MVRDV transforms two PPVC modular towers on Irwell Bank Road with a bold pixelated facade that highlights balconies, sky gardens, and sustainable design elements.
Two new 36-storey residential towers have been completed along Irwell Bank Road in Singapore, distinguished by a striking pixel-like facade crafted by MVRDV. The project builds upon the modular construction system created by ADDP Architects, who designed the structures using Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC). MVRDV’s exterior design brings visual variety to the elevations and also emphasizes the building’s communal green spaces, located on the 24th floor and the rooftop. The development, Irwell Hill Residences, marks MVRDV’s first built project within Singapore’s central urban district.
PPVC—one of Singapore’s most widely adopted construction methods—relies on manufacturing entire finished modules off-site before assembling them on location. This technique minimizes the amount of work required on the construction site, shortens the building timeline, and reduces material waste as well as carbon emissions from transportation and heavy machinery. National frameworks and accreditation programs in Singapore further support the system as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen productivity and sustainability across the construction industry.
Since PPVC can sometimes produce uniform building forms, MVRDV’s role was to introduce architectural richness without disrupting the standardized module system. Each volumetric unit is treated as a “pixel,” with carefully recessed or projected modules framed in metal to create balconies and give the facade more depth.
A warm palette of gold and deep brown forms an abstract pattern reminiscent of climbing plants spreading across a surface. This design strategy brings rhythm to the towers and breaks down the visual repetition typically associated with modular construction.
The facade also serves to highlight key shared spaces. A four-storey sky garden occupies the 24th floor, while the rooftop level—known as Irwell Sky—provides an additional landscaped communal area. At these levels, the module grid opens into larger frames that reveal vegetation inside, setting the communal floors apart from the residential units below.
