HOTEL REVIEW


ABOVE: Guestroom designs cleverly integrate conservation protected doors that bisect the rooms. These are framed within transparent glass, allowing guests a clear line of sight to the outdoors


even in guest rooms. Plans are afoot to install a word display starting from the porte cochere and leading up the stairs, which will reference the various historical names of Fort Canning Hill, plus its former residents, as well as the names of the heritage trees found in the park. The idea is to stimulate curiosity among visitors, as DP Architects Associate Director Jeremy Tan explains: “By doing away with pictures, we want to play with the mind and entice people to head to the front desk or concierge to find out more. It’s a different way for travellers to acquaint themselves with Singapore.”


An existing display of four archaeological pits containing 14th- and 19th-century artefacts unearthed in the park forms an arresting floor feature in the hotel lobby, bringing Singapore’s history alive once more. Also found in the hotel lobby/lounge,


contemporary incarnations of objects associated with the state’s maritime past range from a stainless steel chrome plant holder, reminiscent of a ship’s lantern, to a leather- mesh cushion seat from Poltrona Frau, a piece that wouldn’t look out of place on a pirate’s ship. The designer company’s furniture is dotted around this space with classic-shaped armchairs purposefully mismatched with newer iconic designs such as the Kennedee sofa, as well as elegant Moucharabieh leather- upholstered screens. Tan and his design team have been careful to


avoid the hotel looking like “a museum” and so it has been essential to establish a connection to modernity by identifying what is unique about the destination. “Fort Canning Park is akin to our royal garden,” he says. “You come up the hill, see beautiful rainforest trees, hear the birds and feel the sunlight so we wanted to


074 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011 WWW.SLEEPERMAGAZINE.COM


reflect this in the interiors, creating a place of respite; somewhere to soak in a bathtub under a canopy of trees or contemplate on the throne. Yet we also wanted to acknowledge military roots through functionality. This juxtaposition led us to think about creature comforts without over-styling; a club-like atmosphere without the cigar-chomping ambience that would turn off women – the new road warriors.” A clear evocation of these intentions can be found in the guestrooms where DPA has been challenged to approach layout in an innovative way as a result of conservation doors that bisect the rooms. To invite sunlight and the outside in, exteriors bays have either been transformed into bathrooms or veranda-like seating areas, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering unobstructed views facing out to the park or city. By placing transparent glass around the conservation doors, guests


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