The Club – Singapore

Ministry of Design have completed a new boutique hotel in Singapore called The Club.

The Club is Ministry of Design’s latest high design boutique hotel offering in the uber chic Club Street conservation area with 22 distinctly unique rooms, a rooftop skybar with alfresco deck and a destination F&B venue with a tapas bar on the ground floor.

Conceptualizing The Club’s branding, MOD has orchestrated a unified design vision to all related collateral, signage and spatial environments. Targeted at the design and lifestyle savvy global nomad, The Club’s blend of sophisticated and comfortable design is at once distinctly local as it is cutting edge global.

Colin Seah, Design Director says, “Searching to ground the hotel in the context of Singapore as well as the historically rich conservation area of Club Street and Ann Siang Hill, we drew its inspiration from 2 sources.”

“The first is Singapore’s colonial past, which we have made modern tongue-in-cheek references to through art installation like features such as an larger-than-life statue of Raffles with his head in the clouds as well as through some key furniture pieces and artifacts.

The second inspiration was drawn from the area’s popularity as a remittance center for turn of the century Chinese immigrants where hard earned money and wistful letters were sent back to the homeland. We have taken the memories of these exchanges and created features that hint of this legacy in the rooms of The Club, where the modern day nomad and the nomad of yesterday cross paths for a moment.”

All rooms combine traditional colonial design inspired elements together with sleek modern detailing, attitude and creature comforts – creating a colonial chic aesthetic. Unique layouts together with tailored artwork in each room make each of the 22 rooms distinct. MOD designed the artwork and famed local artist Wynlyn Tan implemented them in the hotel.

Guests have the option of checking in at the ground level lobby or at the panoramic roof top Sky Bar, overlooking the Club Street conservation area and CBD. F&B areas designed by Jane Yeo include Lobby Lounge, Tapas Bar, and 2 private function rooms.

Crosby Street Hotel – New York

When you travel constantly, you are not easily impressed by hotels. You have no patience for pretentious or poor service, and you have seen enough amenity kits and fluffy robes to turn you off bathing permanently. Design does not even enter the picture until the all-too-common problem issues, such as bad pillows, no wifi or no internet connection at all, noisy surroundings and slow service, are eliminated.

Alila Villas Uluwatu Bali by WOHA

Located on the dry savannah landscape of the Bukit Peninsula on the dramatic southern cliffs of the Indonesian island of Bali, Alila Villas Uluwatu, is designed to investigate the potential of the fusion of vernacular architecture with modernist design. The design combines the delights of traditional Balinese pavilion architecture and rural landscapes with modern dynamic treatment of space and form. The design is based from first principles around the pleasures inhabiting the particular site, rather than assembling stereotypical images of Bali or generic resorts.

Alila Villas Soori Resort Bali

LEON’S PLACE HOTEL IN ROME

This is the hotel where I will be staying for the weekend. I sure hope it’s as nice as it looks on these pictures.

Namba Parks in Osaka / Japan by The Jerde Partnership

Bringing green into the world’s metropolises – especially the fast grown megacities in Asia seem to meet this challenge.

Namba Parks, located in Osaka, Japan, was named as one of four outstanding developments selected as a winner of the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2009 Awards of Excellence: Asia Pacific competition.

One & Only Reethi Rah, Maldives Resort

Atoll: a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon. Familiarize yourself with this term as its key to uncovering one of the best kept secrets of the well-travelled. The Maldives is an island country made up of a group of atolls (26 to be exact) running southwest of Sri Lanka in the Laccadive Sea of the Indian Ocean. Situated on North Male Atoll is The One & Only Reethi Rah, a remote all-villa resort sitting on boundless white sands and surrounded by crystal blue waters. As secluded as it’s geographical location, each of the 130 villas offers its own secluded piece of sandy shore or private over-water deck. The design of the property is described as “sleek and elegantly tropical, using beautiful natural materials and contemporary styling.” With heavy emphasis on unparalleled privacy, One & Only Reethi Rah, is just what the doctor ordered for the whole family or just you and your lady. Especially if you screwed up recently, this is guaranteed to get you out of the dog house… and for villas ranging from $905 to $3,400 per night, it better!