ArchShowcase 
Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Hotel Mono in Mosque Street, Singapore by Spacedge DesignsOctober 7th, 2019 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Spacedge Designs Project Overview Hotel Mono is a striking new landmark in the historic Chinatown area in Singapore, the result of an extensive refurbishment of six conservation 19th century shophouses. Once a rundown budget hotel, the independent hotel now radiates with an assertive design language applied consistently from its façade to its interiors. The hotel’s design was conceptualised to appeal to young social-media-savvy travellers who place a high value on design in their choice of accommodations, and this proposition is backed by affordable room prices. Faced with poor site conditions, as well as budget constraints,our design team used simple low-cost materials to create high design value. Examples include the old-school mosaic used in the bathrooms, which is also a nod to the history of the buildings; and the 38mm-thick black metal bar which serve as lighting point, clothes rack, and post-modern sculpture in all the rooms.  Paring the hotel’s façade down to black and white has made it a striking counterpoint to
 The lobby stands out for its minimalist forms in black and white, such as the six-metre Identity The design language I conceptualised for Hotel Mono fulfils the hotel owners’ vision of creating a new type of hotel for the design-conscious (and social-media-savvy) urban nomad, one that provides exceptional value for the price of its rooms. The creative freedom I was given by my clients was coupled with the challenges of having limited time and budget, plus having to work within the inherent restrictions of the existing shophouse architecture, room sizes, and poor site conditions. Shophouses are synonymous with early Southeast Asian architecture, and were built in a row, with sheltered entrances that are set back from the street. Inside, they feature internal courtyards, airwells and open stairwells to bring light into the building. Not wanting to pander to the cliches of nostalgia and tradition associated with Chinatown, I wanted to do something simple, yet different, that still communicates a Singapore identity. The design language really begins from the façade. Dressed in just black and white, this pared-down colour scheme emphasises the architectural as well as aesthetic details of the conservation shophouses, and also makes it stand out from the cacophony of colours along the street.  Image Courtesy © HOTEL MONO  To modernise the original wooden staircase, the designer replaced the balustrades with The minimalistic aesthetic continues in the lobby, with strong clean shapes making a statement – a six-metre long bench, the cantilevered reception counter, and the globe chair which ‘sits’ within a wall all provide a touch of the unexpected. The guest rooms carry through the same minimalist theme strongly and consistently. Our design team also conceptualised the hotel’s logo (a pictogram of the row of six shophouses the hotel occupies), signage and wayfinding icons, to ensure our design vision is completely consistent for stronger branding. This project involved a complete overhaul and refurbishment of six shophouse units, consisting of five three-storey buildings and one two-storey building, with a total floor area of 15,000sqf. Prior to the refurbishment, the premises were tenanted out to a budget hotel operator and had fallen into a state of disrepair. Room windows were boarded up with very little natural light coming in, and false ceilings made the interiors look narrow and cramped. The owners engaged my services when they wanted to take the property back, modernise it and run it themselves. It was a major coup when we managed to convince the owners (four shareholders) to go with our radical design proposal and not follow conventional hotel design tropes, such as using wallpaper and carpet. The hotel was named only after it was completed, and the name was given by my clients as an affirmation of the hotel’s bold and innovative design language. Materials and motifs The use of familiar mosaic in the hotel lobby, staircase and guest bathrooms is my way of creating a new Singapore identity for the interiors of the conservation shophouses, which are heritage icons of Singapore’s built landscape. The mosaic is coloured in some rooms, with hues inspired by skin tones, such as pale pinks and browns, to represent the people in cosmopolitan Singapore and add a human touch to the monochrome spaces. Similarly, a skin-look cotton-blocked vinyl from the Next of Skin collection by American designer Gretchen Bellinger was specially chosen for the upholstery of the customised sofa in the lounge area to continue this metaphor.  