Robert Cheng creates quietude and warmth at Park Nova

SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - The past two years have seen Robert Cheng, founder and design principal of Brewin Design Office, put his stamp on luxury condos in Singapore’s most prestigious addresses. The first was his design of three show apartments for Hong Kong developer Swire Properties at Eden, where all 20 apartments were sold en bloc for $293 million ($4,827 psf) to the Tsai family of Want Want Holdings in March. The purchase of the entire condominium block at Eden included all the furniture and art pieces in the show units curated by Brewin Design Office.

At Hong Kong developer Shun Tak Holdings’ Park Nova at the corner of Tomlinson Road and Orchard Boulevard, Cheng not only designed the interiors of the apartments, but also the common areas and the facilities of the luxury 54-unit condominium. “Park Nova is setting a new benchmark for luxury condos in Singapore,” says Cheng.

The project is in good company: nearby are other upscale condominiums such as Cuscaden Reserve by SC Global and Hong Kong developers New World Development and Far East Consortium; Malaysian group YTL Land’s 3 Orchard By-the-Park; and Boulevard 88 by City Developments in a joint venture with Hong Leong Holdings and LEA Investments.

Designed by London-based PLP Architecture, Park Nova has 17 units of each bedroom type: two-bedroom-plus-study of 1,432 sq ft, three-bedroom-plus-study units of 2,207 sq ft, and four-bedroom units of 2,895 to 2,906 sq ft. Every typical floorplate has a two-, three- and four-bedroom unit. There are also three duplex five-bedroom penthouses on the top three floors of the 21-storey tower. They are sized from 3,299 to 5,899 sq ft.

Cheng reckons that Park Nova will appeal to a “wealthier, younger audience”. They could be people from overseas who are in Singapore on business. The units are designed to cater to different lifestyles, he says.

“If they are from overseas and are not here very often, they may just want a pied-a-terre and therefore opt for a two-bedroom,” he says. Others may consider moving here with their dependants, and therefore, want bigger apartments. “There is enough variety of units and flexibility to suit different needs,” he adds.

In the Covid era, the concept of luxury has also changed. “It’s a much more muted palette,” Cheng observes. This is reflected in Brewin Design’s three-bedroom-plus-study showflat, where he has created an atmosphere of quietude and warmth, which carries through from the living room into the bedrooms.

The neutral palette is carried throughout all the interiors. Each apartment at Park Nova has its own private lift lobby, and upon entering there is a powder room. All the bathrooms feature Grigio Georgina marble floors and walls of dark and light grey with matte finish. The marble countertops are of Negro Emilia marble, with copper hairline accents. The bathroom fixtures are from Danish design brand Vola, and of copper hairline finish. The master bathrooms have a 2.4m standalone twin vanity feature of Negro Emilia stone marble plinth and Vola hairline copper fittings.

The wet and dry kitchens feature sleek Italian brand Molteni & C Dada kitchen cabinetry in high-gloss finish and full Miele appliances. The wardrobes are also of Molteni & C brand, with secondary bedroom wardrobes in matte lacquered finish, while master bedrooms have smoke glass metal finish with bronze metal accents.

It is not just the interior fittings and materials used. “The entire development is luxurious, not just in terms of the interior spaces but also the lush landscaping, which is unprecedented for a boutique development of this scale,” says Cheng.

When it came to the lobby, Cheng designed it as “a subterranean space” — an escape from the heat outside, he says. “We designed the entrance drop-off in dark grey toned marble walls with light grey marble floors, and it has a cooling effect,” he adds.

Even the sky garden on the 14th floor was designed to provide a sense of privacy. “Given the shape of the building footprint, which is like a butterfly, all the seating areas are in different corners, away from each other and nestled within the landscaped garden,” says Cheng.

Given the location of Park Nova — “right in the heart of Orchard Road” — with hotels in the neighbourhood, from Four Seasons, Regent Singapore, Jen Tanglin Singapore to the upcoming Singapore Edition Hotel next to Boulevard 88, “the whole area is going to be rejuvenated into a vibrant lifestyle district”, he adds.

The rejuvenation of this part of Orchard Boulevard will start when Orchard Boulevard MRT Station on the Thomson-East Coast Line opens sometime next year. “It will connect people to Orchard Road, the embassies and Gleneagles Hospital and Medical Centre,” says Cheng.

“With its forward-looking design, Park Nova will be a distinctive project when it’s completed,” adds Cheng.