The chair, often perceived as a simple piece of furniture, embodies profound social significance. It serves as a symbol of engagement — representing respect, inclusivity and community. In various cultures, the act of offering a chair transcends mere seating; it is an invitation to dialogue, connect and share experiences.

Using the Unica Plastic Stool, designed by Singaporean industrial designer Chew Moh-Jin in the 1990s, as building blocks for the Care Pavilion, the stool becomes both a personal territory as well as a communal space that invites visitors.

The pavilion seeks to embrace the theme of ‘Design For Care’ with this construct, and cultivate richer communities where every voice matters and engagement thrives. By appreciating the chair as a symbol of connection, the Care Pavilion honours one of the very fabrics of our social existence to care.

This pavilion also hosts an exhibition, Design Ecologies of Care. It invites visitors to reimagine care in new forms and challenges the notion of care as a sentiment, and proposes a concept that can be designed, innovated and continually enriched. Exhibitors include Future Cities Laboratory (FCL) Global in collaboration between ETH Zurich and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Ipse Ipsa Ipsum, National University of Singapore’s College of Design and Engineering, Division of Industrial Design and Zarch Collaboratives.

NOTE: The Care Pavilion will be closed for a private event on 11 September 2025 from 4pm to 8pm.

Better By Design celebrates the innovative spirit of our graduates from⁠ School of 3D Design, NAFA UAS.

This exhibition features a curated selection of 15 original works from the Object & Jewellery and Furniture & Spatial graduates from the School of 3D design — centred on the theme “Design for Care”.

From intuitive products to innovative furniture that enhances comfort and function, the students explore how thoughtful design can meet the evolving needs of society. Visitors will experience how form, material and function are combined to express care in various contexts.

As part of NAFA’s vibrant creative community, this exhibition offers a glimpse into the future of socially responsive design. It invites visitors to engage with ideas that go beyond aesthetics — where design becomes a means to support, comfort and connect.

This showcase is proudly supported by Semula, a design-driven initiative that champions circularity through plastic recycling. By partnering with Semula, the exhibition reinforces a shared commitment to sustainable, meaningful design that considers both people and the planet.

This installation draws inspiration from the traditional bamboo feeding chair, an everyday object in Singaporean and regional domestic life, reimagined at three distinct scales: Small, Medium and Large. As the size increases, so too does the scope of care, evolving from personal gestures to communal interaction and environmental consciousness.

The Small Chair evokes individual care such as solitude, pause, and self-reflection. The Medium Chair encourages casual togetherness, recalling shared meals and social rituals. The Large Chair transforms into a shelter-like structure, inviting rest, conversation, play and presence.

By transforming a familiar form for the urban landscape, Care-Full Shelter bridges heritage with contemporary design, turning nostalgia into a stage for public engagement. It becomes not only a playscape but also a social sculpture, embodying the potential of care to take up space quietly, playfully and intentionally.

The title “Care-Full Shelter” is a play on words expressing both a world full of care and the notion of being careful. It invites visitors not only to sit but to smile, rethink public space and rediscover rest as a communal space.

In the heart of our city’s urban jungle, FoRest is designed to be a sanctuary that invites passersby, the weary and the curious to pause, explore and rest. Inspired by how real forests are formed from a network of trees and roots, each supporting one another, FoRest is designed with interlocking modular pieces, forming a singular structure that is at once open yet intimate. Visitors can enter from any direction and discover hidden corners to experience rest in various forms, from physical and mental to sensory and social rest.

Inside, swings, puzzles, birdhouses and nostalgic void-deck corners offer playful and peaceful escapes. Whether it’s the act of tossing a ring, listening to wind chimes or simply swaying on a swing, each pocket is crafted for moments of respite. More than an installation, FoRest is an invitation to slow down and reconnect with oneself, others and the present right in the city’s centre.

With sustainability in mind, the modular pieces of FoRest are meant to last beyond Design Week 2025. After its run as an installation, these pieces will be disassembled and reassembled as furniture for FoRest to continue to live on.

Gratitude Grove emerges as a thoughtful spatial intervention by Kiat & Cherry, offering city dwellers a restorative pause amidst Singapore’s relentless cityscape. Positioned along South Beach’s natural pedestrian walking paths, this biophilic installation harnesses calming blue tones to foster moments of genuine reflection and mental clarity.

