Cover Art Deco-style bubble elevators feature in the hotel lobby
Art Deco-style bubble elevators feature in the hotel lobby
1 / 1
Interior designer Matthew Shang shares about his work on the newly refurbished Conrad Singapore Orchard
Conrad Singapore Orchard (formerly The Regent) is one of Singapore’s most historic hotels for many reasons. When it opened in 1982, it was the first project of the late American architect John C. Portman and the first atrium he designed in Asia. In Singapore, he also designed the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, and Pan Pacific.
“No one can create a hotel with such dramatic voids today,” says Matthew Shang, the co-founder of interior design firm MSDO. “Also, it is one of Pontiac Land’s first hotels. So much history is embedded there, with the original bones of the building designed in the early ’80s until its first significant refurbishment by Michael Bedmar in the early 1990s.”
Above Ben Quarrill, Matthew Shang, and Paul Semple of MSDO (Photo: Faris Mustafa)
Ben Quarrill, Matthew Shang, and Paul Semple of MSDO (Photo: Faris Mustafa)
1 / 1
Shang is a poignant figure in this legacy, having lent his sensitive design eye to the design and refurbishment of many spaces in the hotel. In 2014, he designed the famed, award-winning Manhattan Bar (as a principal of Australian design firm Hassell before leaving to set up MSDO), as well as the Tea Lounge on the first floor.
When Conrad Hotels & Resorts took over the property, MSDO was tasked to upgrade many of its public spaces. “Our primary approach was to embrace what was there and to reveal more of the original Portman bones, to assume the relationship between the spaces and maximise the contrast between the areas where it was more compressed and then open them up to the dramatic atrium,” Shang explains.
Read more: Monroe Mania: What you need to know about Manhattan’s new Warhol-inspired bar, East47
Above Matthew Shang (Photo: Faris Mustafa)
Matthew Shang (Photo: Faris Mustafa)
1 / 1
Instead of layering an entirely new identity onto the original structure, these upgrades that celebrate Portman’s original spaces eschew trends to maintain the atmosphere of timeless luxury. “The lobby was probably the most contentious and difficult to balance between the old and the new. We developed huge new rugs that spoke to the previous rugs and the extensive textile collection within the hotel. They were bold and fresh but still relate to the past,” Shang remarks.
Above A bird's eye view of Conrad Singapore Orchard's atrium elevator and spiral staircase
A bird's eye view of Conrad Singapore Orchard's atrium elevator and spiral staircase
1 / 1
Above A golden, striking view of Conrad Singapore Orchard
Above A closer look at the Art Deco-inspired bubble elevator
A golden, striking view of Conrad Singapore Orchard
1 / 2
New reception desks with organic forms take a page from Portman’s sculptural works. “Simple in shape and bold, they were softened through [gentle] colours,” Shang describes. The porte cochere’s canopy is also now lit by a series of warm lights inspired by The Tivoli Gardens, which was a favourite of Portman.
A bedroom in Conrad Singapore Orchard
1 / 2
Working with DP Architects, the gym was enlarged and now feels more open with mirrors and maximised natural light. The café Dolcetto was expanded and evolved into a marketplace concept (it is now called Dolcetto Mercato). “Working with the branding agency Parable, playful graphic elements were developed,” Shang adds. Meanwhile, Manhattan Bar now has a new bar-in-a-bar concept named East 47.
The biggest changes are seen in Summer Palace, which re-opened just before Chinese New Year. The restaurant expanded to an exterior zone in the atrium, which was used during the Covid-19 pandemic when social distancing was needed. “The operator realised that this was a natural extension of the space. Especially on sunny days, the quality of light in that space is lovely,” Shang shares. Trees and paving gave this internal terrace the feel of a “palace garden”.
In case you missed it: Manhattan Bar Teams Up With Mu:Taipei for Its 7th Anniversary
The 'mercatino' (Italian for street market) in Dolcetto Mercato
1 / 3
The restaurant’s interior was enhanced with unique colour schemes and exquisite materials, such as hand-painted wallpaper from de Gournay from the appropriately named Summer Palace collection. Hand-blown custom lights from Preciosa set against deep aubergine beading, as well as a stucco finish that adds glimmer and shine to the low ceiling, enliven the entire restaurant.
Shang also collaborated closely with art consultancy The Artling on new artwork for the hotel. “We are particularly happy with the artwork choices in East 47. Following on from the Manhattan theme, our first thoughts were that of the Asian artists living in New York in the late ’70s and early ’80s, such as Yayoi Kusama and Yoko Ono.
Of course, there was The Factory; the bar’s name pays tribute to one of The Factory’s locations,” he shares. “This being the theme, the choices I think are perfect, with a nod to Kusama and a literal Warhol Marilyn taking pride of place.”
Credits
Photography: Courtesy of Conrad Singapore Orchard
