Two striking 36-story residential towers called the Irwell Hill Residences have risen above Singapore's dense urban landscape, showcasing an innovative approach to modular construction that combines efficiency with architectural sophistication. Designed through a collaboration between Dutch architecture firm MVRDV and local practice ADDP Architects, the towers feature distinctive pixelated facades created through prefabricated pre-finished volumetric construction (PPVC). This cutting-edge construction method allows entire rooms to be assembled off-site before being stacked into place, significantly reducing waste and labor while maintaining precise construction standards.
Commissioned by City Developments Limited, the project represents Singapore's ongoing commitment to productivity-driven construction methods. However, the collaboration between MVRDV and ADDP Architects goes far beyond mere efficiency, carefully considering the towers' texture, depth, and dynamic relationship with natural light throughout the day. The architects have transformed what could have been a repetitive modular design into a visually engaging composition that stands out in Singapore's competitive architectural landscape.
MVRDV's primary intervention focuses on the sophisticated articulation of the facade system. Each prefabricated unit functions as a single pixel in a larger composition, with variations in projection and finish creating an irregular rhythm across the building's surface. Metal frames extend outward or recede inward to form balconies, producing a carefully measured relief pattern that constantly changes as sunlight moves across the building throughout the day. The facade incorporates warm gold and deep brown tones that reference climbing plants, lending a soft, organic variation to the overall composition and bringing natural warmth to the urban environment.
This innovative approach transforms repetition, typically an inevitable limitation of modular construction, into a distinct architectural asset. Where uniformity might flatten a building's visual presence and make it blend into the background, the pixelated treatment gives each tower a sense of motion and individuality within the structural grid. The varied projections and recessions create dynamic shadow patterns that make the buildings appear to shift and change as viewing angles and lighting conditions change throughout the day.
Between the towers' vertical planes, strategically placed greenery provides visual and environmental relief from the urban density. The 24th floor opens into an impressive four-story sky garden where trees and extensive plantings weave through the structure, creating a visible band of color and texture that can be appreciated from street level. At the rooftop level, a space called Irwell Sky offers residents a more intimate environment framed by double- and triple-height modules that reveal carefully planned plantings within the architectural framework.
These shared landscape spaces serve multiple functions, punctuating the complex facade with essential pockets of green social infrastructure. They help soften the towers' outline against Singapore's skyline while creating shaded, breathable gathering spaces for residents. This approach aligns perfectly with Singapore's broader urban planning commitment to vertical greenery and maintaining liveable density in one of the world's most densely populated cities.
Nathalie de Vries, founding partner of MVRDV, emphasized the project's significance within Singapore's architectural innovation. "Over the decades, Singapore has shown itself to be a city of incredible innovation in architecture and urbanism," she stated. "The city is once again showing leadership in modular construction, and is seeing the benefits of PPVC in reducing waste, carbon emissions, and disruption to city life. With Irwell Hill Residences, alongside ADDP Architects we took aim at the next step in that story of innovation: a PPVC project that prioritizes variety and liveability."
The Irwell Hill Residences demonstrate how prefabricated construction can evolve beyond basic efficiency to create architecturally significant buildings that enhance urban life. The project sets a new standard for modular construction in dense urban environments, proving that sustainable building methods and architectural excellence can work hand in hand to create better living spaces for residents while minimizing environmental impact.
