TK Elevator’s Taiyuan Botanical Garden project in Shanxi, China was recognized in the “Moving Walks” category
TK Elevator is pleased to once again receive Elevator World’s Project of the Year award. With its Taiyuan Botanical Garden project in Shanxi awarded “Project of the Year 2022” under the “Moving Walks” category, the company has been given this prestigious recognition consecutively in the award’s past three editions. The award highlights TK Elevator’s continued achievement in providing and installing some of the most innovative and customer-centric mobility solutions across the globe.
Occupying the site of a former coal mine, the Taiyuan Botanical Garden was transformed into a modern landscape park and museum by Austrian architect firm Delugan Meissl. Key features of this park include three-domed greenhouses and a large terrace providing a panoramic view across the park. The highlight of the project is the moving walkway that extends through an opening through the roof of the entrance building, provided by TK Elevator.
The installation of a pair of TK Elevator’s Orinoco moving walks at a 12-degree incline, 1000mm width, 11.85m height and 62.4m span in the sustainability-themed botanical garden not only sets a new record as the longest and highest (in terms of rise) moving walks installed by the company in China, but also showcases the exceptional build and aesthetic qualities of the German-engineered TK Elevator products.
“Customer satisfaction is of paramount importance to TK Elevator. As an iconic element of the park’s design and the sole entrance to the panoramic terrace, the Orinoco moving walk was chosen by the customer for its proven track record in safety and reliability,” says Peter Walker, CEO at TK Elevator. “We are proud to show our entrepreneurial spirit and once again convince with our innovative mobility solutions.”
Three exceptional architecture projects from around the globe were revealed as the 2021 shortlist for the RIBA International Prize by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
The prestigious biennial award celebrates projects that demonstrate design excellence and social impact. The shortlisted projects in contention for the world’s best new building are:
Friendship Hospital, Satkhira, Bangladesh, by Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA – A remote community hospital set in the fragile watery landscape of the Bengal, built to withstand the ravages of climate change
James-Simon-Galerie, Berlin, Germany, by David Chipperfield Architects Berlin – A classically inspired entrance building and visitor centre for the world-leading cultural destination and Unesco World Heritage Site, Museum Island
Lille Langebro, Copenhagen, Denmark by WilkinsonEyre and Urban Agency – Technically innovative new cyclist and pedestrian bridge that elegantly slides open and revitalises Copenhagen harbour
RIBA President Simon Allford said: “Our global architecture awards champion buildings that change the world and positively impact the community around them, and these three exemplars certainly deliver. Situated in a range of locations with various purposes, from a communal hospital in Bangladesh to an innovative cyclist and pedestrian bridge in Denmark, these projects are united by human experience at their heart. Collectively they demonstrate sensitivity to their surroundings and local cultures, inclusive design, and sustainable solutions, and set a high bar for architectural excellence around the world. Congratulations to the talented individuals and practices shortlisted for this international accolade. I look forward to seeing which scheme is selected by our esteemed panel of judges to be named the RIBA International Prize winner.”
The three buildings have been selected following a rigorous judging process, from a long list of 16 exceptional new projects in 11 countries. The winner of the RIBA International Prize and the RIBA International Emerging Architect Prize, which celebrates the future talent of the profession, will be
announced in early 2022. The shortlist will be judged by a distinguished Grand Jury chaired by world-renowned multidisciplinary French architect and urban planner, Odile Decq. The jury members are Es Devlin OBE, acclaimed British artist and designer, Jeanne Gang, American architect and founder of Studio Gang with offices in the USA and Paris, Rossana Hu, architect and founding Partner of Neri&Hu based in Shanghai, China and Brazilian, Gustavo Utrabo, winner of the 2018 RIBA International Prize and Emerging Architect Prize.
Due to the ongoing travel restrictions across the world, projects that the Grand Jury are unable to visit in person this year will be included in the shortlisting stage of the next edition of the RIBA International Prize.
Bridging East and West, the newly restored villa speaks volumes on the city’s history.
