丨马来西亚槟城丨SPARK

Arte S Is An Avant-Garde Project In Penang

Designed by award-winning practice SPARK, the residences are eye-catching for their serpentine silhouette.

LOCATION / PENANG, MALAYSIA

COMPLETION / 2018

SITE AREA / 10,150M2

BUILDING AREA / 72,500M2

GROSS FLOOR AREA / 56,400M2

ARCHITECT / SPARK

COLLABORATING ARCHITECT / EAST DESIGN ARCHITECT

DEVELOPER / NUSMETRO

CONTRACTOR / TIARA CONTOURS

C&S CONSULTANT / PERUNDING YAA

QUANTITY SURVEYOR / UNITECH QS CONSULTANCY

INTERIOR FINISHING / SPARK

LANDSCAPE / SPARK

AWARD / 2018 KINPAN AWARDS-BEST INTERNATIONAL APARTMENT

Penang conjures vivid imagery of sunny beaches, lush hills, endless stalls of local fare, street art and historical buildings.

What is seldom pictured though are the high-density developments that in recent years have emerged along the island’s waterfronts and thoroughfares.

The shoebox architecture for the masses is by and large unmemorable, which makes this one project a real standout – an exclamation mark within the low-key suburbs of Bukit Gambier.

It is called the Arte S.

The silhouettes of Arte S are serpentine white against blue sky and green inclines.

Banking On Bold

Designed by award-winning practice

SPARK

, the project comprises of Penang’s tallest twin towers rising from a two-and-a-half-acre site.

What immediately catches the eye are their silhouettes: serpentine white against the blue sky and green inclines, theirs are 50- and 32-storeys respectively of shifting layers of terraces and shading fins or

brise-soleil

, inspired by the hillside topography and surrounding terrain.

“The site’s dynamic location (near the base of Gambir Hill) deserved an ambitious design solution,” explains Stephen Pimbley, a director at SPARK.

“We wanted to maximise its value, and attract purchasers away from Penang’s typical waterfront and George Town-located condos.”

Client and developer

Nusmetro Group

inspired that vision.

“Developers throughout Asia [prefer] rectangular plans ostensibly because they are cheap to build, with a high net-to-gross ratio,” Pimbley elaborates.

“Buyers, likewise, prefer rectangular plans because these are relatively simple to plan. And agents like to offload units as quickly as possible. It’s a vicious circle with very little invention.

“Thomas Chan, managing director of Nusmetro, had a eureka moment. He was determined to do things a little differently from his competitors.”

The elevated pods of the taller tower house a Jacuzzi and events space.

The elevated pods of the taller tower house a Jacuzzi and events space.

The flowing lines of the exterior are carried into the interiors via sculpted walls and ceilings.

Connecting the tower bases is a sinuous, terraced podium with a cascade of pools and landscaping topped by an amorphous fitness centre.

Twisting Inertia

The elliptical extrusions of the towers are straightforward enough. Yet when augmented by wave-like

brise-soleil

at every floor level, each rotated by a subtle nine degrees, they acquire a pronounced twisting effect that is exaggerated by the towers’ immense height.

That torsional play, and its imbued sense of inertia, unequivocally communicate an element of high design.

The Arte S is undoubtedly premium real estate.

Behind the elliptical façades, the apartment units – some of which have been converted into a hotel within the same project – offer flexible future-proofed interiors free of columns and beams, bespoke spaces that are aligned to spectacular views of the surroundings.