The Hive, Singapore

Building located in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

1°20′36″N 103°40′57″E / 1.343212°N 103.682586°E / 1.343212; 103.682586Opening2015CostS$45 millionOwnerNanyang Technological UniversityTechnical detailsFloor count8Design and constructionArchitect(s)Thomas Heatherwick

The Hive, also known as Learning Hub South, is a building located in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The S$45 million building was designed by Thomas Heatherwick and completed in 2015.^[1] Colloquially, the building is known as the "dim sum basket building" due to its likeness to the steamer baskets used to contain dim sum.^[2]

The Hive was a finalist for the 2015 World Architecture Festival Commercial Mixed-Use Award in the Future Projects subcategory.^[3]

Architecture

Designed by British designer Thomas Heatherwick,^[1] The Hive is Heatherwick Studio's first major building in Asia.^[4] The building consists of 12 eight-storey towers arranged around a public atrium. The towers taper towards the base and house 56 corner-less classrooms.^[5]^[6] The concrete stair and lift cores between the towers are embedded with 700 drawings from British artist Sara Fanelli that depict images from science, art and literature.^[5]

The building has received mixed reviews,^[7] with the Architectural Review saying that while "there is much to admire" about the building, "it gave off something of a forlorn car-park aesthetic".^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b Ng, Andrea (10 March 2015). "NTU unveils new 'dim sum basket building' equipped with classrooms of the future". The Straits Times.
^ Yang, Calvin (20 October 2015). "NTU launches new facility that features unconventional teaching method". The Straits Times.
^ Rosenfield, Karissa (22 June 2015). "Shortlist Announced for World Architecture Festival Awards 2015". ArchDaily.
^ Mark, Laura (10 March 2015). "Heatherwick's Singapore Uni Learning Hub opens". Architects' Journal.
^ ^a ^b Frearson, Amy (10 March 2015). "Heatherwick's textured-tower university building completes in Singapore". Dezeen.
^ Hohenadel, Kristin (12 March 2015). "Singapore's New "Learning Hub" Rethinks University Classroom Design in the Internet Age". Slate.
^ Chew, Hui Min (26 December 2015). "British daily The Telegraph names 3 Singapore buildings in its list of 2015's best (and worst)". The Straits Times.
^ Williams, Austin (29 April 2015). "Learning Hub in Singapore by Thomas Heatherwick". Architectural Review.