8 famous architect-designed condos in Singapore: Are they profitable?

When we think about investing in a condo, we usually consider things like location, price, and amenities. But what about the architect behind the design? Does a big-name architect make a difference to the sales and profits of a condo? In this article, we will be looking at some of the most well-known condos in Singapore that were designed by famous architects.

Just like how the iconic Marina Bay Sands, designed by celebrated architect Moshe Safdie, has become a landmark in Singapore, can a famous architect's design do the same for a residential project? And more importantly, can it bring good returns to its investors? Here's a look at how some of these iconic properties have fared:

Some widely recognised projects in the market

The following are some of the projects best known to Singaporeans, either by name or appearance. You've likely heard of these in the news, or passed by them at some point:

1. The Interlace & Duo Residences, by Ole Scheeren

Ole Scheeren is a German architect, who started designing furniture in his father's office when he was just 14, and completed his first architectural project at just 21. He has some ties and influence from Asia, having backpacked around rural China for three months in his twenties. He's lived in Beijing for some time and, if you follow celebrity news, you may know he used to date Maggie Cheung.

Two of his projects in Singapore are The Interlace and Duo Residences:

The Interlace

The Interlace is probably the most recognisable condo project in Singapore, as nothing else resembles it. From a distance, it looks more like a jumble of Lego bricks or shipping containers rather than a condo. 

However, the unusual layout allows for better ventilation and natural light; and in some parts of the condo, the various blocks help to "frame" an image of the surrounding greenery, or sunrises/sunsets on the horizon. The result is that it also has a lot of variations of unit types, from ground floor units with huge patios, to penthouses with an entire floor of outdoor space.

The Interlace is a mega-development with 1,040 units, and the location is much more convenient than it appears on paper. Although Labrador Park MRT station is technically the closest to it, residents can take bus 14 right outside the condo to Fusionopolis - from there they can use the One-North MRT to get to Holland V in just a single stop. 

In May 2022, average prices were at $1,406 psf, which rose by 10.1 per cent to $1,549 in May this year. 

The Interlace has seen 174 profitable transactions, and only 11 unprofitable transactions. 

Duo Residences

Duo Residences is an integrated development in the Bugis area, and is between two other (commercial) architectural icons: The Gateway and Parkview Square. The two towers are known for their organic curved shapes, and are designed to convey the impression of motion — akin to figures "dancing" with each other. 

Duo Residences was one of many projects that followed in the wake of the Ophir-Rochor Corridor plan. This is URA's plan to rejuvenate the Beach Road area, and Duo Residences was one of the earlier projects to capitalise on this. 

In recent years, Duo Residences has seen mounting competition from nearby integrated developments like Midtown Modern and Midtown Bay; but architecturally, Duo Residences is still the most recognisable Bugis-area project. 

In May 2022, average prices were at $2,042 psf, which rose by 21.1 per cent to $2,473 in May this year.

DUO Residences has seen 49 profitable transactions, and 12 unprofitable transactions so far. 

2. Reflections at Keppel Bay & Corals at Keppel Bay by Daniel Libeskind

Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind lost many members of his family during the Holocaust. He first rose to prominence for his work on the Berlin Museum, where his controversial structures served as a reminder of the event. He's most widely known in recent years for winning the international competition to rebuild the World Trade Centre site in New York City. 

Liebskind is well-known for his all-rounded creativity, and has other design works in sculpture, furniture, lighting, and even hardware. He was also a musician before he was an architect, having first moved to New York on a music scholarship in 1960. 

Reflections at Keppel Bay 

This project mirrors a reflection of buildings in the water, consisting of a series of curved towers that are 21 to 42 storeys high. The towers are connected by a series of sky bridges, and the rooftop gardens offer some of the best views of the namesake bay. One of the unique twists in Reflections at Keppel Bay is that, for the various towers, none of the floors are in exact alignment with the floor above or below it. 

There are 1,129 units here, which range from two-bedroom apartments, low-rise villa apartments, to a giant 13,000+ sq ft super penthouse.

In May 2022, average prices were at $1,790 psf, which fell 2.5 per cent to $1,744 psf in May this year.

Reflections has seen 73 profitable transactions, and 186 unprofitable transactions. 

This project does seem some very volatile price swings by the way. While it has a number of record losses, it also produces some shock winners, like this unit that sold for a profit of $6.6 million after one year. 

Corals at Keppel Bay 

Built for sustainability, Corals at Keppel Bay is best known for its organic appearance, and V-shaped layout that maximises the waterfront view. The reflecting pools around the project are used to cool the buildings, lowering energy costs such as air-conditioning. The project also has a sophisticated filtration system, that collects and recycles rainwater. The organic nature of the project challenges the notion of a home being just a "machine" for living. 

Corals at Keppel Bay has the NParks LEAF certification, after executing plans to preserve the coral habitats in waters near the project. 

In May 2022, average prices were at $1,932 psf, which rose 32 per cent to $2,558 psf in May this year. 

Corals at Keppel Bay has seen eight profitable transactions, and 11 unprofitable transactions. 

However, note that Corals is a luxury project that's not really bought for investment; it's for the pleasure of owner-occupancy. The quantum for even a 1,518 sq ft unit can reach over $3 million, and transactions of around $6 million are common. 

