Art Nouveau luminescence for a tower in Singapore

Klimt Cairnhill stands at 71 Cairnhill Road, in Singapore’s District 9, one of the city’s most prestigious residential areas, close to Orchard Road. Built on the former Cairnhill Mansions site, the tower rises 36 storeys and comprises 138 apartments. The development is promoted by Glopeak Development, a subsidiary of Low Keng Huat Singapore, with architecture by DP Architects and landscape design by STX Landscape Architects. DP Architects opted for a curved geometry rather than the conventional rectangular floor plan typically associated with residential towers, giving the building a distinctive presence on the Cairnhill skyline. Sinuous surfaces and golden elements create a rich, dynamic appearance inspired by the paintings of the renowned Austrian artist: a kind of vertical sculpture whose appearance changes with the light. The project also explores the concept of a “botanic tower”, with gardens and green spaces distributed across different levels, including the Garden Court, the Oasis on the fifth floor and the Horizon Terrace on the fourteenth. At the heart of the development, an Anglo-Malay bungalow dating from 1902 has been preserved, restored and converted into a clubhouse.

The restoration of original features, including wooden flooring and decorative cement tiles, strengthens the dialogue between the site’s heritage, the landscape and the new architecture. The façade plays a central role in defining the building’s identity. It is clad in large-format porcelain stoneware slabs by Atlas Plan, the Atlas Concorde brand specialising in large ceramic surfaces. The Calacatta Antique collection was selected for the project, in the 162 × 324 cm format with a Polished finish. Its ivory-white background, crossed by grey, beige and orange veining, evokes the aesthetic qualities of natural marble and transforms the cladding into a genuine architectural skin. “Klimt Cairnhill is an ultra-luxury development. Thanks to Atlas Plan’s Calacatta Antique slabs, the façade immediately conveys the exclusivity and timeless elegance of Italian marble,” explains Philip Tan, Development Manager of Klimt Cairnhill.

In addition to the façade, the large-format slabs were used in the entrance drop-off area and to clad the exterior of the emergency staircase, from the fifth floor down to street level. Resistance to mechanical stresses, weathering and temperature fluctuations, together with long-term stability, confirms porcelain stoneware as a solution capable of combining technical performance with aesthetic quality. Material continuity was also a distinctive design feature of the interiors. Atlas Plan Grey Stone slabs, again in the 162 × 324 cm format but with a Silk finish, were selected for the kitchen worktops in the apartments. The surface, in a deep, uniform shade of grey, features lighter veining that enhances its depth and elegance.

In the luxury residential sector, porcelain stoneware is establishing itself not simply as an alternative to natural stone, but as a design material capable of providing large, continuous surfaces, aesthetic appeal, durability and ease of maintenance. “In Singapore, the trend is shifting decisively towards porcelain stoneware for worktops. This material offers easier installation than natural stone, simple maintenance and long-lasting durability,” explains the design team at Glopeak Development Pte Ltd. Klimt Cairnhill demonstrates how large-format ceramic slabs can help define the overall architectural language of a building, establishing continuity between the building envelope and interior design while bringing together aesthetic identity, technical performance and quality of living.