Built between 1927 and 1930, Villa le Voile has stood on Vo Van Tan Street – previously named Rue Testard – for nearly a century. Yet the villa, constructed on a 3,000-sqm plot of land, never lost its charm: a distinctive fusion of Vietnamese, Chinese, and French design elements that uniquely represent the city’s history and cultural identity.
The villa was acquired by Minerva Corporation from its previous owners, the heirs of Ms. Trần Thị Nên, who purchased the villa in 1950 and retained ownership for some 65 years. The 1,500-sqm villa has witnessed Saigon’s embattled and colourful history, including periods and events such as the French Colonial Rule, the First Indochina War, and the Vietnam War. From the mid-1950s through 1976, the villa witnessed the flourishing of Saigon’s educational system, housing a number of private high schools and an English-language school. Throughout the 1990s and the 2000s, parts of the villa were rented out as antique shops and other commercial purposes until the villa’s sale in 2015.
To undertake a full restoration study, Minerva appointed CNPN, a local team of specialists led by heritage architect Nicolas Viste, to undertake a full restoration assessment. Following a comprehensive three-year assessment phase, CNPN was joined by renowned restorers Stonewest (based in the UK) and Palazzo Spinelli (based in Italy), whose respective body of work have included country estates, cathedrals, and other historical and cultural institutions around the world. Bringing back to life a slice of history for locals as well as tourists remains at the heart of the undertaking. Amid Ho Chi Minh City’s evolution, Villa le Voile stands as a witness of its vibrant past, an essential piece of Saigon’s built heritage.
A love letter to Vietnam: Recovering a slice of history and identity
While classically French from the façade, Villa le Voile reveals a unique depth and layers of history, both situational and personal. “Apart from its tangible built values, the villa expresses a unique cultural position that not many buildings of its era exhibit,” says Nguyen Vu Anh Thi, General Director of Minerva Corporation. “We struggled initially to define its architecture as Vietnamese, yet eventually came to the conclusion that only in Saigon’s context, given its history and its common values, can this particular mix of style to be conceived and executed.”
Constructed during the French colonial rule, the villa appears distinctly European. Inside, however, is a blend of indigenous Vietnamese and Chinese design elements – an amalgamation that (reflects the) first owner’s preferences and the different ways the villa has been used, as a family residence, as schools, and even as offices to members of the French army. From a stylistic point of view, the villa’s restorers describe the house as eclectic, owing to the hybrid of influences visible in its Vietnamese and Art Nouveau accents and Chinese wall paintings.
The villa also incorporates techniques used to adapt to local conditions – for instance, floors are built higher than the ground to avoid thermal radiation; the roof houses an attic, which serves to insulate the building. Thoroughly detailed elements also include balcony and staircase railings from the French steel smithing technique of the late 1800s and early 1900s, considered highly modern during that time.
Scraping the layers: A years-long journey
Invisible as the work may appear when Villa le Voile opens in the fourth quarter of 2022, the rehabilitation of the building spanned years of restoration studies and further planning, from 2016 to 2018. The execution required a further four years, from 2018 to 2022. “It began with the simple desire to restore the villa, without knowing what our next steps would be or the amazing discoveries we would eventually find,” says Mr. Nguyen. “Finding and selecting Stonewest, Palazzo Spinelli, and our other partners was the result of many exchanges and decisions.”
The first phase began with the CNPN team conducting an extensive survey of the building’s history — learning its structure inside and out, identifying the modifications that had been introduced by previous tenants, and plotting how to effectively conserve the integrity of the beautiful heritage
building.
“The goal of the complete study is to know by heart everything in the house, and prepare it for the second phase of the conservation project,” Mr. Viste shares. “Working on the assessment of this building is very important for documentation and heritage preservation in general. It helps us to understand what was going on in this city, and what the architects and designers in the first quarter of the 20th century had in mind.”
