PROLOGUE

{ PROLOGUE }
Branding + Interior Design + Collateral Design
1550 m2
Singapore. Built 2009

Located in ION Orchard, Singapore’s premier luxury mall, Ministry of Design's concept bookstore re-imagines and updates the conventional bookstore experience with the creation of a new-to-market brand Prologue. Undertaken holistically as a single design vision, MOD choreographed all aspects of Prologue's brand concept and logo, collateral, shopping bags, uniforms, window display, interior architecture and design in the effort to create a seamless and rich experience.
Our goal to “question, disturb and redefine” the conventional bookstore experience led to the discovery of some key issues which commonly plague a majority of bookstores. Most significantly, the lack of a clear spatial hierarchy together with the poor visual zoning for distinct book categories made it confusing to navigate through a bookstore or to locate the book you wanted. Another issue that baffled us was how bland and static most bookstore window displays were, seemingly decades behind fashion retail standards. We aimed to respond to these issues as well as introduce a dynamic public element via a vibrant cafe setting.
We redefined way-finding with a central spine that organizes all the secondary zones and spaces. Curving sinuously through the entire bookstore, the spine begins at the entry window display, continues through the core of the space and culminates at the cafe and sculptural stair leading to the store's second storey stationery section. To enhance visual distinction, each book zone is crowned by a colour coded perforated metal canopy. Experienced as a collective, the eight canopies create a dynamic ceiling scape and clearly guide the user from one zone to another. We have defamiliarized the entry by creating an installation art display starring a Godzilla-inspired creature unpacking books amongst a city-scape of packing boxes which will evolve into a cityscape of books.

This project was also featured as part of Singapore’s Design Festival 2009.


PROJECT CREDITS
Branding, Interior Design, Collateral Design Ministry of Design:
Colin Seah, Dennis Cheok, Cheryl Lum, Danis Sie, Bryan Law, Roberto Rivera
Press Contact Joy Chan Seah
Website www.modonline.com

General e-mail studio@modonline.com

Office address 20 Cross Street #03-01 Singapore 048422
Tel +65-62225780
Photography CI&A Photography
Edward Hendricks, ciaphoto@singnet.com.sg
* All images may be used and printed, courtesy of Ministry of Design

ABOUT MINISTRY OF DESIGN
Question, Disturb & Redefine
Ministry of Design was created by Colin Seah to Question, Disturb & Redefine the spaces, forms & experiences that surround us and give meaning to our world.
An integrated spatial-design practice, MOD’s explorations are created amidst a democratic ‘studio-like’ atmosphere and progress seamlessly between form, site, object and space. We love to question where the inherent potential in contemporary design lies, and then to disturb the ways they are created or perceived – redefining the world around us in relevant and innovative ways, project by project!
This, we declare, is real change, not change for the sake of novelty.
Fortified with these aspirations, we begin each distinct project anew by seeking to do 2 things – to draw deeply from the context surrounding each project, but also to dream freely so that we might transcend mere reality and convention. Each MOD project endeavours to be delightfully surprising but yet relevant, distinctly local but still globally appealing.
The response to our ethos has been overwhelming and we’ve received critical acclaim with a multitude of international award wins and key media coverage – these include the RISING STAR OF ARCHITECTURE by the MONOCLE SINGAPORE SURVEY, GOLD KEY AWARD, the INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS and the PRESIDENT’S DESIGN AWARD twice over as well as feature appearances in WALLPAPER, FRAME and SURFACE. True to our multi-disciplinary profile, we’ve also won the Grand Prize in SAPORITI ITALIA’S design competition, and Luxury Tower was manufactured for display at the prestigious Milan Design Week 2010.
MOD’s integrated spatial design approach has resulted in wide-ranging local and foreign projects such as the NEW MAJESTIC HOTEL, SHO-U RESTAURANT, ASHLEY ISHAM BOUTIQUE, SOHOCHINA SANLITUN CONDOMUNIUMS, BBH OFFICE IN A WAREHOUSE, HOLLAND PARK RESIDENCE, FACE TO FACE, THE CLUB BOUTIQUE HOTEL, THE RACE CLUB, HYATT HOTEL SEOUL & being the Finalist for the SINGAPORE PAVILION WORLD EXPO 2010 SHANGHAI.
ABOUT DESIGN DIRECTOR COLIN SEAH
Architecturally trained in the US, Colin Seah honed his sensibilities working for the likes of Rem Koolhaas and Daniel Libeskind. He also spent 4 years at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Architecture researching design pedagogy and serving as design critic.
As MOD’s Founder & Director of Design, Colin is a two-time recipient of Singapore’s highest design accolade, the PRESIDENT’S DESIGN AWARD. He was also a Grand Prize Winner of the GOLD KEY AWARD, the highest international hospitality accolade and named Hong Kong Perspective’s ‘40 UNDER 40’ ARCHITECTS & MARCUS CORPORATION FOUNDATION PRIZE 2007 ‘emerging architect with potential for greatness’. Recognized as a ”Rising Star in Architecture” by Monocle, Colin Seah has been invited by the Singapore Tourism Board to redefine Singapore as a destination for 2020 and beyond.
ABOUT POPULAR HOLDINGS
Founded in 1924 and listed on the mainboard of the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1997, Popular Holdings Ltd (“Popular”) is a leading media powerhouse with an integrated business model strategically built on its core competencies in content creation and publishing, retail and distribution. The Group has a very established regional educational distribution and publishing network with strong presence over 40 subsidiaries in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, China, UK and Canada.
Popular is a familiar name in the book business and is an advocator of life-long learning. The key success of the business is to stay innovative and pro-active to the market needs, hence brought along the birth of {prologue} at the heart of Orchard Road - ION, a homegrown brand embarking on an international platform.


