You may have shopped at HAO Mart for their affordable fresh veggies and groceries. What you may not have known is that the founder and CEO of HAO Mart, Dr Tan Kim Yong, lives in a lavish Good Class Bungalow shaped like a spaceship in the Tanglin district nestled between the luxury residential areas of Botanic Gardens and Orchard.
Villa Otto, 17 Jervois Hill
Named Villa Otto, located at 17 Jervois Hill, HAO Mart founder’s house was designed by award-winning Italian architecture studio, Mercurio Design Lab, to look like a figure ‘8’ – an auspicious symbol in Feng Shui for wealth and prosperity.
Rumour also has it that there are no sharp edges or corners in this house – sharp angles are considered negative and ‘poison’ yin energy in the school of Feng Shui.
Based on Feng Shui Principles
This futuristic-looking home is a colossal sculpture that houses generous spaces and elements inspired by Feng Shui principles.
Skylights with Water
Two skylights combined with water features were explicitly inspired by Feng Shui. They symbolise the collection of rain water into the home, which is associated with prosperity.
Vase Otto
Visitors arrive under a porte-cochere, cross over a footbridge and enter a portal space whose focal point is a 2-metre semi-spherical bowl sculpture called Vase Otto. The light illuminating it directly from above creates a stunning effect.
Underground Carpark
To get to the basement, you approach from the underground carpark and enter the basement lounge through a travertine corridor.
The cruciform plan houses spaces for entertaining, such as a karaoke room, bar, wine cellar and home theatre. It is also where the spa and sauna are located.
Futuristic Rooms
The futuristic character of this room reinforces the home’s architectural language.
Flying Spaceship
The home has an equally dynamic elevation to complement the dynamic plan.
The transparency of the facade and outward thrusting walls and canopies give the impression of a flying saucer about to land or take off .
The outdoor areas reinforce the curvaceous forms of the home.
Interiors Designed in ‘8’
The joinery, light fixtures, wash basins – right down to the figure eight panel on the door – all mirror the design concept.
Bedrooms
The bedrooms are massive, with the master bedroom occupying about 5,382 sq ft (or 500 sqm).
The opulent size “celebrates the privacy of personal space as a kind of luxury”.
Despite that, the rooms are largely straight, with the bedrooms having just one curved wall.
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This article first appeared on Home and Decor in 2018.