The second phase of restoration, comprising the recovery, stabilization, and retouching of the structure as well as decorations, commenced in 2018. Specialists Palazzo Spinelli and Stonewest were put to the tasks of recovering the interior decorations and exterior architecture of the building using minimal intervention. While structurally sound and well-constructed, Villa le Voile had undergone the ravages of time and extreme weather; overpainting and other modifications within also required corrections. Stonewest, one of the UK’s leading building restoration, conservation, and stonemasonry contractors behind the restoration of large country estates and institutions, administered an extensive scope that included the demolition and reordering of non-original fixtures; the repair of internal and external facades, including the roof tiles, decorative moldings, and more; timber and structural works; ironmongery; metal works of the balconies and gates; and decorative tiling. “Our works often go unseen, as good conservation and restoration works, in many ways, should not be noticeable but blend seamlessly with the original,” explains Alison Collier of Stonewest.
On the other hand, Palazzo Spinelli, an Italy-based international group of companies that has restored over 18,000 works of art for museums, churches, and other institutions, focused on restoring the original layers of the villa, removing the overpainting, and the recovery of the remaining interior decorations. Strictly following a method of minimal intervention, Palazzo Spinelli has recovered and retouched impressions of the original decorative work.
A lasting collaboration
The long process has proven to be rewarding in more ways than one. Both Palazzo Spinelli and Stonewest were determined to “leave a trace” and provide an imprint of continuation, involving local institutions such as the Ho Chi Minh University of Technology (HUTECH) and training nearly 200 local students and workers throughout the project’s various stages in order to maintain a true, tangible engagement with the local community. “It’s not only a question of conservation and restoration, but it is also a question of giving to the future generations – giving them an idea of the importance of cultural heritage,” says Emanuele Amodei, President of Palazzo Spinelli.
“Restoration is interpretation. One of our scientific scopes is to define a model of restoration that can be applied to the country and the new generation that can be used as a basis to work on similar activities. We strongly believe that transferring knowledge and competence in terms of
conservation and restoration are very much connected.”
Mr. Nguyen, too, stresses that the adaptation process is equally important as the journey of restoration. The key to successful adaptation is local expertise which had not existed at the time. “The result is essentially a balanced view of what is the most appropriate for a Vietnamese context, taking equal importance of the past and the future,” Mr. Nguyen says. “What we are leaving behind is not only what is visible in the villa, or the built heritage, but a set of international best practices in many areas regarding heritage assets, including construction management, MEP systems, and the decision-making process.”
Villa le Voile is slated to open its doors to the public in Q4 of 2022, housing three dining concepts alongside a roving program of exhibitions, installations, and cultural events.
JERDE, an internationally renowned architecture and urban planning firm, celebrated the grand opening of the renovated Joy Breeze, an 805,000-sq-ft (170,000-sq-m) retail centre in Beijing, China this October.
Previously a struggling mall, JERDE’s reimagined design has transformed the site into a new community destination on behalf of the developer GRANDJOY Property Company (formerly COFCO Real Estate Group).
“Our renovation was inspired by the ancient Fire God Temple located on the grounds, directly adjacent to the mall entrance. We took the ideas of fire and light and translated them into the glowing, translucent, lantern-like forms of the new buildings,” said Eduardo Lopez, JERDE Senior Vice President and Senior Design Principal. “In Chinese culture the lanterns are a symbolic representation of celebration and prosperity, positioning this project as Beijing’s new destination for urban renewal and discovery.”
The project is a representation of Beijing itself, home to China’s second-largest urban population—rich in history, while also embracing modern culture, creating a juxtaposition of new and old architecture within a cosmopolitan community. A portion of the building’s northern side has been carved out to create additional outdoor public space. The captivating garden terraces created above the city streets ascend to a unique, top-level entertainment, retail, and dining destination. Following the theme of simplicity, the exterior is primarily constructed of a stone facade, with a darker tone at the base to help break down the scale.
“As visitors move through the project, they are guided through a choreographed journey. From exploring the sunken walkway to experiencing the outdoor entertainment plaza, the idea is that guests are met with a new experience at every turn,” said Lopez. The landscape also plays a part in creating the simplistic ambience that permeates Joy Breeze. Combined, each element plays an important role in enlivening the overall human experience for the project.
