That 70's show

So imagining yourself in another era has been made a chic enough pastime if the onslaught of 70's inspired shows and movies are anything to go by.

And so I wonder,aside from whether I would have been much happier living in an environment and time where being politically active(preferably leftist) was sufficient as a way of life- how I would have tolerated different architectural movements through the (relatively recent) ages.

I've decided that I would have liked Art Deco(some of my favourite older developments in Singapore were obviously built during that era), and some creations of the mid-century modern look. That said, I do feel blessed to be given the benefit of hindsight, aesthetically. I love the fusion of different looks- the Balinese look later gave way to a far more sophisticated 'modern tropical' aesthetic as championed by the likes of Ernesto Bedmar and Kerry Hill; an aesthetic that looked set to define the vernacular vocabulary of a then-emerging architectural scene in Singapore.
And while 'facade-ism', where conservation buildings have had its interiors completely modernised have been heavily criticized, I've always loved the apparent discordant note struck- even though I mentioned, quite a few times, about how I actually (and perversely) 'loved to see a conservation effort so thwarted'.

A black and white house with absolutely modern interiors- a chinois chic bar at the entrance, the kitchen of stainless steel, the cigar bar and library in the basement overlooking into the sleek streamlined pool- remain one of the most memorable houses I've seen on this island.

The infusion of vernacular designs from different parts of the world is also a favourite of mine. The Moroccan look in particular, have caught my fancy. As does Shanghainese art deco, Indian or a Mediterranean look(and a condominium named after some resort in an exotic mediterranean location doesn't count). I'm yet to see houses(I'm not reasonably expecting exotic aesthetics to be incorporated within developments- the only vernacular we'll be exporting for some time is more likely to be the loft from New York than say, the courtyard house from Shanghai) that incorporate interesting architectural and design elements from different parts of the world.
So call it a form of Orientalism if you may- but I'm in the mood for some Benetton-esque diversity.