Toh Ee Ming

For the last two years, Round and Round Gallery ran out of a snug pair of units in Pearl's Hill Terrace, Singapore's bohemian arts enclave, where visitors squeezed elbow-to-elbow to admire handcrafted ceramics, glass and teaware between rotating exhibitions. It has since traded that intimacy for a more spacious home in Joo Chiat: a new 130 sq m space, three times the size.Founders Deng Chao, 33, and Gu Tiantong, 32, both trained as architects before moving into art and curatorial practice, opened the gallery in March 2024. It deals in handcrafted homeware and teaware, and curates rotating exhibitions for artists across China, Japan and Singapore, building a loyal following of collectors and casual browsers alike. The move, says Gu, was about function as much as size. "We want to do better exhibitions.  We're hosting more artists now, so we need a larger space to do that properly. Once we have the room, we can experiment more with installations and how we present things," she says. The extra space also lets the gallery split into zones: part exhibition space, part living room. "Once you walk in, we want that air of respect for the artwork. It's not just a cup, it's a story, and we want to deliver that story from the artist to the audience in Singapore," she adds.Joo Chiat was their first choice, though Tiong Bahru was a consideration. The neighbourhood was named one of the world's coolest streets last year, and 2026 alone has brought a wave of new openings along its shophouse-

You've probably come across photos of the contented capybara – unceremoniously unbothered, sinking into a steaming onsen filled with bobbing yuzu fruit.The world's most relaxed and social animal is the unlikely muse behind Capybara Bathing, Singapore's newest bathhouse. It marks Australia’s cult wellness bathing brand’s first international outpost, arriving as the city's appetite for slow, communal bathing shows no signs of cooling. Photograph: Capybara Bathing Singapore Located at 77 Tras Street in Tanjong Pagar, the 3,000 sq ft studio was conceived by a six-part team comprising of designers, makers and spa enthusiasts: Natalie Cheung, ceramic studio Project Snail (Rebecca Qin and Daegeon Song) and architectural practice Studio Blek (Justin Lo, Nicholas Souksamrane and Sebastian Tsang), with Natalie and Rebecca leading the management and operation in Australia.This latest sensory sanctuary moves through a series of curated zones – from magnesium mineral baths (38–40°C) and cold plunges (6–8°C), heated lounges and steam rooms to Singapore’s first Nordic-inspired hot lounge, complete with shaved ice and body salt scrubs.  Photograph: Capybara Bathing Singapore ”We see bathing as a modern ceremony – one that connects people through water, warmth, and stillness,” says Nicole Chew, partner and director of Capybara Bathing Singapore. “In Singapore, we wanted to bring that same spirit of communal calm.”Expect a rotating roster of local practitioners to lead yoga, stretch, and s