LOCATION DETAILS
Location PROLOGUE
Visiting address ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, #04-16, 05-03 Singapore 238801
Tel +65 64651475

PROJECT DETAILS
Client Popular Book Co (Pte) Ltd
Consultants Architectural QP: RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd
Structural Consultant: RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd
M&E Consultant: Squire Mech Pte Ltd
C&S Consultant: Engineers 2002 (Pte)
Main Contractor Design Delta Pte Ltd
Facilities Feature Display Entrances, Reconfigurable Book Merchandizing + Shelving Areas, Children’s Book Section with Playpen, Connecting Feature Staircase to Stationery Section, 2 Back Offices + Storage Areas, 2 Manager’s Offices, 3 Cashier, Information + Wrapping Counters, 1 Café (Overall Design Direction by MOD)
Total floor area (m2) 1550
Duration of construction 12 weeks
Opening Dec 2009

FFE DETAILS
Floor Material Homogeneous black tiles at Spine GRES Pte Ltd
Tel. No. 6841 2328
Email: grespl@singnet.com.sg

Red Epoxy Floor Paint Finish (L5) Bodenlack (Far East) Pte Ltd
HP. No.90602902
Cement screed for Book Merchandizing + Shelving Areas Design Delta Pte Ltd
(+65) 62888302
Engineered timber strip flooring at Café and Children’s Playpen DecoArt Flooring Pte Ltd
Tel No. 6282 1511
Email: decoart@singnet.com.sg

Epoxy paint finish at Stationery Section Design Delta Pte Ltd
(+65) 62888302
Wall Material Paint Finish with textured spray for most areas SKK (S) Pte Ltd
(+65) 62740020
Timber laminate at Children’s Playpen TAK Products & Services
(+65) 63661212
Ceiling Material Ceiling Emulsion Paint Finish (L4, L5) Design Delta Pte Ltd
(+65) 62888302
Lighting Material Barndoor lights at Entrance Display Acoustic & Lighting System Pte Ltd; Tel No. 6423 0682
Email:info@acousticnlighting.com

Mini barndoor lights Desisti Asia Pte Ltd
Tel No. 6745 1811
Fluorescent cove lights Design Delta Pte Ltd
(+65) 62888302
Fluorescent downlights Design Delta Pte Ltd
(+65) 62888302
Recessed halogen downlights Design Delta Pte Ltd
(+65) 62888302
Furniture Merchandizing Shelving and Display Stands Design Delta Pte Ltd
(+65) 62888302
Display Mannequins Font Creative
(+65) 68412232
www.fontcreative.com

Dinosaur Display Mannequin Rich.art Enterprises Pte Ltd
(+65) 62800882
www.richart.com.sg

Question, Disturb and Redefine!
Through a series of architectural & interior architectural explorations, Ministry of Design is positioned as an integrated spatial-design practice that consciously blurs prevalent intellectual & literal boundaries between interior space & exterior form. Acknowledging the limitations of these distinctions on our design process, Ministry of Design's explorations are created amidst a democratic "studio-like" atmosphere and progress seamlessly between form, site, object and space.