4 studios
About the House
- 20 minutes to CBD and Orchard Road via public transport.
- 10 minutes by car.
Historic dwellings like conservation shophouses are repositories of memories, with previous lives and a past of their own. Ministry of Design explores history and our relationship with the past, present and future through the concept of layers in Canvas House at Blair Road.
Blurring the boundaries between space and object, MOD conceptually blanketed Canvas House with a layer of white that covers the past, and provides a canvas for the future. The house rhythmically reveals parts of its past, with Shadows of old timber as well as Layers of revealed brick and intricate details of pre-owned furniture.
At the same time, MOD invites visitors to imagine a future with Dream, a text-based neon piece that the studio created, with a quote by Thomas Jefferson that encapsulates MOD’s approach to Canvas House. The quote summarizes the attitude of the house; Colin explains, “It is a neutral white canvas for the future to be dreamt upon, rather than a wholesale homage to the past.”
About the Neighbourhood
Not too far from the sea and not too far from town, the historical residential district of Blair Plain is for those who prefer a quieter street with exciting places to visit nearby.
An independent coffee roaster, a restored Peranakan home turned museum, and even a classic barber tucked in an attic of a shophouse – the area is thriving, lively, and laidback at the same time.
For those interested in architecture, don’t forget to explore the different styles in the district, from ornamental facades of the ‘Late Style’ to more pared down Art Deco shophouses.
