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The D’Leedon Condominium in Singapore Designed

The d’Leedon is a landmark project, the first condominium development in Singapore to be created by the internationally-acclaimed London-based architect Zaha Hadid. Zaha Hadid is the winner of several international architectural competitions, and has garnered numerous accolades and awards, such as the highly prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004.

Her work is groundbreaking and influential; pushing the boundaries of design, exploring spatial concepts in breathtaking ways, challenging the norms. There is nothing bland nor commonplace about her work. The d’Leedon, using its Singapore architects fluid lines and sensuous curves, could never be mistaken for any of the other innumerable condominiums that dot the urban landscape of Singapore.

D’Leedon’s Location

It is perhaps fitting then, that the d’Leedon condo occupies a jewel of an area: in the prime District 10 enclave, near the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Orchard Road downtown. Soaring majestically above the surrounding high-end luxury bungalows and low-rise condominiums, d’Leedon’s seven 36-storey towers offer an unobstructed outlook to Singapore’s skyline along with views of expanses of greenery north at Macritchie Reservoir, north-west at the Bukit Timah nature reserve, and east to the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Architecture of D’Leedon Condo

In an unusual and innovative move, the 150-metre high towers seem to increase from sunken gardens in the landscape. The ground level is conceptualized as a natural layer, evoking the lush vegetation that is so much part of the Sydney architects local climate. This landscape is organized into some terraced plateaus that maximise the area for communal facilities and greenery, and create interesting vistas and spaces.

D’Leedon’s towers are put and oriented to optimize the site, along with views out to the surrounding and city skylines. According to Zaha Hadid, d’Leedon presents “a chance to continue exploring the architectural language of fluidity” ;.

The silhouettes of the towers taper inwards at the lower floors, kinking in at the base to reduce the footprint and to generate unique and highly private gardens. Each tower is divided in to petals, that match the amount of apartments per floor, using its three-dimensional forms giving definition to the facades along with permitting cross-ventilation.

By varying the sizes of the units and ‘petals’ on each floor, the towers appear to grow organically in curving silhouettes and flowing lines. These towers culminate at the very top with a stepped outline that transitions the building with the sky.

The Project

This USD$1.7 billion project has been manufactured by a consortium led by CapitaLand; another partners of the consortium are Hotel Properties Limited, Wachovia Development Corporation, and Morgan Stanley Real Estate Special Situations Fund III, L.P. The D’Leedon condo happens to be the biggest residential project in Singapore’s history.