Project Name: Irwell Hill Residences

Location: Singapore

Design Team: MVRDV

Total Floor Area: 35,809 sqm

Completion: 2025

Photography: Finbarr Fallon

Design Features:

Project - Irwell Hill Residences, designed by Dutch architecture firm MVRDV, stands as an innovative expression of aesthetic possibilities in prefabricated modular construction, located at Irwell Bank Road in Singapore. This development comprising two 36-storey residential towers with 540 units redefines design paradigms for prefabricated buildings in Singapore's high-density urban environment through dynamic pixelated facade treatment.

The project's most compelling design achievement lies in its innovative "pixelated facade" design concept. The building utilizes Singapore's widely adopted PPVC (prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction) system, where entire rooms with finished interiors and exteriors are factory-built and stacked on site. MVRDV treats each prefabricated unit as a single pixel, using metal frames to recess or extend individual modules, creating varied balcony configurations that add depth and visual interest to the building envelope. This three-dimensional relief combines with a gold and deep brown color palette to form an abstract pattern inspired by climbing plants, wrapping both towers in an organic, textured appearance.

The architectural narrative unfolds through sophisticated spatial hierarchy, challenging the monotony of traditional prefabricated construction. While the PPVC system dramatically reduces construction time, worker requirements, waste, and carbon emissions, it typically produces repetitive, monotonous building facades. MVRDV's intervention transforms this limitation into an opportunity, creating the illusion of variation within repeating floor plans and imbuing the towers with both identity and visual appeal. This vertical composition creates dynamic light and shadow effects while maintaining the building's harmonious integration with the urban environment.

Material selection demonstrates contemporary design refinement and commitment to sustainability. Thanks to high-quality, low-waste construction enabled by factory production, PPVC is by its nature a more sustainable construction technique and has been linked to Singapore's Green Plan 2030. The metal frame system not only creates three-dimensional relief on the facade but also ensures structural integrity and long-term durability.

The facade treatment demonstrates intimate relationship between structure and green spaces. The pixelated framework emphasizes the building's communal green spaces with lush greenery characteristic of Singapore. On the 24th floor is a sky garden approximately four storeys tall, while at the top of the towers is Irwell Sky, an intimate space for social gatherings. In both of these sections of the building, the rigid grid of single-unit pixels loosens, with double and triple-size frames showing off the trees and plants within.

The project's defining feature is its orchestrated sustainability strategy and community value. Irwell Hill Residences, developed by leading Singapore-listed real estate company City Developments Limited (CDL), marks MVRDV's debut in collaborating on a building in Singapore's urban core. The project was designed by Singapore-based firm ADDP Architects for the base structure, with MVRDV responsible for the facade design, demonstrating how international collaboration can elevate the aesthetic quality of prefabricated construction. The building ensures a valued, long-term contribution to its neighborhood through compelling design, proving that efficiency and individuality can coexist in high-density urban environments. This is architecture designed to enhance urban living quality while maintaining a strong commitment to sustainable construction practices. The bond between architecture and city seamlessly integrates in a refined and balanced dialogue, creating meaningful spaces for living and community interaction.

Design Team - MVRDV, founded in 1993 by Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, and Nathalie de Vries, has established itself as one of the most innovative and influential architecture firms globally. Today, the three founding partners lead a dynamic team of over 300 professionals alongside partners Frans de Witte, Fokke Moerel, Wenchian Shi, Jan Knikker, and Bertrand Schippan, operating from studios in Rotterdam, Shanghai, Paris, Berlin, and New York.

Under the creative direction of founding partner Nathalie de Vries, the Irwell Hill Residences project was led by partner Wenchian Shi, with a design team including Lorenzo Mattozzi, Marco Gazzola, Alberto Menozzi, Luca Beltrame, Fredy Fortich, Amanda Galiana Ortega, Andrea Ventura, Monika Wiecha, and Chi Zhang. The firm's highly collaborative, research-based design method involves clients, stakeholders, and experts from a wide range of fields from early on in the creative process.

The firm's design philosophy centers on combining efficiency with individuality, transcending conventional prefabricated construction limitations to pursue the creation of buildings with visual appeal and community value. Their design methodology emphasizes utilizing the inherent characteristics of building systems to create innovative solutions, establishing balance between pragmatism and aesthetics through design ingenuity to achieve sustainability and visual excellence. MVRDV's in-house Climate Team ensures sustainability across all projects, while MVRDV NEXT develops computational workflows and advanced technologies to optimize design efficiency.

Notable achievements include innovative mixed-use buildings such as the Markthal in Rotterdam, Radio Hotel and Tower in New York City, and Valley in Amsterdam, as well as transformative cultural projects including the Pyramid of Tirana and Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. In residential architecture, MVRDV is celebrated for landmark projects such as Silodam in Amsterdam, Ilot Queyries in Bordeaux, and The Canyon in San Francisco.

Through The Why Factory, an independent research institute run with Delft University of Technology, MVRDV continues to envision future cities, publishing influential manifestos and studies that shape contemporary architectural discourse. MVRDV has established new paradigms in global contemporary architecture through a diverse portfolio spanning residential, cultural, commercial, and urban projects, demonstrating consistent commitment to innovation, sustainability, and design excellence.