Mike Lim Interview
Located at the Singapore Science Park (SSP), a lively hub for R&D and technology in Asia that is home to over 350 multinationals, companies, and laboratories, the Singapore Technology Center has been designed by DP Design.
DP Design is a company headquartered in Singapore and involved in the creation of some of Singapore’s most recognizable buildings, including Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Paragon Shopping Centre, Orchard Central, Yotel Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa and Our Tampines Hub Library, as well as The Dubai Mall in UAE, Emaar Square Mall in Turkey and Cinemaxx Junior in Indonesia.
Mike Lim, Principal Designer of DP Design and winner of the Design Excellence Awards 2018/2019 Designer of the Year award, took some time to shed some light on this successful project, talking about how he and his team were able to design a space that is aesthetically pleasing while still serving a practical purpose, and seamlessly integrating people, architecture, and technology.
Phil Riccardi, Penn Color's Commercial Director, APAC had the pleasure to talk with Mike Lim about how he translated company’s values of creativity, agility and transparency into the layout and the architecture of the Technology Center.
Phil Riccardi
Once you said that “designers should be grounded, humane and sensitive, because architecture and interior designs are man-made spaces that are invented rather than created”. How did you get all of this reflected in this space?
Mike Lim
As a designer, I understand the importance of putting empathy and sensitivity into my designs. This Technology Center reflects this commitment in multiple ways - in how it celebrates user experience, respects nature, utilizes daylight and takes different views into account.
Additionally, each space within the center has been carefully tailored to meet Penn Color’s brief as well as the end user’s experience. I believe that any space should enhance user experience through a multitude of approaches. From its size, shape and layout, to how furniture and décor can combine to create an inviting atmosphere, it all plays an important part in creating a successful final result. By starting every project with this underlying goal to make the space work better, it is possible to curate atmospheres that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also comfortable, functional, and tailored for those who use them most.
The result is a man-made space that feels organic and alive, more like an organism than a set of arbitrary rooms divided by walls. In designing this way – from materials used to incorporated greenery and lights effects – I believe that with this project we have created something meaningful, practical and beautiful, responding to all aspects of comfort, utility and aesthetics.
Phil Riccardi
You are a designer: what do you think designers – just like you, will find here? And what will they love most about this space and why?
Mike Lim
By conveying a calming energy through color, materiality, light and architecture, my hope is that its laid-back environment allows for creative inspiration among those who enter here every day. Even in this relatively small area, I was able to design different sections for various activities, offering people places where they can experiment, work, or socialize in a cozy atmosphere.
By doing all of this I have ensured that this creative studio is an inspiring, pleasant place that invites people to linger longer – fostering creativity and collaboration.
Phil Riccardi
I personally love two areas here in the center, the Inspiration Wall and the Rotunda together with the various tropical touches and wood finishes which characterize this space. How did you come up with these ideas?
Mike Lim
My vision for the Rotunda was to create an inspiring atmosphere which invokes a sense of relaxation and fosters increased creativity and collaboration. To achieve this, I chose calming colors and wood elements with an aura of sustainability in mind; all designed with an Asian hospitality aesthetic featuring a special ceiling that captures and diffuses light softly, and allows the vibrant colors to appear in their different shades.
The Rotunda is also a comfortable and transitional area between the outside space and world, the intermediate space and the lab area; it acts as an envelope space where to feel intimate, secured, where you can speak your mind, where you can truly collaborate.
When designing the Inspiration Wall, I wanted to create something neutral yet pleasing to the eyes. This is where colors, textures and effects meet, collide and intersect within Penn Color ever-changing and multi-sector applications.
It encourages curiosity in its visitors, allowing for cross-pollination of ideas and fostering innovation. It leaves people feeling inspired and emboldened enough to try something new without fear of failure as they may just discover something beautiful along the way.