JERDE has designed mixed-use and retail destinations throughout the world including such iconic places as Santa Monica Place, Bellagio in Las Vegas, Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles, Pacific City in Huntington Beach, and Adana Town Center in Adana, Turkey, which recently took home the award for Best Shopping Center at the 2021 MIPIM Awards held in Cannes, France.
The hotel is the first in both Hong Kong and mainland China to achieve the internationally acclaimed precertification
Sino Group is delighted to announce that The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong (the ‘Hotel’) has attained the WELL Precertification under the WELL Building StandardTM v2. The precertification is a milestone achievement recognised by the International WELL Building InstituteTM (IWBITM) that awards a project’s intent to implement health and wellbeing strategies that will be third-party verified upon completion.
As the first hotel project in Hong Kong and mainland China to receive this internationally acclaimed recognition, the precertification exemplifies the Group’s commitment to integrating health and sustainability strategies into every aspect of its operations and efforts in making business a driver of sustainability for a better future.
Mr Daryl Ng, Deputy Chairman of Sino Group, said, ‘The built environment has a profound impact on our health and wellbeing. Sino Group is committed to developing projects that link sustainability with design and operational strategies to promote health and wellness. We are grateful that The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong, the latest addition to the Fullerton family, has been the first hotel in Hong Kong and mainland China to attain this internationally acclaimed WELL v2TM precertification. As we commit to Creating Better Lifescapes for the communities we serve, I would like to thank the Sino team for their endeavours in supporting the Group to deliver on our commitment to promote a more sustainable community as we continue our sustainable journey towards Sustainability Vision 2030.’
Sustainability is at the core of Sino Group’s values, and the Sustainability Vision 2030 highlights tangible commitments to embedding elements into the design, construction, and operations of property developments, redefining them to focus on green living, health and wellbeing. Following the precertification received for 133 Portofino, St. George’s Mansions and Landmark South, this accreditation of The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong is an acknowledgement of the Group’s pursuit of sustainability and wellness in the development and operations of its hotels.
Located on the southside of Hong Kong Island, The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong is the first Fullerton hotel in Hong Kong and first Fullerton resort worldwide. Being a sustainable oceanfront luxury resort in Hong Kong, the Hotel is committed to offering a sustainable and healthy environment for all through green building measures and WELL building strategies including the implementation of practical green and climate resilience designs and features. To further incorporate wellness living into the hospitality experience, the Hotel will offer a wide range of wellbeing programmes for guests and employees to engage in such as urban farming, aqua yoga, hiking, as well as other mental and physical health activities like meditation, forest bathing, tea ceremony rituals, dance/movement and music therapies, with the aim of creating a connection with nature and a sense of wellbeing.
Created through seven years of rigorous research and development working with leading physicians, scientists and industry professionals, the WELL Building Standard is a performance-based certification system that marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based scientific research. The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong earned the WELL Precertification based on its design intents within 10 categories of building performance — Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 16 winners of the RIBA International Awards for Excellence 2021, a biennial selection of the world’s best new buildings selected from entries to the world’s most prestigious award for architecture, the RIBA International Prize.
Of these exceptional winning projects, 11 are located in Asia, across Qatar, Iran, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China and South Korea.
Doha, Qatar: The Msheireb Downtown Doha Masterplan, a sophisticated and major architectural project, comprises a hundred plus buildings forming a coherent piece of the city and champions environmental and cultural sustainability with walkable neighbourhoods.
Seoul, South Korea: Amorepacific Headquarters is boldly positioned in the heart of the business district, serving as the workplace for the beauty company, a triple height foyer also engages with social responsibility, offering a public museum, auditorium, library, shopping and exhibition spaces.
Hong Kong, China: Tai Kwun The Centre for Heritage and Arts has transformed Hollywood Road, a historic cultural site, housing buildings formerly operating as police headquarters into two new immersive museum buildings with capacity for outdoor exhibition spaces and morning Tai Chi.
(Left – right): Msheireb Downtown Doha, Allies and Morrison; Amorepacific Headquarters, David Chipperfield Architects Berlin; Tai Kwun The Centre for Heritage and Arts, Purcell, Herzog & de Meuron, Rocco Design Associates Architects Limited
Amongst the 16 winning projects announced today, four projects will be shortlisted for this year’s prize and announced in September. The winner of the RIBA International Emerging Architect Prize and the RIBA International Prize 2021 will be selected by a Grand Jury, chaired by French architect Odile Decq and revealed in November 2021.
