RT+Q Architects x Garnica: Duraply plywood performance at Singapore Archifest 2025

In tropical climates, outdoor public architecture faces demanding conditions such as high humidity, rainfall and constant public use. Events like Singapore Archifest act as real-scale references for materials exposed to these environments.

SGAF+ Installations Trace 2025

Trace is a public installation developed for SGAF+ Singapore Archifest 2025, organized by the Singapore Institute of Architects as part of SG60 celebrations in the Katong–Joo Chiat area.

Designed by RT+Q Architects, Trace (Pavilion) forms part of a wider set of installations intended to bring architecture into everyday life, acting as a visual marker, wayfinding element and place of pause within the urban landscape. Reinterpreting the Singapore Archifest logo as a three-dimensional, open abstract frame that invites visitors to reflect on the space it defines without enclosing it.

"Trace" is constructed from Garnica Duraply, with the aim of evaluating the performance of an engineered plywood solution under real outdoor conditions in a tropical climate.

Duraply plywood in an outdoor urban context

To respond to the challenges of an outdoor public pavilion exposed to Singapore’s tropical climate, Garnica Duraply plywood was used as the primary material shaping both the structure and visual identity of the installation.

The following solution was implemented:

• Garnica Duraply plywood
  All-weather plywood engineered for outdoor use, supplied in 18 mm thickness and standard panel dimensions. The material was selected for its enhanced durability, lightweight construction and dimensional stability, supporting precise prefabrication, clean machining and layered geometries.

Duraply’s consistent material quality enabled crisp detailing, reliable connections and safe public interaction, while performing reliably in a hot, humid and rain-exposed environment.

Performance beyond the festival

Installed in July 2025 in the green space outside Marine Parade MRT Station (Exit 2), Trace remained accessible beyond the festival period as a semi-permanent public installation.

Despite prolonged exposure to outdoor conditions, the structure has maintained its stability and visual clarity, demonstrating Duraply’s suitability for public architecture in tropical and high-humidity climates with extended public use.

This project provides tangible evidence of how engineered, all-weather plywood solutions can support durable, design-led public installations beyond temporary events.

Looking for an all-weather plywood solution for tropical environments?
Discover how Garnica Duraply can deliver long-term performance in exterior applications.

Credits

Designed by: @rtnq_architects

Build Sponsors: @garnicaplywood, @superstructuresg, @thepanelogue, Topeak Construction

SGAF+ Partner: @urasingapore

Photography: @chan.psb (Photographer, Ong Chan Hao), @thepanelogue