Behold, the World's 'Best' Building

31 six-story blocks make up Singapore's Interlace
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 9, 2015 12:21 PM CST
Updated Nov 14, 2015 8:25 AM CST
Behold, the World's 'Best' Building
Singapore's the Interface was just voted the best building in the world.   (World Architecture Festival)

If the best view from your apartment is into your neighbors' living room, prepare to be envious of the residents of Singapore's the Interlace—the winner of the World Building of the Year at the eighth annual World Architecture Festival. Designed by Netherlands-based Office for Metropolitan Architecture and Germany's Buro Ole Scheeren, the building is more than 1.8 million square feet, spread across eight hectares. The word building is used rather loosely, however. The apartment complex actually includes 1,040 apartment units in 31 six-story blocks, stacked at odd angles so that each apartment includes views of the lush green surroundings, reports Business Insider. There are also open courtyards, plus rooftop terraces and gardens.

A rep says the idea was to create a village rather than a standard apartment complex. "There's multiple opportunities for social connectivity, a real sense of community, the presence of nature, and generous space," he says, per CNN. Though the Interlace won the top award in the housing category, as well as the title of best building overall, there were many other winners in 34 categories, per Architectural Digest. Among them: the Fulton Center in New York City. It took home the top award in the transport category, partly due to its 110-foot-tall glass oculus and "Sky Reflector-Net," which sends dappled light onto 300,000 daily commuters. Other designs presented at the festival included buildings that float on the ocean and a skyscraper made of ... bamboo. (The Interlace's home city, meanwhile, is also the best at this.)

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