Archifest 2019 returns in less than two weeks. Not sure which of the 40-odd events to attend? Here are 12 you shouldn’t miss.
11 September 2019
Text by Asih Jenie and Vanitha Pavapathi
Images courtesy of Archifest
Scheduled to run from 27 September to 9 October 2019, Archifest 2019 celebrates the theme of ‘Craft’ to honour people who have dedicated a lifetime in perfecting their craft in the making of architecture and the built environment where communities can live, work, and play.
There will not be a festival pavilion this year. The URA Centre will host the festival’s anchor exhibitions and its 40-odd activities will be spread in several locations to engage the public, design fraternity, agencies and academics to explore the understanding of craft.
Don’t know where to start? Here are 10 events you don’t want to miss at Archifest 2019.
Archifest’s signature event Architours is slated to come back for the 13th time, bringing registered visitors to selected projects that embody craftsmanship in various ways: the artisanal in an age of mechanical replication, digital making as enabled by technology, and the patina that good craftsmanship allows to form over time. There will be eight timeslots in total, two per day. Registration to open soon.
Where: Various locations
When: 28 to 29 September and 5 to 6 October 2019
Admission: S$60 per adult/child and S$50 per student
Making Architecture is the anchor exhibition of Archifest 2019. It is meant to be a survey of sorts on the notions of craftsmanship. Organised by SUPER ASSEMBLY and Plot Room, it claims not to “attempt to narrowly define the characteristics of craftsmanship but serves as an open exploration by laying bare the variety of methodologies adopted by architects today.”
When: 29 September to 9 October
Where: The URA Centre
Admission: Free
Bring out the creative side in you at a fun drawing workshop. The three-hour workshop by Archicraft will teach participants to sketch real city life, develop their styles and how to approach ideas towards craftmaking. Buy your tickets here.
Where: The URA Centre
When: 29 September, 2pm to 5pm
Admission: S$35 per person
Organised by SUTD at The Projector, Crafting Sound is a showcase of Computable Atmospheres studio at SUTD that explore the oft-neglected aural dimension of spaces, and the use of VR technology and simulation techniques to aid in crafting soundscapes. The case study in this assignment is the Golden Mile Tower. The exhibits propose design interventions to transform its future uses.
When: 27 September to 9 October, 5pm to 9 pm
Where: The Projector
Admission: Free
The most crucial stage of woodworking is the finishing. In this workshop, each participant will make a sustainable chopping board from a cross-cut slab of local tembusu wood, finished with food grade beeswax. Different sanding techniques, how to apply and choose the right finish for every project will be taught. Get your tickets now.
When: 28 September, 2pm to 6pm
Where: Roger&Sons
Admission: S$100 per person
The Disruptive Digital Craft exhibition will present two architecture research projects from SUTD that explore digital craft in the making of our built environment. Aided by state-of-the-art facilities and a multidisciplinary research ethos at SUTD, the two projects: Biological Materials & Digital Manufacturing and Tensegrity Membrane Shells, mix futuristic aspirations and technology with research.
When: 27 September – 9 October
Where: The URA Centre from
Admission: Free
If you’ve always wanted to try your hands at pottery, this is your chance. Conducted by Archicraft, participants will learn the different techniques of pottery making and gain a deeper understanding of clay work. Get your tickets here.
When: 5 October, 10am to 12.30pm
Where: The URA Centre
Admission: S$56 per person
Join award-winning photographer Triston Yeo as he shares his insights on the framing of spaces in the fields of travel and interior design photography. In this workshop, participants will learn the process of seeking an ideal frame in a composition and capturing the human elements of space in the crafting of a frame. Book your slot now.
When: 28 September, 10am – 12pm
Where: RAW Space
Admission: S$10 per person
This two-hour floral arrangement workshop led by Fleuriste, a locally based boutique florist, will acquaint participants with the basics of how to care for flowers and arrange them beautifully. At the end of the workshop, participants will get to take home their own mason jar floral arrangements. Get your tickets here.
When: 5 October, 3pm-5pm
Where: Fleuriste Studio
Admission: S$50 per person
The Projector will be returning as a partner of Archifest 2019 with three films that celebrate the evolution of craft. They are Bauhaus Spirit: 100 years of Bauhaus, Mcqueen, and Tadao Ando: From Emptiness to Infinity. Get your tickets here.
Where: The Projector
When: 27 – 29 September and 5, 6 and 11 October 2019
Admission: S$12.50-S$13.50 per adult/child and S$11.50 per senior, student, national serviceman, person with disability and domestic helper
Can we uncover the sensorial side of architecture? What is the relationship between the human body and tactile space? Often neglected in the experience of architecture, the body and its senses are an important means of cultivating spatial sensibility. Designer Anja Humijan of The Urban Yoga will hold a workshop session to train participants’ sensorial, mind and body awareness, expanding tactile curiosity towards their surroundings. Registration to open soon at www.archifest.sg
When: 29 September, 10am – 12pm
Where: To be revealed
Admission: S$50 per person
Calling all tea-drinking lovers, this tea blending workshop conducted by Antea Social will get you immersed in a sensory experience like no other. Smell, see and touch the different ingredients as you come to understand the various herbs and botanicals needed in order to create a personalised blend. Buy your tickets now.
When: 29 September, 11am – 1 pm
Where: Antea Social
Admission: S$80 per person
Visit www.archifest.sg for the full festival line-up.
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