In recent years, Singapore’s construction industry has gone through continuous transformation focusing on improving productivity, reducing cost, improving safety and creating better jobs as part of the Industry Transformation Map (ITM). ITM is an initiative largely underpinned by digital transformation, launched by Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA)in 2017
During the BCA-REDAS Built Environment and Property Prospects Seminar in January 2020, BCA noted that the industry was “making steady progress” towards the agency’s target of having 40 to 60 Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) projects implemented and IDD capabilities in 150 to 180 firms by 2020. IDD uses a collaborative modelling technology called Building Information Modelling (BIM) to capture the 3D virtual representation of buildings and the information required for the construction process,along with advanced Infocomm and smart technologies. It is one of the key thrusts to enable the industry to achieve process improvement and collaboration among project partners.
Streamlining Workflow with Trust and Collaboration
Aside from construction demand reduction, COVID-19 has also put additional pressures on the operating budgets of Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) firms. At the same time, they need to cope with additional health and safety requirements, lesser availability of manpower and opaque market conditions. Inarguably, the road to recovery will be an arduous one. However, if AEC firms can leverage on the power of collaboration to improve productivity, they can ensure that projects can still be delivered on a timely manner, and as such create a more efficient way of working in this new normal.
Large number of collaborators, from architects to engineers, and other stakeholders needs to be involved in every project. Working virtually on projects of any complexity has never been easy, but with the right BIM solutions, it can be. Advanced BIM solutions, such as the GRAPHSOFT Archicad 24, allow for features such as smart change tracking and real-time notifications on relevant changes to the working model, resulting in accurate information that helps with timely decision-making. Enhanced collaboration and communication also means that the numerous stakeholders working on a project can resolve issues faster and reduce the risk of misinformation. Having all members of the team working on a BIM model in one shared design hub also strengthens the team performance and builds trust among members. This collaborative effort leads to better designs through solutions powered by streamlined data management processes.
Most recently, the AEC industry has been leveraging the cloud to enable real-time access to shared model throughout the design process. For example, GRAPHISOFT BIM cloud – available in both private and public cloud configuration – helps ensure that all team members are always up to speed on the latest edits, regardless of the project’s scale or the member’s location. Our clients, especially those with teams working remotely, have found this to be very helpful in improving efficiency and eradicating mistakes. With recently implemented measures to tackle the pandemic, including social distancing and remote working arrangements, the risk of project delays is undoubtedly higher with some firms still grappling to meet the myriad of requirements while having their workflow disrupted. Therefore, it is all the more vital to ensure that we leverage on technology to enhance productivity and collaboration throughout the process.
Paving the Road to Success
There is an increasing need for the AEC industry to work collaboratively so as to quicken the journey to recovery and reap the benefits of digital transformation. While this process may seem daunting and complicated, there are several straightforward steps that firms can adopt to attain success. First they can start with developing a strategic digital roadmap that will harmoniously integrate with the overall business plan. The efficacy of the technology needs to be considered, focusing mainly on competitive edge, productivity improvement, issue rectification and collaboration capability among the project partners.
In addition, there are several options that firms can leverage to upskill their employees and prepare them for the use of BIM software. For instance, GRAPHISOFT Learn offers a growing catalogue that includes on-demand, self-paced lessons, and detailed, instructor-led courses to help users shorten the learning curve, which is exceedingly important with remote working arrangements. Additionally, over the years BIM software has generally evolved to be more user friendly and intuitive.
Open BIM is another modern approach which firms should consider when choosing the most appropriate digital software to adopt. With Open BIM, they can enjoy better accessibility, usability, management and sustainability of built asset’s digital data on top of all the BIM benefits. On top of that, Open BIM is a collaborative process that is vendor-neutral and facilitates seamless collaboration for all project participants.