The design philosophy centres on blue’s inherent tranquillity and sand’s metaphorical significance — each grain representing life’s small yet profound moments. Sculptural pillars punctuate carefully considered seating zones, encouraging moments for mental recalibration. The material palette appropriates construction site elements: wood and metal are transformed into meditative areas, requiring minimal upkeep whilst maintaining visual impact, highlighting biophilic design cues of South Beach.

This intervention directly addresses escalating urban stress and our collective yearning for public wellness spaces. Visitors are simply invited to sit, pause, breathe — establishing micro-rituals of mindfulness within their daily trajectories.

On 13 and 14 September, Roots & Rituals, a new curated market debuts the gathering of designers, artisans, and plant cultivators, offering objects of care that extend the Gratitude Grove design installation’s ethos into everyday life.

PlayBloom is a sustainable, inclusive playground prototype designed to nurture creativity, empathy and resilience in every child.

Crafted with FSC-certified timber and eco-friendly materials, PlayBloom integrates nature-inspired play with inclusive design, ensuring children of all abilities can explore, learn and grow together. Small quiet spaces integrated into the playground makes can be friendly for neurodivergent children who may feel easily overwhelmed, and a rain sound maker offers auditory sensory play.

Its modular system allows flexibility for schools and community spaces to adapt the playground for different activities, from storytelling and music to active play and sensory exploration.

This playground will be enjoyed by children aged 5 – 12.

In a nation where efficiency and productivity are prized, play is often sidelined — dismissed as trivial, childish or unproductive. But what if play isn’t a distraction, but a vital way of thinking, connecting and creating?

Playful Living invites you to rediscover the quiet power of play in everyday life. Here, play is not a luxury but a fundamental human need that is essential for nurturing a more imaginative, empathetic and deeply human way of living.

This exhibition is made possible through the support of our collaboration partners, including Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), NParks Garden City Fund and Rebirth Ensemble.

SilverActive is thoughtfully designed to support the strength, mobility and well-being of older adults, including those who may have lower physical strength or smaller build. It features gentle mechanics, customisable settings, supportive grab bars and frames optimised for smaller body types. The intuitive guidance through large, clear fonts and pictorial diagrams make every workout simple to understand and easy to enjoy. The wheelchair-friendly layout offers maximum accessibility and enables everyone to exercise with comfort and confidence.

With safety and steady progress at its core, SilverActive empowers the silver generation to grow stronger, move with confidence, and embrace a more active and fulfilling life — no matter their age or ability. The therapeutic colour palette is intended to foster emotional vitality and inner tranquillity — where Yellow radiates warmth and optimism and Turquoise exudes calming clarity.

Happiness, on the house!

Bars are where people seek comfort, connection, and a break from life’s demands. What if, instead of drinks, we served care? The Well-Being Bar is an interactive pop-up for everyone (no ID needed!), where every item on the menu is designed to lift your spirits. The experience invites you to reflect, reconnect, and receive small doses of science-backed happiness. You’ll definitely leave dizzy… with joy!

Get hands-on with our Journal Cocktails and build your own signature; choose a base, stir in your favourite well-being activities and quotes, and finish it off with a cover that speaks to you. Take an Affirmation Shot for an instant buzz, confess your proudest secrets at My (Happy) Drunk Confession, then sign off with love at Cheers, With Gratitude where you pen down a heartfelt thank-you.

In a world that moves too fast, sometimes the kindest thing you can do is pause. Whether you stay for five minutes or fifty, come curious and pour yourself a little care. We can’t wait to serve you!

Walk-ins are always welcome. Reservations? Never heard of her.
Open daily, 11am–9pm

DISTRICT M is a 2-day district-wide festival of good music and engaging encounters. The festival enlivens the role of music in shaping more empathetic and inclusive public spaces.

Marina Central district ignites across four vibrant festival zones at Marina Square, Millenia Walk, South Beach, and Suntec City. Groove to the rhythm of homegrown and international talents spanning diverse music genres! What’s more, immerse in captivating fringe activities including jagua tattoos, candle marbling, photobooth, Italian charm bar, chess and more. Slow down, tune in, and connect — not just with the music but also with each other.

Enjoying the vibe a little too much? Bask in the festivities from our cosy corners with bean bags and lounge chairs. Complimentary earbuds are also available to keep things chill for those sensitive to sound.

DISTRICT M is the key programme of Singapore Design Week’s second Friday Late.