Turning old into gold, leading hotel brands are giving heritage buildings luxe new interiors.
Majestic facades with intricate detailing, handsome columns and delicate cornices; hardwood floors gleaming with a patina acquired over time. There is much about the extravagant buildings constructed by empires that make them perfectly suited for being turned into grand hotels, and Singapore – once the crown jewel in the East for the British Empire – is fertile with options for ambitious hoteliers.
Think The Fullerton Hotel, converted from the former General Post Office, and Capella Singapore, which integrates modern construction with colonial military buildings. Whether it is pre-war conservation shophouses or former military barracks, heritage hotels are often not just stylish retreats, but also a canvas for history when the storied interiors are refurbished to surpass their former glory.
Singapore is seeing yet another wave of openings – starting with The Capitol Kempinski Hotel which opened last October. Two months after, the 138-room Six Senses Maxwell joined the heritage hotel scene. Together with Six Senses Duxton, the brand’s debut property here, the two hotels add a collective touch of whimsy to the eclectic Chinatown community.
As one half of a remarkable conservation project endorsed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Architectural Heritage Awards, Six Senses Maxwell comprises 14 four-storey shophouses originally constructed in the early 19th century. Its thoughtful interiors are guided by the creative hand of French architect and interior designer Jacques Garcia, who has worked on properties such as Nomad in New York and Hotel Costes in Paris. At the Maxwell property, he combines ethically sourced Wenge hardwood floors with hand-crafted Lefroy Brooks bathroom taps which take after classical bathroom designs of the 1900s, to give the building a sense of place.
By the middle of this year, national icon Raffles Hotel Singapore is expected to welcome guests again, after a restoration closure to enhance its ambience and charm. Originally opened in 1887 by four Armenians – the Sarkies brothers – the long-awaited revival will see the hotel decked out in state-of-the-art amenities while maintaining a colonial ambience.
Commenting on the design of the grand dame’s new Jubilee Ballroom, formerly the Jubilee Hall theatre, interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud shares: “We have included sophisticated Victorian details whispering to the heritage of the space, along with nods to Singapore’s culture. In order to tell the legacy story of the theatre, we added finely curated motifs and techniques that speak to its history, along with iconic lighting elements to provide an added layer of luxury.”
01 THE BARRACKS HOTEL
02 THE CAPITOL KEMPINSKI HOTEL SINGAPORE
03 SIX SENSES MAXWELL
TEXT KOH YUEN LIN PHOTOS OF SIX SENSES MAXWELL SETH POWERS