Finally, the ability to manage risk is essential. There are digital technologies that can help manage risks, and with that firms can locate and isolate issues before they happen. This will undeniably reduce costs and avoid unnecessary delays or rework. These tools can significantly remove the amalgamation of challenges faced by AEC firms due to the pandemic.
With the strain the pandemic has imposed on manpower, finances, health and safety, a progressively trustworthy and collaborative working environment will go a long way towards improving profitability. Firms that have made collaboration and digital transformation pivotal to their strategy will find that they are responding to problems more efficiently and with greater immediacy, thus enabling them to alleviate the impact of today’s business climate and advance towards a smoother recovery.
This piece was written by Chidambaram Chidambaram, Director, Customer Success, GRAPHISOFT, Singapore and Malaysia
Atkins – a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group – has seen two of its architectural projects recognised at the 2020-2021 Asia Pacific Property Awards. The Changsha Northstar International Convention and Exhibition Centre won an award in the Public Service Architecture in China category, while the Hari hotel in Hong Kong won an award in the New Hotel Construction and Design category. The Asia Pacific Property Awards, as part of the International Property Awards, are the largest, most prestigious and widely recognised throughout the region, celebrating the highest levels of achievement by companies operating in all sectors of the property and real estate industry.
Bertil de Kleynen, Managing Director for Southeast Asia at Atkins, said: “I’m thrilled to see that more of our design projects are recognised at the prestigious awards. It’s a great recognition of our passionate architecture team and their effort to design award-winning projects that not only enhance value for our clients’ investments, but also raise their profiles at the national and international levels.”
The Changsha Northstar International Convention and Exhibition Centre is a new landmark for the city, including a 400m supertall tower. It integrates residential, cultural, retail and commercial space and creates a central public space for activities. The luxury Hari hotel, which is due to open in 2020, builds on the success of Harilela family’s signature hotel in London. It is the first hotel of the Harilela Group that carries its own brand in Hong Kong and Asia, offering guests unique and special experiences.
The official award ceremony has been scheduled to take place in September 2020 in Bangkok where the national winners for each category will be announced to compete for “Asia Pacific’s Best”, the highest regional recognition.
Atkins’ designs have now won a number of International Property Awards, including the 2017 “World’s Best Architecture” category for the 461-metre supertall Landmark 81 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and the 2018 “Best International Mixed-use Architecture” and “Best Mixed-use Architecture Asia Pacific” awards for the Huarong Tower in Zhuhai, China.
Singapore’s Pomeroy Academy and The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), UK, today announced the launch of a new scholarship aimed at supporting Southeast Asia’s next sustainability leaders.
Open to Southeast Asia professionals looking to enrol at Cambridge University’s prestigious Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment (IDBE) Master’s degree, the Pomeroy Academy Scholarship for Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment will support one student per year from the Southeast Asia region who can demonstrate their interest in, and commitment to, the design and development of sustainable built environments.
The scholarship was created by award-winning architect, academic, and IDBE (cohort 10) alumnus Professor Jason Pomeroy, founding principal of Singapore-based designers and thought leaders of sustainable built environments, Pomeroy Studio, and sustainability researchers and educators, Pomeroy Academy. Professor Pomeroy attributes much of his success in forwarding the green agenda in Asia to the collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to creating sustainable built environment projects which is at the heart of the IDBE programme.
Supported by expert tutors and practitioners from academia and industry, the IDBE post-graduate programmes offers an interdisciplinary approach to learning for built environment professionals, structured around emerging trends, opportunities, and challenges within the built environment, covering sustainability and resilience, health and well-being, energy, efficiency, conservation, heritage, stakeholder engagement, politics and regulation.
“In the wake of population increases, climate change, globalisation and unpresented technological advancements in Asia and across the world, sustainability in the built environment has never been more crucial. As an alumnus, the IDBE course at CISL is close to my heart. It is now my privilege to support others in receiving the support and guidance they need to make a difference at policy level to achieve the common need for more sustainable, low energy, low water designs to enhance the lives of communities across the Southeast Asia region,” said Professor Pomeroy.
