Sentosa House by Nicholas Burns Associates, Singapore

Ever since people began building on it in 2003, Singapore's Sentosa Island has finally begun to justify its self-proclaimed title of 'Asia's favourite playground'. Indeed the number of ambitious residential projects on the island could certainly support a claim for Sentosa to be the architects' favourite playground. Case in point: Sentosa House by Nicholas Burns Associates, a resort within a resort and a playground writ large

(Image credit: Archinesia.com)

By Ellie Stathaki

last updated 11 August 2022

Back of building with huge windows & outdoor pool — Briefing the architect with a need for open, interactive spaces and flexibility, the private client requested a structure that could easily adapt to a variety of occasions and one that would remain timeless within the fast developing locale

View from balcony — At first glance, the long balconies, abundant floor-to-ceiling glazing and slim, vertical cladding suggest a linear focus but it is the main core that dictates the space inside

Indoor lounge area — The spatial arrangement around the core allows for a large sitting room, kitchen and terrace on the first floor

Kitchen with breakfast bar — Nicholas Burns and his team designed spaces that transcend 'function recognition', however, so the kitchen hides any hints of appliances and interior furnishings are warm and inviting, like a wine-tasting bar at a lush vineyard

Dining table & chairs — The spacious dining area

Outdoor pool & seating area — The outdoor dining area is built into the architecture

Outdoor pool — The outdoor dining area is built into the architecture

Wooden staircase — The main circulation stairwell with peek-a-boo risers sits at the heart of the layout, carrying visitors to the three levels, each visible from the last

Black lounge sofa next to large window — The floors are divided into front and rear wings, creating intimate spaces to escape the open plan

Exterior of building — All timber is reclaimed teak. The concrete is mainly untreated with the exception of a few surfaces that have been left with a slight sheen

Wooden blinds on windows — Wooden louvres filter the light and create graphic shadows inside the house

Corridor next to stairwell — The light-filled hallway

Outdoor stone staircase — Outdoor spaces are connected at each level by staircases and the steep slope of the land

Green area outside of building — They benefit from a visual exchange with the indoors, enabled by openings in the façade and ceiling-height windows

Backside exterior of building — Photovoltaic panels add an extra environmentally friendly element, at the same time highlighting the design's strong tropical character

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture Editor at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018) and Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020).