Championing sustainability and groundbreaking design, the highly anticipated debut of Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur is already stopping traffic with its lush green facade
If you have been travelling along Jalan Sultan Ismail from Bukit Bintang or Imbi, you would have noticed a large swath of greenery hanging off the building of what was once Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur. This lush exterior consisting of plants and trees in various sizes and shades, look positively serene and pretty in this dense concrete jungle.
It serves as a tantalising teaser to what will be the Parkroyal Collection, the brand's first hotel outside of Singapore which is currently accepting reservations for June 2022 and beyond. A relatively new hotel brand, Parkroyal Collection pursues the ideal balance between sustainability and upscale hospitality, and architecture and design are just two of the many ways it is using to showcase this commitment.
This push for biophilic design has proven to be a huge success in Singapore where Parkroyal Collection Pickering picked up its seventh consecutive Asia's Leading Green Hotel award at the World Travel Awards last year, while Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay is hailed as the island republic's first garden-in-a-hotel with over 2,400 plants in its interior.
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Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur, which is located in the city's shopping hub, has every intention to continue this momentum. In fact, anticipation has been high since its predecessor Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur closed in 2020 to undergo a 15-month transformation.
"This will not be a refurbished version of Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur but the hotel did have a strong legacy so there's already a level of curiosity to see how its building will be transformed." says Cristian Nannucci, general manager of Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur. "The question is how to create a new look on the existing structure, how we can be creative and add value."
The answer is to place 78 sky planters along the facade and roof terraces, creating 13,000 sq ft, or 140m in length, of plants and trees. Over 300 trees, including Neem and Umbrella trees, are planted, offering not just a pleasing aesthetic on the exterior but much-needed shade to reduce urban heat. Neem trees have the additional benefit of being a natural mosquito repellent.