IDBE Course Director, Dr. Kayla Friedman commented: “Southeast Asia is expected to grow rapidly in the next 30 years while simultaneously being prone to a number of increasing climate risks. The region needs more built environment professionals with the knowledge and networks to drive change and ensure resilient future-proofed built environments.”
Professor Pomeroy added: “We are looking for the next Southeast Asia sustainability leaders who can make a real difference in the Southeast Asian region, so if you think you have the passion, drive and commitment to push the boundaries of sustainable design and research, we want to hear from you!”
To find out more about the Pomeroy Academy Scholarship for Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment, Click here, or visit Pomeroyacademy.sg
The newly reimagined Wanderlust, the latest flexible living concept from 8M Collective, is now open for bookings. Moving away from the rigid protocols and antiquated services at conventional hotels, Wanderlust is a conscientiously designed space for a new generation, welcoming all jaunts and journeys.
Retaining
only the name of the original property, the new Wanderlust has undergone a
complete transformation, merging old-world charm with essential modern-day comforts. Step through the adorned façade
of original Peranakan tiles and feel instantly at home, entering the naturally
peaceful and inviting lobby, a wonderful dichotomy to the vibrancy of the neighbourhood. Relax on the
open-air terrace overlooking charming
Dickson Road, taking
in the bustling streets of Little
India from a private oasis with a dipping pool, the perfect escape on a hot
Singapore afternoon.
Just
a few convenient steps from the Downtown MRT Line, Wanderlust offers the
balance of being just minutes from the bustling city centre yet immersed in the
historic urban montage of Little India. With a range of different room
categories from spacious Lofts
to comfortably appointed Studios, Wanderlust invites
guests to take a break from
the hectic pace of daily life and embrace the mindset of slow travel, making
the lively neighbourhood a home away
from home while
soaking in the culture, colours and character of the multifaceted cityscape.
Embracing the select service
model that has
made KēSa House,
in Keong Saik
Road, a favourite among contemporary travellers, Wanderlust encourages
guests to settle in and stay a while with a range of flexible rate packages and
services depending on the
desired length of stay. Amenities such as complimentary laundry service, fully furnished pantries and comfortable common spaces make
Wanderlust an ideal refuge
whether you’re checking
in to relax, work or play.
Settle
In
The Loft category on the top floor of the heritage property, provides space to relax and hide away, with a lofted double bed to accommodate a separate living space. Your private urban retreat, the spacious Wanderlust Loft is elegantly appointed with natural finishes, textural overlays and a kitchenette for convenient in-room meals. Striking the perfect chord between classic comforts and modern essentials, the Wanderlust Junior Loft offers a living space and kitchenette alongside enhanced modern fittings and functionalities.
The Studio category is ideal for the modern traveller seeking new perspectives. For a bit more space, the Wanderlust Studio delivers contemporary and homelike living with a stylish, cleverly constructed interior and kitchenette. Expertly designed with comfort in mind, the Wanderlust Junior Studio also features a kitchenette for everyday convenience along with enhanced functionalities.
Perfect for the intrepid traveller seeking a refined respite from the hustle and bustle, the Wanderlust Room offers everything you need and nothing you don’t. Enjoy a luxurious double bed, cosy fittings and a quiet view overlooking the streets of Little India.
Savour the Moment
With kitchenettes in the majority of rooms, Wanderlust offers the opportunity to explore the local
markets with its
eclectic flavours and ingredients and
prepare a home cooked
meal in the comfort of your own space.
You can grab essentials at the in-house Mama Shop that offers a
hand-picked assortment of locally sourced brands and staples with ample
selection for the health conscious. Enjoy
a taste of Singapore with
items such as craft beer
from The Guild, artisan cold
brew and tea from Made Cold, gluten free treats from The Whole Kitchen
and kombucha from
Yocha.
And
in true 8M Collective style, Wanderlust will also offer an amazing in-house
restaurant and bar – Kotuwa, opening in April 2020. Helmed by Michelin-starred
chef Rishi Naleendra of local dining destinations Cloudstreet and Cheek Bistro
(formerly Cheek by Jowl), Kotuwa
will celebrate Sri Lankan flavours, culture, people and hospitality.