Arul Hill residences grow in Singapore
Designed in collaboration between mvrdv and local practice Edp Architects, two Residents The towers, dubbed the Arul Hill Residences, are Singapore’s densely built urban complex. The project presents a study of how modular construction can bring architectural nuance. A 36-story development, with its pixelated facadesemploys Prepared Prefabricated volumetric construction, a method that allows entire rooms to be assembled off-site before being built in place. Thus, the building process reduces waste and labor while maintaining health.
Developed by City Development Limited, the project exemplifies Singapore’s continued commitment to productivity-driven construction. However, the collaboration between MVRDV and EDP Architects goes beyond efficiency to consider Towers‘The relationship to texture, depth and light.
Images © Finbar Fallon
Occupied Pixels facade of MVRDV
Designing with Singapore’s Arul Hill Residences ADDP Architectsfor , for , for , . mvrdvThe intervention is in the statement of the facade. Each finished unit becomes a single ‘pixel’, and through variations in projection and finish, these modules create an irregular rhythm across the building’s surface. Metal frames extend or retract to form balconies, creating a measured relief that changes throughout the day as sunlight shines across it. Heads of gold and dark gray run through the pattern, referencing climbing plants and giving soft, organic variations to the texture.
The approach turns repetition, an indispensable trait of modularity, into an asset. Where uniformity can flatten a building’s presence, the pixelated treatment gives each tower a sense of movement and individuality within the grid.
Arrol Hill Residences uses modular construction to form two modular towers in Singapore
Punctuality by green space
Between the vertical planes of the Singapore Towers, greenery marks a break in the ascent. The 24th floor opens into a four-story sky garden where trees and plantings weave through the structure, visible from the street as a band of color and texture. On the roof, Arol Sky offers a more intimate space created by double- and triple-height modules that reveal indoor planting.
These shared landscapes intersperse complex facades with pockets of green social infrastructure. They soften the outline of the towers against the skyline and create a shaded, breathing threshold for residents, aligning with Singapore’s broader commitment to vertical greenery and lively density.
‘Over the decades, Singapore has established itself as a city of incredible innovation in architecture and urbanism‘ MVRDV says founding partner Nathalie de Vries. ‘The city is once again showing leadership in modular construction, and is seeing the benefits of PVC in reducing waste, carbon emissions and disruption to city life. With Errol Hill Residences, together with Edp Architects we aimed for the next stage in this story of innovation: a PVC
Project that prioritizes variety and economic. ‘
MVRDV introduces a pixelated facade that varies in depth and shade
Balconies formed by recessed and projecting modules have created subtle relief
Gold and dark gray tones bring warmth to the towers
