New Majestic Hotel Singapore Interior, Bukit Pasoh Road Accommodation, Architecture Images

New Majestic Hotel in Singapore

Vibrant Room Interiors, Southeast Asia Accommodation – design by Ministry of Design

21 Sep 2016

New Majestic Hotel

Architect: Ministry of Design

Location: 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore

New Majestic Hotel

Responding to the global appetite for unique hospitality experiences, the progressive Majestic Hotel boldly defies simplistic definitions of style. Rather, it is a collection of veritable encounters where design is given full license to surprise, thrill and even confound.

Situated in historic Chinatown, the 30 suites and rooms present a fresh take on the rituals of bathing, sleeping and living. Art, material and furniture transcend mere decorative value to create holistic environments that pamper, excite and soothe. Private gardens, a courtyard pool and attached balconies physically extend these experiences to the outdoors. Located on the ground floor, the lobby and restaurant form a milieu of rhythmic activity, enticing both guests and the public alike.

The 30-room New Majestic Hotel explores and defines a zeitgeist or the spirit of our times. A response to the new global hotel consumer’s appetite for distinctive & authentic experiences, the progressive design redefines both Hotel Design and the accompanying Design Process, establishing Singapore as an innovator on the International Hospitality Design map. These key innovations are described below:

1. Creative Collaboration In order to achieve a coherent spatial experience, MOD orchestrated and facilitated a united design effort between 1) 9 Artists, 2) the Branding & Graphics Consultant & 3) 5 Design Celebrities. Providing the fundamental design framework and direction for all parties to respond to, MOD subsequently incorporated their unique responses into a varied, rich and holistic experience.

2. Shophouse Typology Together with DP Architects (Architects for the project), MOD re-investigated the Singaporean Shophouse typology by introducing 1) Natural Light via Airwells & Portholes, 2) Natural Ventilation via Airwells & Ceiling fans & 3) a Swimming Pool & 2 sets of 4 inter-connectable Private garden decks on the 2nd floor.

3. Hotel Room Typology Introducing 5 new room typologies, 1) Aquarium, 2) Hanging Bed, 3) View, 4) Mirror & 5) Loft, MOD fundamentally redefines the hotel room experience architecturally, transcending a mere stylistic adaptation of the conventional hotel room and provides a wide variety of spatial experiences – from the provocative to the comfortable.

4. Duet with Context Respectful of the site’s Conservation Shophouses & surrounding neighbourhood, MOD’s design response takes its cue from the existing physical and historical context. Selected key elements are preserved or transformed, then infused or contrasted with the new – keeping a balance between pure preservation and total erasure.

5. Space + Art A collection of site-specific installation art infuse both public areas & rooms. In the rooms, MOD has tailored spaces for installation art. For example, art in the Mirror rooms can be read only through the reflection of the mirrors, art in interconnected Aquarium rooms form a running narrative and in the Hanging Bed Rooms, the art takes the place of both the conventional requisite bed-head and decorative art piece.

Expanding on Point 3 – Hotel Room Typology
Design for hospitality has evolved over many centuries. From the grand dame hotels of the past when travel was only the privilege of a select elite class to its vast expansion to a much wider group of travelers and the accompanying generic hotel chain, the hotel industry has over the last few decades seen the popularization of the niche boutique hotel. Defined by an idiosyncratic and personalized approach of service as well as design, this genre of hotel has become a mainstay in the Experience Economy. Within the ranks of these boutique hotels, there is an ever-increasing sensitivity to a harmonious link between design and the end user. In the New Majestic Hotel, the end user is clearly defined and understood to be urban, cosmopolitan, cultured, individualistic but yet possessing a desire to connect with others.

In response, 7 unique rooms types have been developed for this contemporary user, of which 5 rooms redefine the typical hotel typology and layer each spatial experience with installation art and well-designed artifacts. Most essentially, the end user is engaged to activate and enliven the spaces by undertaking the basic rituals of sleeping, cleansing and resting.

In the Aquarium room, the redefinition of the hotel room typology is at its most distinct. A glass-encased bathtub is positioned in the center of the room, creating a framed axial view through the tub, past the bed and desk areas, onto the street – potentially making public the act of cleansing. The location of the bathtub in the center of the room also generates a peripheral circulation path around the room, with the user transitioning from sleeping space to cleansing space without passing though a formal threshold. When using the bathtub, the user activates the room and becomes the central focus. Mid-bath, the glass walls frost over with steam and provide a transient and translucent visual screen. The user becomes integral in the creation of the spatial experience, elevating his status from spectator to spectacle.

Not merely a destination for foreign guests, the contemporary hotel in the Experience Economy caters to the local guest as well. The recognition that the contemporary local user desires to be connected to his friends during an overnight celebration or party led to exploring how multiple rooms can be interconnected simultaneously. In the typical hotel, a maximum of 2 rooms can be interconnected at a time. In the New Majestic Hotel, up to 4 rooms can be interconnected, creating an internal street between rooms for friends to interact. Of the total 30 rooms and suites, 16 rooms can be interconnected via internal streets or by linked private gardens to create 4 mega rooms – this new room typology expands the global definition of the boutique hotel.

