Unit 8
Unit 8 is a small apartment building consisting of eight units that was completed in 1983. It is widely regarded as a path-breaking building of postmodernism in Singapore. If restrained coherence and consistency are what characterise the two houses, Unit 8 is defined by an exuberant contrasting duality. The front elevation facing Holland Flyover is rather solid and flat, punctuated with small openings, whereas the back elevation oriented towards a leafy neighbourhood consisting of low-rise landed properties is porous and sculptural, dominated by large wavy balconies. While the contrast between the front and the back can be understood in relation to site response, they also prefigure the even more exuberant postmodern architectural collages that William Lim Associates were to produce in the subsequent years.
Locations: 71 Holland Road
Architects: William S. W. Lim and Richard Ho of William Lim Associates
Year: 1984
Status: Not conserved
Last modified on 4 May 2021. Description by Chang Jiat Hwee, edited by Justin Zhuang. Description adapted from Chang Jiat Hwee, “Pioneer Architects, Pioneering Houses,” The Singapore Architect 13 (2018), 118-131.
