A dim sum basket. That’s what it looks like. The Hive. Rising majestically before you at Nanyang Technological University. This isn’t just any building. It’s a testament to innovative design. A S$45 million masterpiece by Thomas Heatherwick. Completed in 2015.
The Hive. Its twelve eight-storey towers. They taper gracefully towards the ground. Fifty-six classrooms. Each one unique. Each one a cornerless wonder. Imagine the students. Collaborating. Creating. Learning in this unusual space.
But it’s more than just classrooms. The concrete cores between the towers hold a secret. Seven hundred drawings. Embedded in the very structure. The work of British artist Sara Fanelli. Images from science. Art. Literature. A hidden gallery within the heart of The Hive.
The Hive was even a finalist. For the 2015 World Architecture Festival Commercial Mixed-Use Award. It didn’t win. But it certainly made a statement. A bold statement. A statement in concrete. Glass. And art.
Some critics called it a forlorn car-park aesthetic. Others saw a dim sum basket. A giant steaming basket of ideas. Of learning. Of innovation. What do you see? Look closer. Explore the details. The textures. The light playing on the unique double-layered facade. The Hive is a building that inspires debate. But also inspires learning. Its impact is undeniable. It’s much more than meets the eye. A unique landmark in the heart of Singapore’s technological landscape. The Hive.