With its circular outline, the ball chair in the lobby is as minimalist as the rest of the  The narrow corridors of the shophouses are opened out with vinyl fabric-look flooring underfoot, Choosing to use mainly monochromes in the colour scheme of the entire hotel, starting from the facade, and the cool uncluttered minimalism of the guest rooms doesn’t just reinforce the identity and branding of Hotel Mono, but also serves as a soothing visual balm for guests when they return after a long day out exploring Singapore. To further enhance this sense of welcome and well-being, lighting levels in the rooms were carefully calibrated to make the spaces cosy and inviting, and flattering for skin tones. For the guest rooms, I conceptualised a strong graphic element that would contrast with the white spaces, and serve a practical purpose too. That is the 38mm-thick black square metal bar which flows through them – it functions as lighting source, hanging clothes bar and also sculpture. The versatility and low cost of using this hollow bar suited the project perfectly, as my clients were on a strict budget. The most impressive example of how this low-cost material can be used to create high impact design can be seen in the only Loft room, where it is used to build a structure which incorporates a flight of stairs and mezzanine level for a second sleeping area. Despite the size of the structure, it doesn’t add visual bulk to the space due to its skeletal frame.  Image Courtesy © HOTEL MONO  The design motif of a black 38mm bar is echoed throughout the rooms – in the bespoke All the furniture in the rooms were customised to develop this motif of a black line running through white space. Loose pieces such as the chairs and bed frames were modelled after AG Fronzoni’s Serie 64 which was designed in 1964 and re-released in 2000 by Cappellini. Built-in pieces such as the desks also bear the same 38mm-thick edges to reinforce the consistency and visual uniformity of the design intention. The placement and size of the guest rooms are original and were left unchanged. Inside the rooms however, nothing has remained from its past interiors, except the original wooden flooring which we stained black. I paid particular attention to the layout of furniture in the rooms to facilitate the natural flow of people in a space, and to gently encourage certain behaviours. For example, placing twin beds so that they face each other encourages communication. Functionality is also key, and the beds are designed so that guests are able to stash their luggage underneath them.  Rare for the Chinatown area are large rooms like this Family room, which consists of two  Rare for the Chinatown area are large rooms like this Family room, which consists of two Along the narrow common corridors of the hotel, I have removed the false ceiling and replaced it with a simple see-through grid of geometric lines. Doing this has opened the narrow space out vertically. The exposed ACMV systems above and the fabric-look vinyl flooring underfoot both bring textural richness and dimension to the corridors, creating a more pleasing environment. The polished state of Hotel Mono is a far cry from the condition of the previous budget-style hotel and its interiors. The effort, care and labour I spent on every detail of the hotel’s refurbishment was enormous, and this included not just its aesthetic transformation, but also structurally, in bringing the integrity of the building up to contemporary standards. Audience Hotel Mono was designed to appeal to a new generation of young travellers who not only want clean and comfortable rooms, but also experiences they can share on their social media platforms.Since the hotel opened in November 2016, the globe chair in the lobby has become one of the most instagrammed pictures on the hotel’s feed. The hotel and its rooms have also been used as locations for a photo shoot by one of Singapore’s top lifestyle magazines, and have been featured in Wallpaper magazine. This positive reception from hotel guests and the design media alike have validated our proposal to shift away from a safe and predictable design concept towards a fresh, bold and innovative one. The pared down minimalism of Hotel Mono has created a new design  Rare for the Chinatown area are large rooms like this Family room, which consists of two  Using white and a mirror-like border around the existing lift of the hotel makes the look of the structure visually lighter, brighter and less obtrusive. Image Courtesy © HOTEL MONO  The only room in the hotel with a mezzanine level, the Loft features a dramatic skeletal  The only room in the hotel with a mezzanine level, the Loft features a dramatic skeletal  The only room in the hotel with a mezzanine level, the Loft features a dramatic skeletal  Echoing the skin and nude tones used in the bathrooms, the designer chose a skin-look  In addition to black and white, the designer also used skin and nude tones such as this  Even without large windows, this airwell-facing Studio room with a queen-size bed and  The designer’s rigorous attention to detail is exemplified in this room, where the furniture  The bathroom wall has been replaced by clear glass in this Single room, which not only  The designer’s rigorous attention to detail is exemplified in this room, where the furniture  Image Courtesy © HOTEL MONO  The rooms’ iconic black bar adds visual drama to what would be just another white space.  Image Courtesy © HOTEL MONO  Image Courtesy © HOTEL MONO
Contact Spacedge Designs
Tags: Mosque Street, Singapore Categories: 3dS Max, Autocad, Hotel, Renovation, Restoration |
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
|||||
email
Facebook
Twitter
RSS Feed
