Cover The lush facade of the Pan Pacific Orchard (Photo: Darren Soh/Pan Pacific Orchard)
The lush facade of the Pan Pacific Orchard (Photo: Darren Soh/Pan Pacific Orchard)
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Woha pushes the green agenda in hotel design with the visually stunning, highly sustainable and lush Pan Pacific Orchard
Sandwiched between Orchard Towers and the Thai Embassy, Pan Pacific Orchard may be located right in the heart of town, but its bucolic environment and many naturally ventilated common spaces eschew typical city hotels. At the hotel that opened in June, guests are sure of their place in the tropics, actively absorbing the sounds, scents and sights of a sudden downpour or feeling the breeze in their faces right from check in.
Designed by Woha, Pan Pacific Orchard is part of the Singapore-based firm’s on-going pedagogical research into green buildings. Past examples include Oasia Hotel Downtown—that standout scarlet tower in the Central Business District laced in a living green skin—integrated development Kampung Admiralty with its cascading landscaped terraces, as well as the unforgettable Parkroyal Collection Pickering that sparked many a discussion on green hotel design.
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“With many of our hospitality projects, we are responsible for the architecture, interior design and landscape. This means that we are able to create ‘total environments’ that flow through the different disciplines and give guests very unique hotel experiences,” says Phua Hong Wei, a director at Woha. “We are very happy with the outcome at Pan Pacific Orchard. It brings together strategies and ideas reimagining a tropical hotel that connects and co-exists with nature—one that is re-generative, liveable and responsible for the common good of its occupants, the city and the environment.”
The hotel is covered with over 7,300-square-metres of green foliage (Photo: Pan Pacific Orchard)
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The building that preceded this new landmark was a typical inward-looking podium-and-tower block. It operated as Negara on Claymore from 2006 before being rebranded as Pan Pacific Orchard in 2008. In 2007, UOL and Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) engaged Woha to create the highly successful Parkroyal Collection Pickering which was completed in 2012. “They were very happy with the ‘Hotel in a Garden’ [scheme] where greenery was brought to the doorsteps of the rooms and amenities. We see the new Pan Pacific Orchard as a continuation of our collaboration to create another distinctive hotel,” says Phua.
The hotel addresses the brief for a new urban destination. 347 guest rooms are divided among three lushly planted themed sky terraces that the guest rooms look into. “The ground level is replicated four times vertically with the Beach, Garden and Cloud Terraces, and a photovoltaic canopy to create common and green spaces up in the sky,” says Phua. On the ground floor, there is a fourth garden—the Forest Terrace provides a tropical welcome with tree canopy, verdant planting and a waterfall that also offer pleasant views for the facing Peruvian-inspired Mediterranean restaurant Mosella.
The three sky terraces cut large voids into the 23-storey block. “The massing is done in such a way that all the guestrooms have good views either onto the sky terraces or to the city. The sky terraces also provide views for the neighbours, creating a spatial interplay that is lacking in most high-density environments,” highlights Phua.
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Sheltered balcony seating at the Mosella Restaurant (Photo: Pan Pacific Orchard)
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New to the spatial language of Woha are reflective ceilings at the sky terraces. “The mirrored ceilings duplicate the greens and blues, as well as reveals the landscape and activities to the street below like a living artwork. It reflects and bounces daylight internally to make the spaces comfortable,” describes Phua. Sizable round columns wrapped with climbing and trailing plants such as monstera, thunbergia, vernonia and cissus anchor each terrace like green totems, softening the building’s orthogonal form and sleek curtain wall facades.
Considerable thought was given to make each terrace a unique space. On the fifth storey, the Beach Terrace has meandering water edges, an organically shaped lagoon pool, playful sandcastle-like walls that curve up into lounging pods for the pool-facing guest rooms. The gym also faces the pool to offer a view during workouts.
On the 11th storey, the manicured Garden Terrace encourages ambles with a large lawn, garden seating and water features. The 18th-storey Cloud Terrace has a softer and lighter atmosphere with silver-hued plantings, reflective pools, as well as a perforated mirror ceiling to blend with the clouds and sky.
The Beach Terrace is designed with an organic curved swimming pool for wading and relaxing (Photo: Pan Pacific Orchard)
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The landscaping of each terrace corresponds with the themes. “This emphasises the bespoke experience of each stack, catering to the varied spectrum of personalities, preferences and demographics of the guests. There is something for everyone and every occasion. For example a family can stay at the Beach Terrace to enjoy the pools; the Garden Terrace with the Pacific Club Lounge and Florette bar, and meeting rooms can enhance a business trip, and a wedding or event can be hosted at the Cloud Terrace. It also means that guests can enjoy fresh and different experiences at every return visit,” highlights Phua.
Guest rooms facing each terrace also correspond with the themes. Those facing the Beach Terrace have timber panelling, sandy tones in the finishing and pastel-coloured fabric to reflect the beach experience while the Garden Terrace-facing guest rooms are more elegant with marble surfaces and hues of green to reinforce the Botanical experience. At the Cloud Terrace, the silver-white palette extends into the guest rooms and event spaces.
The terraces make for unique social spaces that in typical city hotels usually only comprise of a warren of function rooms. “Pan Pacific Orchard contributes to the vibrancy of the city by revealing celebrations that are normally hidden indoors. It is made possible by the open-air, cross-ventilated yet sheltered spaces designed specifically for Singapore’s equatorial climate that makes warm, humid air, low wind speeds and frequent yet unpredictable heavy rainfall a challenge for fully outdoor events,” explains Phua.
The Premier Balcony Loft enjoys a voluminous, double-height space and a private balcony that enjoys city skyline views (Photo: Pan Pacific Orchard)
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The terraces also contribute to the hotel’s strong sustainability cred that incorporates both passive design strategies and active systems. “The building massing is self-shading, with each atrium shaded from the hot, tropical sun. The terraces are open-sided to allow for natural cross-ventilation and daylighting, providing a comfortable, enjoyable environment aided by low-energy dry mist fans in strategic areas that reduce the need for air-conditioning and artificial lighting,” says Phua.
The landscaping and water bodies are also environmental buffers, helping to lower ambient temperature and combat the urban heat effect, he adds. “The variety of plants add value to the ecosystem by regulating the air quality and supporting biodiversity.”
Not surprisingly, the hotel has obtained the Green Mark Platinum rating—the highest accolade awarded by the Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority. Phua highlights the cohesive way in which the energy, water and waste building systems integrate with each other. For example, the photovoltaic panels on the roof generate clean energy that powers the common areas, rainwater harvesting irrigates the landscaping and food waste is processed with water and compost to fertilise the gardens.
“The hotel typology is constantly evolving. The value of hotel experience is greater when authentic and unique experiences are involved. It has become a destination in itself,” says Phua. “With the multiple terraces surrounded by nature, guests can enjoy and experience a seamless and immersive environment that provides comfort, choices and connection to nature.”
Above The biophilic-designed Pan Pacific Orchard by WOHA Architects glowing during sunset (Photo: Pan Pacific Orchard)
The biophilic-designed Pan Pacific Orchard by WOHA Architects glowing during sunset (Photo: Pan Pacific Orchard)
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Credits
Photography: Courtesy of Darren Soh, Pan Pacific Orchard and Woha
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