Note from the editor, Diana Khoo:
It was while researching an article for this issue that I came across a quote by the great Australian architect Kerry Hill: “We all know that practising architecture can be euphoric and, at times, it can be desperate and dark. Tonight, I would rather dwell on the bright side, the pleasure of architecture.” The same, I suppose, could be said of any chosen profession.
Just like a coin and its two sides, it is how we choose to view life. Do we look at things from the viewpoint of light or darkness? Considering that we are at the end of a year and the beginning of another, I would advocate the former. And, after all, isn’t the world still such a magical place? We were privileged to have been invited into three dazzling homes, each distinct and unique, embodying the homeowners’ personalities and lifestyles, and it is a pleasure to profile each one.
Numerous trips abroad have also blessed us with the opportunity to marvel at various structures, from the Aesop store in Sydney’s Pitt Street, conceptualised by that fabulous Oslo-based design practice Snøhetta (page 38) to the Vitra Campus which sits between Germany and Switzerland and is a veritable wonderland filled with star-chitecture by the likes of Buckminster Fuller, Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid, Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto’s ethereal Enoura Observatory in Odawara, Japan (page 90) and the Landtag parliamentary complex in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, by German American architect Hansjörg Göritz (page 24).
Beyond the walls of structure and space, however, the joy of living must never be forgotten. In that light, we also present a trio of design-conscious getaways you might wish to consider for a much-needed year-end wind-down — a teepee on Bintan, a city-chic boutique hotel in Singapore or one that is in our own backyard.
Don’t miss also celebrated Goan chef Sapna Anand’s surprisingly-easy recipes (page 98) for an Indian feast to remember (a welcome reprieve, perhaps, after overdosing on turkey?). And considering it is the festive season, we hope our series of easy-on-the-eye spreads by über-stylist Joanne Lim will inspire you too. Like Kerry Hill, we choose to dwell on the bright side, the pleasure. Won’t you join us?
Haven is complimentary with every copy of The Edge Malaysia (Dec 2 issue). Get the Spring 2019 edition at your nearest newsstands now.
