d+a | Issue 124 • 2022

45 Care had to be taken not to impose any load on the existing steel stanchions. As a result, the floor slabs are entirely carried by new, white-coloured round columns that were spatially aligned with the old ones. “When you look through the space, you can see a row of columns but because they are aligned, it becomes more porous,” says Mok. Another unique feature is how the highest floor slab is thicker than the lower two – a deliberate move as it contains the air-conditioning services, since it could not be mounted in the roof so as not to interfere with the original roof trusses. Mok points out that quite a bit of their attention was spent on the roof too, after they found it had to be completely replaced. In the process, they had to introduce ways to manage the acoustics, namely dampening the sound of the rain on it and how not to allow voices to carry too far. For the former, the roof had additional layers of material to thicken it while for the latter, perforated acoustic panels were used. Also tucked neatly in between the steel trusses are the smoke extraction fans for fire safety and catwalks for maintenance. THE CONSERVATION WORKS Working closely with W Architects on the conservation process was Studio Lapis, led by its Founding Partner Ho Weng Hin. The two most labour-intensive restoration works were of the steel elements and bricks. As important parts of the original structure, the steel beams, columns and roof trusses had to be treated for rust and those that had been painted over had to be painstakingly stripped of the layers. A protective coating was then added. “The steel stanchions are really fantastic in terms of the quality,” says Ho. “They go all the way down to the soil and we didn’t find any corrosion.” In the process of restoring them, an underground culvert was discovered, where sea water was channelled in through the base of the building to cool the turbines. The resulting condensation was then discharged back to the sea through the same conduit. 06. The floor slabs are set back from the building facade to ensure users will continue to have a visual connection to the original architecture. / 07. As important parts of the original structure, the steel beams, columns and roof trusses have been painstakingly restored. 06 07