Category: Commercial Projects
Honourable Mention
Jury Citation:
“The conversion of a conservation warehouse into a hotel is, by nature, a difficult project, which the architects were able to address commendably. Despite the given single-volume warehouse space, the architects were able to inject new, intimate spaces into a unit-oriented hotel typology.
The careful insertion of skylights within a deep plan at key areas that highlighted conserved roof trusses gave delightful instances of natural light.
A taste of architectural flavour, reflected in some of the retained old elements, instilled a sense of place at the hotel and gave the character necessary for a hospitality project.
The jury panel unanimously agrees to award the project an Honourable Mention.”
Sited in a conserved building off Robertson Quay, the Warehouse Hotel’s roots extend far back to Singapore’s trading history as early as the late 19th century. Three warehouses have been combined and outfitted, starting a new lease of life as a 37-room boutique hotel.
Fronting the Singapore River with a distinctive, symmetrical façade and jacked roofs, the Hotel sensitively retains and restores original design elements like louvre windows, doors, cornices, mouldings and the Chinese characters on the leftmost gable. These elements have been complemented with restrained touches, including a metallic black canopy on the main entrance.
A double-volume space greets visitors at the Hotel lobby, with the original warehouse trusses, now re-finished in black, spanning the lobby. Natural light filters in through the jack roofs in the daytime, while new portal frames serving as discreet structural interventions frame the space, providing a clear access and line of sight to the waterfront. The entryway is set the middle of the volumes, with the rooms are split into two wings, with high-ceilinged corridors leading to the double-volume rooms on the second storey. Natural light has been introduced to all rooms through a combination of the existing fenestration, skylights and the use of glass blocks; the trusses and portal frames are kept in sight throughout the spaces in the Hotel, puncturing walls and lines of sight, creating a curious spatial dialogue while accentuating the character of the warehouse’s former life.
A new extension housing an elevated infinity pool complements the strong silhouette of the main wing, as if hovering just above the Singapore River, provoking visual interest at the corner of the street. The selection of finishes here – including the pavers and the salmon-pink tiles of the pool – was carefully considered to extend the visual and tactile connection to the waterfront.
