandise and interactive art installations to add zest to the shopping experience.
Wunderground aims to be a platform for local lifestyle brands to showcase their collaborations and drive brand awareness through limited-edition offerings that will be available only during the festival’s run.
SRA hopes this will help rejuvenate the retail scene and attract shoppers who are looking for something fresh.
The 2023 edition is the first of three annual festivals planned under the Wunderground initiative. The first will focus on promoting the collaboration of local brands, the second on creating a flagship shopping event for residents, and the third will feature overseas brands.
Expect to pick from more than 50 local retail brands such as soya wax candle stockist MellowOver, eco-friendly soap maker Clean Folks Club and artisanal gifts brand Maverick Made. Also, enjoy home-made cuisine and suss out exclusive collaborations.
It is not only about merchandise and grub. There are also immersive experiences with stage performances, tattoo sessions and tarot card readings.
The first iteration in 2023 will be divided into two distinct parts – the City Experience at Emerald Hill and the Heartland Experience at Tampines West.
Info: Go to wundergroundsg.com
Peranakan heritage experience at The Fullerton Hotel
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and The Intan, a private Peranakan home museum, have teamed up to offer a Peranakan-inspired accommodation experience.
PHOTO: THE FULLERTON HOTEL SINGAPORE
Guests of the Fullerton Hotel Singapore who choose the Peranakan Heritage Stay package will be treated to a Heritage Room that has been specially decorated to showcase a blend of Chinese and Malay cultures.
Peranakan culture started in South-east Asia in the 15th century in Melaka, when Chinese traders married local women, forging a hybrid ethnic group. From Melaka, Peranakan culture spread to other parts of the region including Singapore, Penang and Indonesia.
The hotel partnered Mr Alvin Yapp, founder of The Intan, an award-winning private Peranakan heritage museum in Joo Chiat, to curate a multi-sensorial experience that includes interiors, art and cuisine.
Heritage Rooms feature Peranakan floral motifs and batik designs in furnishings, as well as decorative ceramics and porcelain with distinctive Peranakan designs.
There is also a selection of handmade cookies in familiar Peranakan flavours such as ondeh ondeh (rice balls with a lava core of brown sugar) and hae bee hiam (spicy dried prawns).
The Peranakan afternoon tea at The Courtyard offers an array of traditional favourites.
PHOTO: THE FULLERTON HOTEL SINGAPORE
The room package also allows guests to enjoy Peranakan afternoon tea at The Courtyard, which has a line-up of classics such as kueh pie tee (crispy pastry shells with savoury filling) and mackerel otah (spicy grilled fish paste) served with cucumber sandwiches.
Guests will also get a pair of complimentary passes to the Peranakan Museum, a museum and gallery in Armenian Street.
Info: The Fullerton Hotel Singapore’s Peranakan Heritage Stay package is available from $600++ a night. To book, e-mail tfs.reservations@fullertonhotels.com
Archifest returns with more than 80 design events
Archifest, the signature festival of the Singapore Institute of Architects, returns with more than 80 events across the island.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE ARCHIFEST 2023
Singapore Archifest, the signature festival of the Singapore Institute of Architects, returns with more than 80 specially curated events.
The line-up of programmes in the 17th edition of the annual month-long event, which is on until Oct 28, starts from the Kampong Glam heritage district and fans out across the island. It is centred on the idea of “Interim: Acts of Adaptation”.
The 2023 theme invites visitors to revisit the built environment as being in constant flux, an interim state that allows adaptation in the form of experimental design and tinkering with architecture to address urgent urban issues.
Mr Melvin Tan, president of the institute, which is also celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2023, says the event presents an opportunity to reflect on past achievements that have shaped Singapore architecture and look at what lies ahead.
“With every iteration of Archifest, we look forward to cultivating a more design-conscious society and vibrant creative culture, aiding us as we strive towards developing Singapore as a global design capital,” he adds.
Visitors can look forward to design installations, outdoor exploration games, architectural tours and a conference featuring local and global leaders, such as Mr Teo Yee Chin of local firm Red Bean Architects and Mr Craig Miller of London-based Heatherwick Studio.
Info: Register for the Archifest Conference at str.sg/iqsw archifest.sg