In another of the 7 room types, the Mirror room, the room becomes an act of discovery. A series of angled mirror walls and flushed cabinetry conceal all the room’s amenities save the bed. At first glance, these planes seem to be mere adorned surfaces, with artwork and reflected peripheral views of the room simultaneously engaging the users’ field of vision. However upon greater probing, the user discovers that the space of reflections. A continuous ribbon of smoked mirrors angled with the pitch of the attic roof start from one wall, continue onto the ceiling, and terminate on the opposite wall. In this room, the interaction of the spectator and the spectacle is enhanced. Reflections are inverted, distorted and de-familiarized, and the user is faced with his reflection anew. In the Experience Economy, one is simultaneously voyeur and narcissist.

Seen as an essential spatial layer and not mere artifact, installation art is introduced as a critical design layer that enhances visual stimuli and further develops the design concept. Taking on many shapes and forms, from blown glass and fabric works to painted murals and stainless steel silhouettes, all the artwork commissioned as installation art act in response to the site context. A mural of a tree spreads its canopy in the attic loft area whilst sinking its roots at the base of the room. A cryptic message is deciphered only when read in the mirrored reflection of the Mirror room. Whether spanning full walls to become larger-than-life art cum bed-head in the Hanging Bed room or hung off the corner of the space where ceiling meets wall, the art is de-objectified and become an integral spatial element.

Essentially, the design for the New Majestic hotel has sought to perform a duet, both with the memory of a bygone age as well as the very spirit of the present age – a desire that is both historically grounded and contemporary in vision, idiosyncratic in its response to the local environment and yet universally attuned to the global nomad.
concealed doors open into the bathroom area, desk and wardrobe.

Fifteen years ago, we had a vision.
We predicted that travellers would not only be attracted to design-oriented hotels, but demand them. So we decided to form Design HotelsTM with ten member properties. Over the years Design HotelsTM has become an international lifestyle brand synonymous with distinctive architecture and interior design, balanced with functionality and service. In 2008, DesignHotelsTM celebrates its 15th year of existence and represents more than 170 individual hotels in over 40 countries. We are very proud to count the New Majestic Hotel – designed by the Ministry of Design – among them.

Sex sells: MOD meets Design HotelsTM
Colin Seah and the Ministry of Design created the interiors for New Majestic Hotel – the place to be in Singapore. This eclectic property’s look and the experience it affords draws heavily on regional influences and even history. This local connectivity is exactly what contemporary and sustainable design needs. In my opinion a good designer has to consider everything about the destination and surroundings of his hotel project. Only if the creative mind behind the concept is aware of the cultural background, the people, history, natural beauty or the vibrancy of the respective city will it be able to create a holistic concept which locals and travellers will love.

Colin Seah and his team did a great job with the New Majestic Hotel as it considers all of the mentioned aspects. The small Chinatown hotel is a revamp of a historic hotel on a street once known for housing wealthy men’s mistresses. Today the property has a contemporary type of sex appeal that draws on the exciting design. A balance of exhibitionism and voyeurism pervades the New Majestic Hotel, whose 30 guestrooms are individually crafted visions by the Ministry of Design. The thematic result: Mirror, Hanging Bed, Loft and Aquarium rooms.

These impressions exemplify the cool and sexy style of the hotel, which effectively pushes boundaries. Nowadays hotel design becomes simultaneously more specific and diverse. Guests want to be inspired and emotionally touched by a perfect blend of architecture, design and services. This kind of experience is what we want to offer in all our hotels. It is always great to see how creative concepts mature into successful properties such as the New Majestic Hotel. I am very happy that it has found its place in the Singaporean hotel landscape. Guests just love the interaction between art, vintage styles, tradition and design – which MOD set in scene spectacularly in Singapore’s hotspot!

New Majestic Hotel in Singapore – Building Information

Client: Mr. Peng Loh
Interior Designer & Interior Architect: Colin Seah, Ministry of Design
(Responsible for design of Room layouts & Corridor Layouts for all 30 rooms, including Interior decoration for 25 rooms; responsible for design of Majestic Restaurant; collaboration with Architect on public areas, e.g. Lobby, Pool
Architect: DP Architects
Design Celebrities: Wykidd Song, Theseus Chan, Glen Goei, Patrick Chia, Daniel Boey (added interior decoration for 1 room each)
Artists: Miguel Chew, Sandra Lee, Justin Lee, Lee Meiling, Heleston Chew, Tay Bee Aye, Safaruddin Abdul Hamid, Andre Tan, Kng Mian Tze
Contractor: Shanghai Chong Kee Furniture & Construction
Art Consultant: Asian Art Options
M&E Consultants: PCA Consultants
C&S Consultants: KTP Consultants; Structures Inc
Branding & Graphic Consultant: Mind Wasabi
Facilities: Lobby, Restaurant with 3 Private Dining Rooms, Pool, Gym, 30 Hotel Rooms
Capacity: 30 Hotel Rooms
Total floor area: 2,500 sqm
Location: 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore
Duration of construction: 14 months
Completed: April 2006