d+a | Issue 124 • 2022

/ OFFICE / 44 05. In converting the interiors into an office, W Architects opted for the concept of inserting a “timber box” into the steel-and-brick enclosure with the addition of three layers of floor slabs. “Given that we had to work within the building envelope, it was quite intuitive to follow the same kind of rectilinear profile,” says Mok, of the design of the floor slabs. Yet, there was nothing straightforward about this either, as they decided to set them back from the façade to ensure users will continue to have a visual connection to the original architecture. The result is the entrance in Block A having an impressive atrium, which extends to the right of the floor slabs and continues around the side of the building. At the same time, a void was carved into the interstitial space between Blocks A and B, done with the intention to allow the platform staircase – a must-have today in many offices – to later be erected for townhall meetings. Interestingly, this serves to highlight yet another unique feature of the original construction: the steel columns in Block A are flanked by bricks, while those in Block B are bare. “The void straddling the two blocks creates a layering effect where you can see the construction type.” 05