3. Sky Habitat & Boulevard 88 by Moshe Safdi

Moshe Safdi is an architect with Israeli, Canadian, and American citizenship. He rose to prominence after a project titled Habitat 67, at an international exhibition in Montreal. This was an experiment in prefabricated housing, and drew major interest in the years to come. 

Moshe Safdi's work emphasis green spaces and sustainability, and his projects often highlight gardens or other natural elements. This can be seen in the Changi Jewel's waterfall, as well as in projects like Marina Bay Sands. Due to these iconic projects, we'd venture that he's one of, if not the best-known architects in Singapore right now.

Sky Habitat 

Sky Habitat surprised many when it first launched, as the prize-winning architecture wasn't in a ritzy area like Tanglin, Orchard, or Sentosa — instead it was in Bishan. The unique condo resembles a series of terraces, and aims to recreate the communal nature of Singaporean living in the sky. 

Skybridges, an infinity pool at the very top of the development, and park-like spaces several storeys off the ground make full use of vertical space, and creates the aura of an entire hillside town or village. 

It was the most expensive suburban condo at launch. In 2012, prices were at around $2.18 million for a three bedder unit. This made the price point hard to swallow for most buyers at that point in time, and in 2014, Sky Habitat was relaunched with prices cut by 10 to 15 per cent. The new prices ranged between $1,276 and $1,590 per square foot, with the median price at around $1,377 per square foot.

In May 2022, average prices were at $1,526 psf, which rose 12.2 per cent to $1,713 psf in May this year. 

Sky Habitat has seen 60 profitable transactions, and 25 unprofitable transactions. 

Boulevard 88

In keeping with Sky Habitat, Boulevard 88 also has its best features above ground. The most distinct element is the Sky Boulevard, which links the two towers (titled the Boulevard Residence and the Orchard Residence respectively). It's the most similar looking to the iconic Marina Bay Sands, and probably the reason why this is so eye-catching to look at when you are in the Orchard area. The link is a communal space for families to gather, an exercise area, a landscaped garden, and a way to view the Orchard area skyline from the rooftop infinity pool.

This is a development with a hotel (the first Edition hotel in Singapore), with the entrance to Boulevard 88 via Orchard Boulevard instead of Cuscaden.

Boulevard 88 is probably the most profitable so far in terms of sub sale transactions. There have only been four transactions (all profitable), and no others have been recorded. These have all been for the 4 bedder units, and profits have ranged from $2.8 million to $3.8 million in April this year.

As an added quirk, note that only 25 per cent of the 156 units is owned by Singaporeans, so this project is largely given over to affluent foreign buyers. 

4. The Crest by Toyo Ito

Japanese architect Toyo Ito is best known for conceptual and futuristic designs, and is recently best known for the Sendai Mediatheque in Japan; this was a cultural centre based on the appearance of floating seaweed. His work tends toward a reverence for nature, and follows organic patterns rather than hard mechanical lines. 

His works show all show an unusual twist, from the Tower of Winds in Yokohama (at night the tower lights up and responds to sound), and the Porta Fire Towers in Barcelona, where the overall structure resembles a twisting red column of flame. 

The Crest

The Crest echoes the pattern of trees in a forest, and reflects a harmonious blend between natural and constructed environments. Each tower is aligned to create wind tunnels that naturally cool the project, and sky planters are used to introduce a lot of vertical greener. 

There's a blend of high-rise and low-rise towers in The Crest, and the towers are angled to provide views of the low-density enclaves in Tanglin. This has resulted in very varied floor plans because of the unique structure of the development, and there's a mix of units (one bedroom to five bedroom + study units — even dual key and loft units).

In June 2022 (there were no transactions in May) average prices were at $1,907 psf, which rose 0.57 per cent to $1,918 psf in May this year. 

The Crest has seen 26 profitable transactions, and 18 unprofitable transactions. 

5. D'Leedon by Zaha Hadid

The late Zaha Hadid was an Iraqi-British architect, and was originally a mathematician. She sought to devise new approaches to architectural drawing, and over the years became the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize. 

In recent years she's best known for the MAXXI Museum in Rome, but originally rose to fame for The Peak (a recreational centre in Hong Kong). Her work is characterised by the sense of dynamism, movement, and fragmentation; and her projects have a distinctive energetic vibe. 

D’Leedon

D'Leedon has the characteristic sense of movement and energy of Hadid's work, as you can see from the wave-like façade of the blocks. As you move past D,Leedon, watch the curves of the towers and you'll realise they seem to visually "ripple". 

While all the towers match each other in height, they have a "flower" like design that creates visual differentiation, and allows for a wide range of floor plans and layouts. In some of these layouts, it's possible to connect two separate units on the same floor — this allows extended families to merge the two units, if they can buy the neighbouring one. 

The towers are also specifically positioned to minimise sun glare, in relation to Singapore's environment. As an interesting twist, most units also have views in three different directions. 

In May 2022 average prices were at $1,799 psf, which rose 3.7 per cent to $1,866 psf in May this year. 

D'Leedon has seen 296 profitable transactions, and just 28 unprofitable transactions. 

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This article was first published in Stackedhomes.