Ministry of Design Merges Banking and Biophilia at a Citibank Wealth-Management Center in Singapore
June 9, 2021
By Rebecca Dalzell
Money plants, parlor palms, and bird’s nest ferns are among the tropical species filling the conservatory at Citi Wealth Hub, a wealth-management center in Singapore by Ministry of Design. Photography by KHOOGJ.
The founder and director of Ministry of Design, Colin Seah, admits that his firm was not an obvious choice to design a high-end bank. “We’re a bit of a black sheep,” he says. “It’s our natural impulse to be slightly rebellious and question convention.” The Singaporean architect has earned accolades for such edgy constructions as the Race Robotics Laboratory, a futuristic black cave, and the piercing triangular Vanke Triple V Gallery. Investment banks, by contrast, favor plush but predictable interiors. Yet Citibank Singapore was ready for a change when it held a competition to create the Citi Wealth Hub, a wealth-management cent
Shophouses have always had a cool factor about them. But these icons of Southeast Asian architecture are now sought-after by local and foreign investors alike for reasons beyond that
When you think of Singapore, the things that come to mind immediately are its multi-cultural cuisine, swanky malls and high-rise residences. Amidst these, and in complete contrast, are its bold, bright and ornate shophouses. As the name suggests, these often two- to three-level buildings, have shops on the lower levels and residences above they used to house the merchants and owners of these shops in the 19th century. They are an integral part of Singapore’s heritage, and for years now locals and foreign investors have been vying for a piece of that pie.
The facade of the Shang House, a rental property marketed by Figment. Image: Ivan Tan, courtesy of Figment
May 10, 2021
KHOOGJ
Money doesn’t grow on trees, so the old adage goes – yet Citibank’s latest wealth hub is making flora and fortunes flourish in tandem.
The bank’s largest wealth advisory centre to date and its first in Singapore, Citi Wealth Hub is shaking up the staid, carpet-and-frosted-glass look of your traditional banking institution.
An unexpected ode to the riches of nature, this 2,787-sqm financial hub on Orchard Road is lush greenhouse first, functional office second.
Dubbed a ‘banking conservatory’ by acclaimed local firm Ministry of Design (MOD), this concept was the winning entry in a global competition by Citibank Singapore.
The conceptual alabaster space was conceived by Ministry of Design (Photo: Courtesy of Figment)
What sparked the idea for Figment?
Fang Low: I wanted to help bring back shophouse living, and the first step in establishing Figment was to take a risk and reinvent the very same shophouse I grew up in as a boutique home for co-living. Local design firm Ministry of Design had the radical vision of painting the entire house white as a blank canvas for us to start writing this chapter in reimagining shophouses and the neighbourhoods around them.
What do you love about living in shophouses?